Every table has its rules. This post will help you know your way around the Chinese tea table like a local.
Whenever certain customs become almost everyday habits, a set of mannerisms or etiquette is sure to follow. In Fujian there are plenty of little mundane things that take place around drinking tea. Calling them etiquette I fear labels them somehow a bit too snobbish for what they really are: little customs one performs around the tea table as a normal part of the flow.
I also fear, I have grown somewhat blind to them already to be able to make a diligent enough record for everybody’s benefit… but I will give this a go.
First things first! To say thank you for being served the tea you tap the table lightly with your index finger or with the index and middle finger. It is considered polite to do this every time, with every cupful. I will tell you later where this habit comes from. Hint: emperor.
Then the actual process: depending on who serves you the tea, one might be presented with the dry tea leaves that were just freshly opened from the packet. What is one to do with them? If you feel completely inadequate, just pass them on to the one next to you or hand them back, or if you are not the first one to get the leaves – you can always imitate what others do. Usually the point of this exercise is: to take a look at the leaves and smell them. Best if your nose does not touch the leaves. It is common place not to touch the leaves anyway at this point, but has been seen to happen on occasions.
Then the tea leaves are put in the heated gaiwan or pot, which is then shook around a little, at which point it may be given to you – for what? For you to open it and smell the lid and the leaves again. It is truly remarkable how much the smell may have changed just by this chance encounter with heat. This same step might be repeated a few times through the course of drinking the tea as a way to more fully appreciate the chance the smell and tea leaves are undergoing. Generally, it is custom to smell the lid for the scent and just look at the leaves in the pot or gaiwan. Also, nicer for the nose; those fumes coming from the pot are pretty hot.
Other little quarks — you will sometimes see people smelling their empty cups. That’s ok, don’t eye them down for doing it. The better the tea at hand the better the cup will smell, especially after having cooled down.Some people feel it is not polite to keep brewing the tea until there is no flavour left and will change the leaves after about the 4th steep. If they feel so inclined they may also tip over the gaiwan or pot to let the table party take a good look at the used tea leaves. What should you be looking out for?
Well, some things could be: are the leaves an even size, are they still crinkly after so much contact with water (possibly a sign of the leaves having been rolled by hand rather than by machine), are there any bits of stalks among the leaves, etc… your host will probably have something to say about the leaves since they have felt the need to present them to the tea party.
If your tea host of the day actually jumps through all the above-mentioned hoops, it would be considered very appropriate for you as a guest to comment on the scent, colour and flavour of the tea. Generally speaking: when your host is this into tea, the purpose for sitting down has been a particular tea and the conversation will usually also be quite restricted round tea, harvest weather, the beautiful tea set or something like that. Just go with the flow. One is bound to always learn something new.
Word of caution: many people will have strong opinions about tea types from particular parts of the province or other provinces. If the person is from Wuyi mountains you are probably going to hear an earful of pretty biased Wuyi promotion. That’s part of the fun! But best not take everything you hear for face value…
A word on snacks: They can and should be eaten, particularly if one gets easily tipsy on tea, but it is smart not to engage in eating until say the 5th round of brews. Eating something immediately takes away from your ability to taste the tea. One should not sit down by the tea table hungry. Or if you are in a mad rush.
If you are the tea host for the day, always fill your own cup last. And it is your job to remember which cup belongs to who. You should also have your finger on the pulse as to when to serve tea and when to force some nibble bits on your guests.
As it so happens you are sometimes left with some fine bits of tea leaves at the bottom of your cup and you really don’t feel like drinking them – what is one to do then? If the tea table the host is working on has a inbuilt drainage system, it is considered totally ok to just dump the remaining content on to the table itself and let plumbing take care of it. But if the host sports a drier version of brewing, pay attention to which of the many bowls at hand all the excess water has been poured in and feel free to relieve the remainders of your cup into it.
These are just some of the basics and I didn’t even have any intentions of touching on all the superstitions that are also very prevalent so that is a completely different post for another day.
I truly hope you get to enjoy tea with a tea enthusiast and see what I mean in action.