Tea: Encyclopedia II - Tea - Tea culture

Tea - Tea culture

Tea is often drunk at social events, such as afternoon tea and the tea party. It may be drunk early in the day to heighten alertness; it contains theophylline and bound caffeine (sometimes called "theine"), although there are also decaffeinated teas.

There are tea ceremonies which have arisen in different cultures, Japan's complex, formal and serene one being the most known. Other examples are the Korean tea ceremony or some traditional ways of brewing tea in Chinese tea culture.

Tea - China

Main article: Chinese tea culture. See also Fujian tea ceremony.

Due to the importance of tea in Chinese society and culture, tea houses can be found in most Chinese neighbourhoods 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 and/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 plays host to insomniacs and night owls simply looking for a place to relax. Formal tea houses also exist. They provide a range of Chinese and Japanese tea leaves, as well as tea making accoutrements and a better class of snack food. Finally there are the tea vendors, who specialise in the sale of tea leaves, pots, and other related paraphernalia.

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 much as in modern wine tastings, the proper vessel was important and much attention was paid to matching the tea to an esthetically appealing serving vessel.

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

Tea served prior to the Ming Dynasty was typically made from tea bricks. Upon harvesting, the tea leaves were either partially dried or were thoroughly dried and ground before being pressed into bricks. The pressing of Pu-erh is likely a vestige of this process. Tea bricks were also sometimes used as currency. To improve its resiliency as currency, some tea bricks were mixed with binding agents such as blood. Serving the tea from tea bricks required multiple steps:

• Toasting: Tea bricks are usually first toasted over a fire to destroy any mold or insects that may have burrowed into the tea bricks. Such infestation sometimes occurred since the bricks were stored openly in warehouses and storerooms. Toasting also likely imparted a pleasant flavour to the resulting tea.
• Grinding: The tea brick was broken up and ground to a fine powder resembling Japanese powdered tea (Matcha).
• Whisking: The powdered tea was mixed into hot water and frothed with a whisk before serving. The colour and patterns formed by the powdered tea were enjoyed while the mixture was imbibed.

The ground and whisked teas used at that time called for dark and patterned bowls in which the texture of the tea powder suspension could be enjoyed. The best of these bowls, glazed in patterns with names like oil spot, partridge-feather, hare's fur, and tortoise shell, are highly valued today. The patterened holding bowl and tea mixture were often lauded in the period's poetry with phrases such as "partridge in swirling clouds" or "snow on hare's fur". Tea in this period was enjoyed more for its patterns and less for its flavour. The practice of using powdered tea can still be seen in the Japanese Tea ceremony or Chado.

After 1391, Emperor Hung-wu, the first Emperor 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 vessels.

• The tea pot was needed such that the tea leaves can be steeped separately from the drinking vessel for an infusion of proper concentration. The tea also needs to be kept warm and the tea leaves must be separated from the resulting infusion when required.
• Tea caddies and containers also became necessary in order to keep the tea and conserve its flavour. This due to the fact that tea leaves do not preseve as well as tea bricks. Furthermore, the natural aroma of tea became the focus of the tea drinking due to the new preparation method.
• A change in Chinese tea drinking vessels was also evident at this point. Smaller bowls with plain or simple designs on the interior surfaces were favoured over the larger patterned bowls used for enjoying the patterns created by powdered teas. Tea drinking in small bowls and cups was likely adopted since it gathers and directs the fragrant steam from the tea to the nose and allows for better appreciation of the tea's flavour.

This is the current and preferred method of preparing tea in Chinese culture.

Tea - Vietnam

Tea is cultivated extensively in the north of the country, making Vietnam one of the world's largest exporters. The tea is normally drunk green, and strongly brewed. The word in the Vietnamese language is tra (pronounced cha/ja) or che.

Tea - Britain

The British are amongst the largest per capita tea consumers in the world - each person consuming on average 2.5 kg per year. The popularity of tea dates back to the 19th Century when India was part of the British Empire, and British interests controlled tea production in the subcontinent. Tea initially was such a luxury that the teapoy, a dedicated piece of furniture, was developed for storing it. For most people in Britain tea drinking is not the delicate, refined cultural expression that much of the world imagines - a cup (or more often a mug) of tea is something drunk several times a day quite unceremoniously. "Tea" is not only the name of the beverage, but of a late afternoon light meal, irrespective of beverage drunk. Frequently (outside the UK) this is referred to as "high tea", however in the UK high tea is an evening meal. The term evidently comes from the meal being eaten at the "high" (main) table, rather than the smaller table common in living rooms. Tea is usually served with milk (not cream) and sugar, although taking sugar is increasingly uncommon. Tea served with milk and two teaspoons of sugar usually in a mug is commonly referred to as 'builder's tea'. There is a tradition of tea rooms in the UK which usually provide the traditional fare of cream and jam on scones, but these have declined in popularity since World War II. In Devon and Cornwall particularly, cream teas are a speciality. Lyons Corner Houses were a successful chain of such establishments.

