The Etiquette of Ritualistic Tea Brewing

Similar to the art of wine tasting, it's essential to understand the correct etiquette and approach for sharing and savoring your high-end tea.

The ritualistic tea brewing

1. When making tea, first rinse the tea set with boiling water, place the tea leaves in the teapot until it's about seven to eight percent full. When pouring hot water, make sure to maintain a high posture and pour it in from the inner edge of the teapot's mouth to allow the water to flow along the edge, ensuring not only a beautiful pour but also enhancing the tea's aroma. Generally, use boiling water to steep the tea for its full flavor; discard the first steeping to remove impurities, then proceed with the second steeping, where the tea leaves are already open and the flavor fully developed.

2. Pouring tea too full can be challenging for the recipient as it might cause burns, so pouring tea should not fill the cup to the brim. Additionally, when pouring tea, it's essential to do it low, quickly, evenly, and thoroughly: "low" to prevent aroma loss and spills, "fast" to maintain the tea's warmth, "even" by bringing teacups close together for equal respect to all guests, and "thorough" to avoid leaving any excess water in the teapot, which can result in a bitter taste in the next steeping.

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3. Serving tea should be orderly and respectful. After wiping the bottom of the tea cup, present it to the guest with both hands, extending the cup in a gesture of respect and an accompanying phrase inviting the guest to have tea. The first tea is the most significant and traditionally starts from the left, so the first cup goes to the leftmost guest, irrespective of their status, age, or gender. The host should wait until the guest has taken their cup before taking theirs, in contrast to the tradition of "bottoms up" in drinking alcohol. When receiving a cup of tea, guests should acknowledge the gesture by lightly tapping the table twice with their index and middle fingers.

4. Savoring tea involves sipping it in three stages: a sip, a taste, and a lingering aftertaste. It's essential to appreciate the tea without frowning. After drinking, you can present the empty cup bottom to praise the host's excellent skills and convey genuine gratitude.

5. When finished, gently place the empty teacup without making noise to avoid any implication of challenging or imposing on the host. Before departing, it's best to finish the tea in your cup, showing appreciation for the host's tea.