What are some rituals or traditions associated with tea?

The history of tea is very old, as is the history of tea ceremony. Initially, the infusion of Camellia sinensis was used for medicinal purposes. Then, over time, the beverage began to be so valued that men decided to take the leaves on journeys, share them, make them known. Tea thus began to take on different conceptions, to be prepared according to rituals that changed according to the places and peoples it encountered.

Tea preparation began to have social importance to the point of being ritualized. There are social contexts in which the tea ceremony is even part of a religion, others in which it is simply a form of leisure and hospitality, but all are accumulated by the conviviality and serenity that a cup of tea provides. The rituality of tea is always found in different ways, sometimes in the preparation, sometimes in the service, and sometimes in both. It only remains for us to discover together the rituals of tea and how they change in the world…

Chinese tea ceremony: gong fu cha

Let us begin with what is considered perhaps the princely rite among tea ceremonies: the Gong fu cha (工夫茶),

a term that can be translated into the phrase “to prepare tea with care and effort.” It is a ritual that was

developed in China. A child of the very long evolution of tea preparations, it is first mentioned

first time in the 17th century. It is a ritual that involves basic tools, which are a small teapot (with a capacity of 100 to 200 ml) or a gaiwan, the cha chuan or a bowl in which the teapot is placed, the cha hai or a small pitcher, and aroma and tasting cups.

In addition to the tools just listed, there may also be various utensils, such as tongs, bamboo spoon, tea tray, one or more tea pet, and a piece of cloth or brush for caring for the Yixing clay teapots.

This ritual involves several steps, especially before the infusion. In fact, the instruments must

be fully heated with hot water and the tea rinsed preliminarily to remove all the dusty parts that could compromise the quality of the infusion. Once the infusion is ready, the teapot should be completely drained so that subsequent infusions on the same leaves are possible.

Japanese tea ceremony Cha no yu

The cha no yu ( 茶の湯 literally “hot water for tea”) or chadō (茶道 “way of tea”) is a ritual that is

originated in China, but over time has developed a very strong connection with Japan, so much so that it has become

a symbol of a religious and philosophical current: theism. It is a very old ritual, much older than gong fu cha, dating back to before the year 1000. Used within Buddhist temples, it is now best known for the preparation of traditional Japanese Matcha green tea powder.

The cha no yu begins, for the tea master, with the preparation of the tea room or chashitsu (茶室) and for the

guests with their arrival near the tea room. Every single detail is ritualized and has a definite meaning, from the decor and flowers inside the tea room to the movements one makes to reach it, to enter it, and to taste the tea. The tea master takes care of everything: he prepares the room, chooses the utensils, brews the tea, and serves it.

Since this is powdered tea, there is no teapot, but a chawan i.e., a tea bowl, chasen which is a bamboo whisk, a chashaku (a bamboo spoon for dosing the tea) and of course the tea container, the natsume, will be needed. Sharing is one of the basic principles of cha no yu, which is why diners all drink from the same bowl.

Japanese Senchado tea ceremony

Let us stay in Japan for a moment, as another tea ritual has developed in this country,

created specifically to contrast with cha no yu. Senchado, in fact, like Chinese Gong Fu Cha, involves the actual infusion of tea in leaf form, not powdered like Matcha. The teas used for this ritual are mainly Gyokuro and high-quality Sencha, and the undisputed queen is the kyusu teapot.

Again, the utensils should be heated preliminarily, but the first infusion should be done with the tea perfectly dry, which is why it is longer than the second and third infusions. Infusions consecutive to the third, however, will tend to be longer.

Korean tea ceremony: Korean Darye

This is a very formal ritual enacted in South Korea and developed from the philosophy of

Zen Buddhism, but definitely recent, its institution in fact dating back to 1973. Panyaro green tea, a word meaning “dew of enlightening wisdom,” is widely used in this type of tea ceremony. The purpose of this ceremony is to slow the mind and relax the body during the hectic everyday life.

The korean darye is definitely a very set ritual; tea is prepared and served by the hostess, who is expected to follow precise steps with clearly specified times and directions. In addition to the oriental-style teapot and cups, a typical tool in this ceremony is the cooling bowl, in which boiling water is placed to cool so that it reaches the ideal temperature for the time of infusion. The tea will then be served in two stages, first filling the cups from the first to the last by half and then starting again from the last to the first and reaching three-quarters of the volume of each cup. These two steps are considered essential so that each diner has the same amount and quality of infusion in the cup.

English Tea Ceremony: Afternoon Tea

From the East we take a flight to England. Afternoon Tea is the quintessential Western tea ritual. Although its origins are older, it was instituted by Queen Victoria of England during her reign, and over the years it has continued to evolve, taking various forms, including glamorous ones. A highly anticipated and highly coveted event is the “Royal Garden Tea” in which tea can be taken in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in the presence of the Royal Family, by invitation only, of course.

In the English tea ceremony, the teapot, cups and dessert saucers made of Bone China, fine porcelain, along with the sugar bowl and milk jug are absolutely essential. Tea and its accessories is accompanied by tea risers and cake plates filled with scones, sandwiches, tea cookies and single servings of cake. Tea is always prepared and served by the mistress of the house, who will fill her cup last by kicking off the tea and food consumption.

Indian tea ceremony: masala chai

Just as happened to tea, from England we return to the East, more specifically to India where, in 1850 the British began growing and producing tea. An ancient Indian tradition involved the use of masalas, a highly aromatic spice mix, as a medicinal use. Masalas,

also called karha, has within it, as its main spices, cinnamon, cloves,

ginger, anise and pepper. Today this mixture of spices is combined with black tea, usually a very strong Assam, sugar, and often other fresh herbs. such as mint and lemongrass, all mixed with water and boiled. Once the tea is well spiced it will be strained and combined with buffalo milk.

Masala chai (literally spiced tea) is prepared inside small stores or stalls and then

consumed directly in the street inside earthenware bowls called kullaths, which are often thrown right into the street once their contents are finished.

 

The tea ritual in Russia

Tea in Russia arrived via the Mongols in 1638, but it was not until 1870 that bulk black tea, the real star of the Russian tea ceremony, began to be used. It is unthinkable to prepare tea for the Russian ritual

without the presence of the samovar. Boiling water is to be placed in this, while in the teapot above, called the

chainik, a very strong and highly concentrated black tea infusion called zavarka.

The zavarka will be poured by the hostess into long, narrow glass glasses and then diluted with

the hot water present in the samovar according to the guest’s taste. To ensure that the tea drinker does not

scald themselves, the filled glasses should be placed inside podstakan, special metal containers with a small handle. Lemon and honey, sugar or jam can be added to the tea to sweeten it.

The drink is usually served along with typical cookies and syrniki, thick cheese pancakes served with jam.

Moroccan tea ceremony: tea of the Maghreb

Imagining Morocco’s lush exotic places and its scorching temperatures, we cannot help but

think of the famous green mint tea, typical of the Maghreb starting around the 19th century.

Usually gunpowder green tea is used for the tea ceremony in Morocco, combined with sprigs of

fresh spearmint and sugar, but other herbs are not uncommon. The ready brew is

served in cylindrically shaped colored glass glasses, dripping it into them while holding the teapot

very high so as to encourage the formation of foam. The result is a drink with a very

refreshing, ideal for Moroccan climates.

The tea ritual in Morocco, from preparation to service, is traditionally performed by a male person, the master of the house or a man trusted by him, and refusing tea is considered downright

rude.

Tea ceremony in Turkey

Turkey is another country where consuming tea has become commonplace. The Turkish tea ceremony

involves the preparation of local black tea (Turkey is one of the largest tea producers in the world) in caydanlik, or a service of teapots placed one on top of the other vertically. The logic of the caydanlik is the same as that of the samovar: in the upper teapot the highly concentrated black tea infusion is prepared, and in the lower one boiling water is kept, which will be used to dilute the tea inside the glasses. Turkish tea glasses have a rather distinctive shape. In fact, they look very much like the flower of a

tulip. Traditionally the only accepted addition in tea is sugar cubes.

“New World” rituals: sun tea

So far we have discovered rituals in which the protagonist is hot tea, but one cannot talk about tea in the world

without mentioning an all-American invention: iced tea. Iced tea is first mentioned in 1879 in a cookbook written in Old Virginia, and in 1870, a gathering is documented in Nevada serving this sweet, fragrant, and refreshing beverage.

The ritual of iced tea certainly does not have the rigidity of Eastern ceremonies or the punctuality and majesty of Afternoon Tea, but in its preparation it certainly maintains a certain discipline and a strong desire to share. And, if you will, a hint of magic and romance when we talk about one of its traditional recipes from the Southern United States: the Sun Tea.

“Sun” precisely because the infusion takes place in sunlight, which heats the water and allows the substances in the leaves to infuse slowly, but copiously, into the water. Sun Tea is then served inside glass cups with sugar, lemon and ice.