Some scholars suggest the tea played a role in British industrial revolution. Afternoon tea possibly became a way to increase the number of hours labourers could work in factories; the stimulants in the tea, accompanied by sugary snacks would give workers energy to finish out the days work. Further, tea helped alleviate some of the consequences of the urbanisation that accompanied the industrial revolution: drinking tea required boiling one's water, thereby killing water-borne diseases like dysentery, cholera, and typhoid [12].

In the United Kingdom a number of varieties of loose tea sold in packets from the 1940s to the 1980s contained tea cards. These were illustrated cards roughly the same size as cigarette cards and intended to be collected by children. Perhaps the best known were Typhoo tea and Brooke Bond PG Tips the latter of whom also provided albums for collectors to keep their cards in. Some renowned artists were used to illustrate the cards including Charles Tunnicliffe. Many of these card collections are now valuable collectors' items.

Tea - Hong Kong

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. It is popular at cha chaan tengs and fast food shops such as Café de Coral and Maxims Express. Traditional Chinese tea, including green tea, flower tea, jasmine tea and Pu-erh tea, are also common, and are served at dim sum restaurant during yum cha.

Tea - Iran

Tea found its way to Persia (Iran) from India and soon became the national drink. The whole part of northern Iran along the shores of the Caspian Sea is suitable for the cultivation of tea. Especially in the Gilan province on the slopes of Alborz large areas are under tea cultivation and millions of people work in the tea industry for their livelihood. That region covers a large part of Iran's need for tea. Iranians have one of the highest per capita rate of tea consumption in the world and from old times every street has had a Châikhâne (Tea House). Châikhâne's are still an important social place. Iranians traditionally drink tea by pouring it into the saucer and putting a lump of sugar in the mouth before drinking the tea. This is seen nowhere else in the world.

Tea - Ireland

Ireland has, for a long time, been one of the biggest per-capita consumers of tea in the world. The national average is four cups per person per day, with many people drinking six cups or more.

As with Britain tea in Ireland is usually taken with milk and/or sugar. The two main brands of tea sold in Ireland are Lyons and Barrys. There is a considerable amount of light-hearted debate over which brand is superior. The Irish love of tea is perhaps best illustrated by the stereotypical housekeeper, Mrs Doyle in the popular sit-com Father Ted.

Tea - India

One of the world's largest producers, India is a country where tea is popular all over as a breakfast and evening drink. It is often served as masala chai with milk and sugar, and sometimes scented. Almost all the tea consumed is black Indian tea. Usually tea leaves are boiled in water while making tea, and milk is added.

Offering tea to almost every visitor to a family is a cultural norm. Tea has entered the common idiom; for example, asking money for "chai-pani" means asking for a tip; in certain states, it may mean asking for a bribe.

Darjeeling tea is known for its delicate aroma and light colour and is aptly termed as "the champagne of teas", Assam tea is known for its robust taste and dark colour, and Nilgiri tea is dark, intensely aromatic and flavoured.

Tea - Pakistan

As in India, tea is popular all over Pakistan. During British Rule tea became so popular in the subcontinent that it is now a common breakfast and all-day drink. Most of the tea consumed in Pakistan is imported from Kenya.

Tea - Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, tea is served in the English style, with milk and sugar, but the milk is always warmed. Tea is a hugely popular beverage among the Sri-Lankan people, and part of its land is surrounded by the many hills of tea plantations that spread for miles and miles round. Drinking tea has become part of the culture of Sri Lanka.

Tea - Turkey

As pictured, Turkish tea or Çay is produced on the eastern Black Sea coast, which has a mild climate with high precipitation and fertile soil. Turkish tea is prepared by special method and can be served strong ("koyu"/dark) or weak ("açık"/light). It is drunk from small glasses in order to show the colour of the tea, with lumps of beetroot sugar. To a lesser extent than in other Muslim countries, tea replaces alcohol as the social beverage.

Tea - Russia

In Russia, it is customary to drink tea brewed separately in a teapot and diluted with freshly boiled water ('pair-of-teapots tea', 'чай парой чайников'). The traditional implement for boiling water for tea used to be the samovar (and sometimes it still is). The podstakannik, or tea glass holder (literally "under the glass"), is also a part of Russian tea tradition. Tea is a family event, and is usually served with sugar and lemon (but without milk), and an assortment of jams, pastries and confections, including pastila, pressed apple paste.

Tea - Czech Republic

Specific tea culture developed in the Czech Republic in recent years, including many styles of tearooms. Despite having the same name, they are mostly different from the British style tea rooms. Pure teas are usually prepared with respect to their country of origin and good tea palaces may offer 80 teas from almost all tea-producing countries. Different tea rooms have also created various blends and methods of preparation and serving.

