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Tea culture

Culture of tea

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Through East Asia, Australia and Canada

Lab · Class 6–12Archaeology & Discovery

Tea plays an important role in some countries. It is commonly consumed at social events, and many cultures have created intricate formal ceremonies for these events. East Asian tea ceremonies, with their roots in the Chinese tea culture, differ slightly among East Asian countries, such as the Japanese or Korean variants. Tea may differ widely in preparation, such as in Tibet, where the beverage is commonly brewed with salt and butter. Tea may be drunk in small private gatherings (tea parties), in public (tea houses designed for social interaction), and in everyday settings such as homes and workplaces.

Afternoon tea is a British custom with widespread appeal. The British Empire spread an interpretation of tea to its dominions and colonies, including modern-day regions of Hong Kong, India, and Pakistan, which had pre-existing tea customs, as well as regions such as East Africa (modern-day Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda), the Pacific (Australia and New Zealand), and Canada, which did not have tea customs, or countries that received high British immigration, such as Chile. The tea room or teahouse is found in the US, Ireland, and many Commonwealth cities.

Different regions favor different varieties of tea—white, yellow, green, oolong, black, or post-fermented (dark)—and use different flavorings, such as herbs, milk, or sugar. The temperature and strength of the tea likewise vary widely.

East Asia

China

Due to the importance of tea in Chinese society and culture, tea houses can be found in most Chinese neighborhoods and business districts. Chinese-style tea houses offer dozens of varieties of hot and cold tea concoctions. They also serve a variety of tea-friendly or tea-related snacks. Beginning in the late afternoon, the typical Chinese tea house quickly becomes packed with students and business people, and later at night, it plays host to insomniacs and night owls simply looking for a place to relax.

There are formal tea houses. They provide a range of Chinese and Japanese tea leaves, tea-making accoutrements, and a better class of snack food. Finally, some tea vendors specialize in selling tea leaves, pots, and other related paraphernalia. Tea is an essential item in Chinese culture and is mentioned in the seven necessities of (Chinese) daily life.

During the Tang dynasty, Lu Yu found that the plants that grow under shady hillsides produced poor-quality tea, often resulting in abdominal distension. The common tea-making methods at the time were boiling the water and tea leaves simultaneously. The water was heated in a cauldron on a brazier to the first boil level, described as "fish eyes." Appropriate salts were added to the water to enhance the flavor of the tea.

In China, at least as early as the Tang dynasty, tea was an object of connoisseurship; in the Song dynasty, formal tea-tasting parties were held, comparable to modern wine tastings. As in contemporary wine tastings, the proper vessel was necessary, and much attention was paid to matching the tea to an aesthetically appealing serving vessel. The Song also saw the rise in popularity of "tea wars" or tea competitions in which people competed to make the best cup of whipped powdered tea. In these competitions, a main judge was appointed who would judge the foam, style and taste of the tea.

Two main eras of Chinese tea

Historically, there were two phases of tea drinking in China based on the form of tea that was produced and consumed: tea bricks versus loose leaf tea.

Tea served before the Ming dynasty was typically made from tea bricks. Upon harvesting, the tea leaves were either partially dried or thoroughly dried and ground before being pressed into bricks. The pressing of Pu-erh is likely a relic of this process. Tea bricks were also sometimes used as currency. Serving the tea from tea bricks required roasting (to destroy mold or insects), grinding the leaves to a fine powder and whisking the tea in hot water to produce a fine broth.

After 1391, the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dynasty, decreed that tributes of tea to the court were to be changed from brick to loose-leaf form. The imperial decree quickly transformed the tea-drinking habits of the people, changing from whisked teas to steeped teas. The arrival of the new method for preparing tea also required the creation or use of new teawares types, including teapots, tea caddies and new smaller teacups. Loose-leaf tea and purple clay teaware are still the preferred tea preparation methods in Chinese daily life.

Hong Kong tea

The English-style tea has evolved into a new local style of drink, the Hong Kong-style milk tea, more often simply "milk tea" in Hong Kong, by using evaporated milk instead of ordinary milk. It is popular at cha chaan tengs and fast food shops such as Café de Coral and Fairwood. Traditional Chinese teas, including green tea, flower tea, jasmine tea, and pu-erh tea, are also common and are served at dim sum restaurants during yum cha.

Another Hong Kong specialty is lemon tea, served in cafes and restaurants as regular black tea with several slices of fresh lemon, either hot or cold, and a pot of sugar to add to taste. In 1979, local drinks manufacturer Vitasoy introduced a packaged brand, which remains popular and is gaining market traction in mainland China. Other brands followed suit in Hong Kong.

