“Ideally, ceremonial tea is served to provide the atmosphere in which to meditate on the reality of unreality, achieve the state of mind necessary to fulfill oneself according to the Daoistic idea of Becoming as opposed to Being” Nakamura.
My passion for tea has developed with my passion for Chinese culture, philosophy and medicine. In fact, they are essentially the same. Drinking the simple cup of tea is not purely for refreshment or even enjoyment – it has the ability to be an expression of the Dao 道 as a means of self realisation. It is a meditation.
Having said that, the beauty of the simple cup lies in the fact that one can enjoy it in whichever way they feel fit. For those that are unfamiliar with the different teas and their flavours, aromas, brewing methods and so on i will be blogging about some of the teas i stock and regularly enjoy, both as a drink and as a means of meditation.
Tips to enhance the enjoyment of tea:
Selection: Quality of tea is first and foremost important to the enjoyment of tea for many reasons. Primarily, tea offers many health benefits and the right tea from the right area can assist in the management and prevention of many illnesses. An aged and high quality Pu Erh tea for instance, has great benefits for those wishing to delve deep into the tea experience. In some instances well fermented and aged Pu Erh can produce euphoric effects on the drinker. At the same time a quality Sencha from Japan is very pure in taste, smell, and cleansing on the body. My suggestion is find what works for you through trial and error, research the teas, their properties and their benefits.
Brewing: Different teas need to be brewed at different temperatures. In general it is advised that one should never “burn” the leaves during brewing. So next time you go for a cuppa consider diluting hot water with cold or letting the water sit for a while. The water itself is very important and something i will blog about in the near future. In order to enjoy your tea, take time to respect the brew – don’t rush to pour nor drink your tea.
Container: Ideally a purple clay pot (known as a Yixing Pot) is used for making tea, unfortunately these are not readily available for most people. Ceramic is ideal for every day brewing as is a treated cast iron kettle (often used in Japanese tea brewing). Stainless steel and glass are ok but as you explore different east-asian teas it is likely that you will find that certain elements of your tea (such as bitterness and more harsh tastes) can be produced in non-ceramic pots. Again, experiment with different materials.
Enjoy: This is the most important point of drinking tea. Smell, listen, taste and savour your tea experience. When you are drinking a fine Tie Kuan Yin or Pu Erh you are drinking history and taking a step into a culturally rich tradition that is a very personal experience. Make each of these experiences as significant as possible.
In good health,
David White