Tea - Commonwealth countries

Afternoon tea and the variant cream tea (called Devonshire Tea in Australia) is the staple "tea ceremony" of the English speaking Commonwealth countries, available in homes and tea rooms throughout the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Africa and New Zealand, although in most of these places it is no longer a daily routine. Note that "tea" may also refer to a meal in Commonwealth nations, regardless of the beverage served with the meal. This could lead to confusion over the meaning of an invitation to "tea". The solution, in countries such as Australia and New Zealand, is to refer to the drink as a "cuppa" (as in a "cup of tea").

Tea - United States

Main article: US tea culture

During the colonial period, tea and tea taxes were a bone of contention between the American Colonies and England. This led to the Boston Tea Party, a precipitating event of the American Revolution, where angry Colonists destroyed the tea cargo of three British ships by dumping them into Boston Harbor. Boycotts of tea by the colonists during this period led to an increase in consumption of other beverages, such as coffee or herbal tea. To this day, coffee remains more popular than tea in the United States. Afternoon tea is rarely served in the United States except in ritualized special occasions such as the tea party or an afternoon out at a high-end hotel or restaurant, which may also have cream teas on the menu.

In the United States, about 80% of the tea consumed is served cold, or iced. Iced tea debuted in 1904 in the United States and now can be purchased, like soda, in canned or bottled form at vending machines and convenience stores; usually, this pre-made tea is sweetened, and sometimes some other flavouring, such as lemon or raspberry, is added. Also, like soda, it can be purchased as a fountain drink, though in some establishments it is pumped from a Bag-In-Box, and in others, from a separate container near the fountain that contains freshly brewed tea.

Iced tea's popularity in the United States has led to an addition to standard flatware sets; the iced tea spoon is a standard flatware teaspoon, but with a long handle, suitable for stirring sugar into the taller glasses commonly used for iced tea.

Hot tea is often consumed "black" but sugar or honey can be added; milk or creamer is less common. It is also common for tea to be flavoured by adding a slice of lemon, or lemon juice. When cream is added to tea, it may be called "English style".

Traditionally, red and white teas were difficult to find in the United States, and even green tea was uncommon; however, they have recently become more popular. Recently, many coffee houses have begun to serve a milky, sweet, spiced tea called "chai", based on Indian "masala chai". Bubble tea from Taiwan has also become popular in the United States in recent years.

Decaffeinated tea is widely available in the United States, for those who wish to reduce the physiological effects of caffeine.

Tea - Japan

Green tea's traditional role in Japanese society is as a drink for special guests and special occasions. Green tea is served in many companies during afternoon breaks. The Japanese have a custom of buying confectioneries for their colleagues when on vacations or business trips. These snacks are usually opened and enjoyed with green tea. If you visit a Japanese company on business, you are likely to be offered a cup of tea to sip during your meeting. 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 itself. When guests arrive, Japanese brew a pot of green tea. A thermos full of green tea is also a staple on family or school outings as an accompaniment to bento (box lunches). Families oftentimes bring along proper Japanese teacups, to enhance the enjoyment of the traditional drink. The strong cultural association the Japanese have with green tea has made it the most popular beverage to drink with traditional Japanese cuisine, such as sushi, sashimi and tempura. Many Japanese are still taught the proper art of the centuries-old Tea Ceremony as well. Still, the Japanese now enjoy green tea processed using state of the art technology that accentuates both its health benefits and its taste. Today, hand pressing -- a method demonstrated to tourists -- is taught only as a technique preserved as a part of the Japanese cultural tradition.

Black tea, often with milk or lemon, is served in Western style restaurants. Most of the ubiquitous vending machines also carry a wide selection of both hot and cold bottled teas. Oolong tea enjoys considerable popularity.

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).

Tea - Taiwan

Taiwan is the producer of some of the world's high-end green and oolong teas. It is also famous as country of origin for Bubble tea and the Wu-Wo tea ceremony.

Recently, bubble tea from Taiwan has become an extremely popular drink among young people around the world. This Asian fad spread to the United States in 2000, where it is generally called "bubble tea", "pearl milk tea", or "Boba". (See news) Additionally, bubble tea can now be found in major American and European cities such as London, Los Angeles, New York, and Paris.

The Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony began as a Taiwanese tradition, which emphasizes that individuals make and serve tea to one another in a polite manner without regards to their social positions, wealth, and other hierarchical divisions. Grand Master Tsai, Rong Tsang the director of Lu-Yu Tea Culture Institute and the founder of the Wu-Wo Tea Ceremony has been an active part in the growth of this once small group from Taiwan (almost twenty years ago) to what is now an international organisation.

Tea - Tibet

Butter, milk, salt, and sugar are added to brewed tea and churned to form a hot drink called Po cha in Tibet. Traditionally it is made with a domestic brick tea and yak's milk, then mixed in a churn for several minutes. Using a generic black tea, milk and butter, and shaking or blending work well too. (see recipe)

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Tea culture", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki