Chinese Tea Sets: An Essential Tea Custom

The Chinese culture considers tea time, an essential part of their day. They have a wide range of knowledge and experience with tea making, especially considering they have been drinking it for as long as their culture has existed.

Tea making has many necessities when it comes to choosing the right Chinese tea set and is said to be very crucial in the tea preparation. In particular, a very vital role is brewing tea. Chinese tea sets include tea pots, tea saucers, tea bowls, and tea trays. Today, there are different forms and types of Chinese tea sets that have certain characteristics and designs. Because of certain traditional practices, tea sets are considered a very indispensable part of their artistry and market.

Chinese tea sets are highly valued and are dedicated to the established tea culture in China that is composed of two groups. The first refers to those that have a high artistic value, while the second refers to those that are used in every day life. Those with high artistic value are commonly used in special tea ceremonies like weddings and other important events. They are usually kept in beautiful cabinets and are proudly presented for everyone to see.

How to select the right tea set associated with their individual uses are not difficult tasks. Selecting Chinese tea sets for every day use largely depends on the types of tea that many people drink and where the individual is located throughout China. In the eastern as well as northern regions of China, natives usually drink floral teas, which are also known as herbal teas. These people commonly employ large tea pots to boil the tea water in which are made of ceramics, and their size depends on the number of people to be served.

In the Kangnam area, green tea is the customary drink and is made with a ceramic kettle–when drinking green tea or any kind that has fine leaves, a Chinese tea set with small cups are used. In areas like Fujian, Taiwan and Guangdong, the people drink usually oolong teas, so they use a regular kettle to brew the tea. When brewing Gongfu tea or Hong tea, the Chinese also use a ceramic pot or a regular kettle. While drinking a high quality tea such as Xihu-long-jing, Jun-shan-yin-zhen, and Ton-ting-bilei-chun, clear glass cups are appropriate to use.

Brewing leaves too fast leaves a negative result. High levels of water brews fine leaves too fast, resulting in discolored tea leaves, and influencing the fragrance as well as taste of the tea. Some people also use a thermos to keep the green tea warm, which also affects the color and flavor. Today, most Chinese sets contain a thermos for this specific reason.

Along with the previously mentioned items included in a Chinese tea set, there are also tea plates, tea set cover cloths, tea spoons, tea trays, and tea brewing containers to complete the set. Tea making has been a part of not only the Chinese culture, but world history for many years. Chinese tea sets have created a valuable market within their culture and an irreplaceable place in history.