Tibet

Butter, milk, and salt are added to brewed tea and churned to form a hot drink called po cha (bod ja, where bod means Tibetan and ja means tea) in Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal. The concoction is sometimes called cha su mar, mainly in Kham, or Eastern Tibet. Traditionally, the drink is made with domestic brick tea and yak's milk, then mixed in a churn for several minutes. Using generic black tea, milk, and butter and shaking or blending work well too, although the unique taste of yak milk is difficult to replicate. (see recipe)

Tibet tea drinking has many rules. One such concern concerns an invitation to a house for tea. The host will first pour some Highland barley wine. The guest must dip his finger in the wine and flick some away. This will be done three times to represent respect for the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The cup will then be refilled two more times, and on the last time, it must be emptied, or the host will be insulted. After this, the host will present a gift of butter tea to the guest, who will accept it without touching the bowl's rim. The guest will then pour a glass for himself and must finish the glass or be seen as rude.

Two main teas go with the tea culture. The teas are butter tea and sweet milk tea. These two teas are only found in Tibet. Other teas drunk in Tibet include boiled black teas. Many tea shops in Tibet sell these teas, which travelers often take as their primary hydration source.

Japan

Green tea's traditional role in Japanese society is as a drink for special guests and occasions. Green tea is served in many companies during afternoon breaks. Japanese often buy sweets for their colleagues when on vacation or business trips. These snacks are usually consumed with green tea. Tea will also be prepared for visitors coming for company meetings and guests visiting Japanese homes. A thermos full of green tea is a staple on family or school outings as an accompaniment to bento (box lunches). Families often bring along Japanese teacups to enhance their enjoyment of the drink.

The strong cultural association Japan has with green tea has made it the most popular beverage to drink in traditional Japanese cuisine, such as sushi, sashimi, and tempura. At a restaurant, a cup of green tea is often served with meals at no extra charge, with as many refills as desired. The best traditional Japanese restaurants take as much care in choosing the tea they serve as in preparing the food.

Many Japanese are still taught the proper art of the centuries-old tea ceremony as well. Still, the Japanese now drink green tea processed using modern technology, and hand pressing is taught only as a technique to preserve cultural tradition and demonstrated to tourists. Most ubiquitous vending machines also carry a wide selection of hot and cold bottled teas. Oolong tea is popular, and black tea, often with milk or lemon, is served ubiquitously in cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants.

Major tea-producing areas in Japan include Shizuoka Prefecture and the city of Uji in Kyoto Prefecture.

Other infusions bearing the name cha are barley tea (mugi-cha), which is popular as a cold drink in the summer; buckwheat tea (soba-cha); and hydrangea tea (ama-cha).

Korea

The Korean tea ceremony, or darye (茶禮), is a traditional form of tea ceremony practised in Korea. Darye literally refers to "etiquette for tea" or "tea rite." The chief element of the Korean tea ceremony is the ease and naturalness of drinking tea in an easy, formal setting. Central to the Korean approach to tea is an easy and natural coherence, with fewer formal rituals, fewer absolutes, greater freedom for relaxation, and more creativity in drinking a wider variety of teas, services, and conversations.

Mongolia

In Mongolia, suutei tsai is a traditional beverage of tea with milk. Variations in the recipe include using green or black tea, butter, or fat. Fresh whole milk is often preferred, and adjusting the salt content is common. Fried millet is a common addition, and the tea is often derived from compressed tea blocks. Historically, Mongols favoured milk-based drinks due to beliefs about water's sanctity. The practise was noted by the Franciscan friar William of Rubruck in the 13th century. Suutei tsai is a staple in Mongolian culture, often served during meals and to guests visiting a yurt. Its unique flavour, including the presence of salt, can be an acquired taste, and it's commonly consumed with boortsog (fried biscuit) or dumplings. Instant versions of Suutei Tsai are also available. Suutei tsai is commonly used for special occasions such as Tsagaan Sar and Naadam.

Taiwan

Taiwanese tea culture encompasses a more traditional Chinese tea culture, followed by centuries of Han Chinese migrations onto the island. Wild tea was first found in Taiwan by the Dutch East India Company. Since then, successive waves of immigration from mainland China to Taiwan have left a legacy of influences on tea culture.

Bubble tea, pearl milk tea (Chinese: 珍珠奶茶; pinyin: zhēnzhū nǎichá ), or boba milk tea (波霸奶茶; bōbà nǎichá) is a tea beverage mixture with milk that includes balls of tapioca. Originating in Taiwan, it is especially popular in East Asia and Southeast Asia, including Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Singapore, as well as India, Sri Lanka, Europe, Canada, and the United States. It is also known as black pearl tea or tapioca tea.

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