Main concepts
It's time to relax and enjoy the true taste of tea. My Chinese tradition, tea can not be properly enjoyed without nice tea set. This article will open all the secrets of a true tea ceremony.
Preparation steps:
- buy a tea tray,
- find your favourite tea set,
- get a tasting tea ceremony set with different tee leafs.
To make the ceremony even fancier you can buy all the instruments to take a tea from the pack, to boil water, to smell warmed tea leaves, special towels and more...
Tea sorts for the ceremony:
- white tea
- red tea
- oolong
- puer
- green
Tea tray
Tea trays are usually very beautiful, showing off the beauty of the tea set and displaying all of your tools in a pleasing manner. Tea trays are shallow and can be of various sizes and shapes. The function of the tea tray is to hold your tea pots and cups and can be filled with any overflow of water or water discarded in the process of brewing. Some of the more common shapes of a tea tray are square, round and fan-shaped.
Tea set
Tea Pot
Tea pots are used to brew and pour tea, and you may use a tea pot or a traditional gaiwan to brew your tea.
Gaiwan
Gaiwan is used traditionally to brew your tea leaves in, and pour the brewed tea from when brewing tea Gongfu style. People use a gaiwan to gaze up the unfurling tea leaves and to smell the aroma of the brewing tea. Gaiwans can come in a variety of colors and styles. The gaiwan is also called the “sancai bowl”, which loosely translates into the synchronicity of man, earth and the sky as the cover of the gaiwan represents the sky, the bowl itself representing humankind, and the saucer below as earth.
Tea Filter
The tea filter, is used to filter tea leaves after brewing so that you may pour the tea into the fair cup and Pinming cups without having tea leaves in them. The tea filter is traditionally stored on the filter shelf when it is not being utilized.
Tea Pitcher
Tea pitcher, which is also named fair cup and cha hai, is used to hold the brewed tea liquor. Once your tea leaves are brewed correctly, the tea is then poured into the fair cup, which is similar to a small pitcher. The fair cup is used to hold the tea and make it the same density and taste throughout before serving the tea to your guests in the Pinming cups, hence why it is called a “fair cup”.
Tea Cups
Pinming tea cups are what you pour the brewed tea into from your fair cup to actually drink the brewed tea from, the western equivalent would be the teacup, although Pinming cups are much smaller, shallow and thin.
Tea Towel
The tea towel is a small but very necessary part of the tea ceremony as it is used to clean up any spills, and water or tea stains, and is usually made from either cotton or linen cloth.
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Used Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_tea_culture https://www.teavivre.com/info/how-to-use-gongfu-tea-set.html