Tea has been of great importance in China for many years. He inspired poets and musicians, strengthened friendship and love.
For centuries, the Chinese tea ceremony has played a significant role in the life of the Chinese people. The main thing in it is not the ceremony itself, but tea – its taste, smell, aroma. For the tea ceremony, a wide variety of teas are used, but refined and refined oolongs and red teas are especially appreciated.
Small cups and small clay teapots are used for tea drinking. One cup is enough to take no more than two sips of this delicious drink.
To brew tea the way it is done during the tea ceremony in China, you first need to boil the water. Then you should rinse the teapot with boiling water, take sticks or a special bamboo spoon for tea and fill the teapot with tea leaves by about 1/3, and pour boiling water over the whole thing. After that, you should immediately drain this water, without letting the tea leaves brew. Now you need to refill the teapot with boiling water, and pour the remaining boiling water directly onto the teapot, which should first be placed in a deep bowl. For the first brew, tea should not be infused for more than 30 seconds. Once the time is up, pour the tea into all cups at the same time so that everyone has the same taste.
One serving of tea leaves should be brewed no more than 5 times. But remember to add 10 extra seconds for the second brew and 15 seconds for all subsequent brews.
In conclusion, I will say that the water used for the tea ceremony is no less important than the tea itself. The water should be filtered so that chlorine or fluoride impurities do not spoil the taste of the tea. Never use distilled or carbonated mineral water for making tea, as it kills all the sweetness and richness of the taste of green tea. Ideal water for tea will have an alkaline pH value of 7.9 or less.
Bubbling boiling water also kills all the taste of green tea. The water must be heated to 75–85 ºС.
Subject to all of the above conditions, you can enjoy a real, relaxing and enjoyable Chinese tea.