Tea culture reading

The teapot is cut from bamboo branches. The teapot is five inches long. After adding water to the teapot, mix and stir it with the teapot. When the foam stirred up in the water is like clouds and rain, it is even washed.

The widespread use of tea boys began in the Song Dynasty. Song Huizong said that the tea pot is made of old bamboo, which should be thick and strong, and the front end should be split into thin strips and sharp, so that it is convenient when the tea soup is struck, even if it is too hard, it will not be messy. The tea basket used in Japanese tea ceremony is to bend the bamboo filaments separated at the front end together and form an arc at the front end, so that the mixing area is larger and it is more conducive to the formation of soup flowers.

Tang Hua is certainly competing for appearance and durability, but its significance is by no means aesthetics. Judging from the scientific research of tea science on soup flower today, the highly extended soup flower is the expression of more foaming nutrients in tea soup, and it has a strong smell and is conducive to absorption. The strange stone soaked in tea ceremony soup has also adopted machine foaming technology in foreign drinks such as coffee and black tea, which is very popular. Some western restaurants even use tomato juice to foam, which is even more durable than tea soup and tastes fresh and attractive.

The custom of offering tea in China

Tea sacrifice

In China's colorful folk customs, "tea" is also closely related to mourning. The concept of "no tea, no mourning" is deeply rooted in China's etiquette.

As early as the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there was a record of offering sacrifices to tea in the Book of Southern Qi written by Xiao Zixian in the Liang Dynasty: In the eleventh year of Qi Xiaoyong, he said, "I should be careful not to offer sacrifices to spirits, but only set cakes, fruits, tea, dried rice and preserved wine."

Taking tea as a sacrifice can worship heaven, earth, gods, buddhas and ghosts, which is closely related to funeral customs. From the nobles in the palace to the common people, fragrant tea is indispensable in the sacrifice. Tea is not exclusive to dignitaries, and it is not exclusive to the royal family to use tea for sweeping. Both Han and ethnic minorities have largely retained the ancient custom of offering tea to ancestors and gods and burying them with tea.

There are generally three ways to use tea as a sacrifice: use tea as a sacrifice, put dry tea as a sacrifice, and only use teapot and small handle as a symbol of tea as a sacrifice.

In the Qing Dynasty, the court always used tea when offering sacrifices to ancestors' graves. According to records, during the ten years of Tongzhi (187 1), there was a record of "thirteen taels of luosongcha" during the winter solstice festival. In the fifth year of Guangxu (1879), there was also a description of "two Jin of tea in Luo Song" in the sacrifices at the end of the year. In China, the customs of "three teas and six wines" (three cups of tea and six cups of wine) and "four fruits of green tea" have been circulated as funeral offerings. For example, during their stay in Guangdong, Jiangxi and Tomb-Sweeping Day in China, it is customary to put a bag of tea and other sacrifices in front of the grave, or pour three cups of tea in front of the grave to worship their ancestors. Tea is also used as a funerary object. According to the excavation of Mawangdui Tomb in Changsha, tea was used as a funerary object in China as early as 2 100 years ago. Because the ancients thought that tea had the function of "leading an honest and clean life", tea burial was beneficial to the absorption of odor in the grave and the preservation of the remains.

China has had the custom of putting a packet of tea in the hands of the deceased since ancient times. For example, in Shouxian County, Anhui Province, people think that people must drink "ecstasy soup" through the "Meng Po Pavilion" after death. Therefore, when they die, they must use a bag of tea and put it in the hands of the deceased, so that the souls of the deceased will not drink ecstasy soup when passing through the Meng Po Pavilion. In Zhejiang, in order to prevent the deceased from drinking ecstasy soup (also known as "Meng Po Tang"), before the death of the deceased, in addition to silver ingots, manna leaves should be made into diamond-shaped funerary objects (simulating "Shuihongling"), and then a pack of tea leaves should be placed in the hands of the deceased. I believe the victim had these two things. If he is thirsty after his death, there are manna and Hong Ling, so you don't have to drink ecstasy soup. Originally, in feudal superstition, people were driven to the Meng Po Pavilion by the ghost service of the underworld after death to drink the ecstasy soup, with the purpose of making the deceased forget the old things in the world, and even leading the deceased astray to be bullied or forced to serve, while drinking tea can make the "dead awake" and keep their senses from being deceived by the ghost service. Therefore, tea has become an important funerary object.

Tea has also become an important "token" in China's funeral customs. In Hunan, China, in the old days, when burying coffins, the pillows of the deceased were filled with tea leaves, which were called "tea pillows". The pillowcase of the tea pillow is made of white cloth, triangular, and filled with tea (mostly coarse tea). The moral of the dead tea pillow is that the dead can "take out the tea" at any time when they go to the underworld to drink tea; First, putting tea in the coffin can eliminate the odor. In some areas of Jiangsu, China, when the deceased dies, a layer of tea and rice grains are sprinkled on the bottom of the coffin. Sprinkle a layer of tea and rice on the coffin during the funeral, mainly to dry and deodorize, which is conducive to the preservation of the remains.

Most of the tea used for funeral is for the dead, but Fu 'an in Fujian has the custom of preparing tea for the living and hanging "dragon seed bags". In the old Fuan area, someone died in his family. Mr. Qingfengshui depends on Feng Shui, chooses a "treasure land" and digs a hole for burial. Before the coffin entered the crypt, Mr. Feng Shui laid a carpet in the crypt, but muttered to himself. At this time, incense fills the air and firecrackers are ringing. Mr. Feng Shui scattered handfuls of tea leaves, beans, millet, sesame seeds, bamboo nails and coins on the carpet in the cave, and then the family members of the deceased collected the scattered things on the carpet, put them into cloth bags, sealed them, and hung them in the beam-type wooden warehouse of the house for long-term preservation, named "Dragon Seed Bag". Dragon seed bag is said to symbolize the "wealth" left by the deceased to his family. The moral is that tea has always been an auspicious thing, which can "drive away evil spirits" and bless the descendants of the deceased to "eliminate disasters and diseases" and "prosper people", while beans and millet symbolize the prosperity of future generations. Coins and so on show that future generations enjoy "gold, silver and money", "rich in financial resources" and "worry-free".

How to identify the quality of Tieguanyin tea

How to distinguish the quality of Tieguanyin is a very profound knowledge. Famous tea teachers and old tea people in Anxi can identify the quality of tea by observing the shape and smelling the fragrance. The tallest can tell where the tea is produced in Hecun and how old the tea tree is. Those with outstanding characteristics can also taste the hands of any famous tea teacher. When a layman drinks Tieguanyin, he can distinguish the advantages and disadvantages of tea by observing the shape, listening to the sound, observing the color, smelling the fragrance and tasting the rhyme.

Appearance: High-quality Tieguanyin tea leaves are curly and light, with green belly and dragonfly head, fresh and moist color, sand green, leaves with bright red spots and hoarfrost.

Listen: Fine Tieguanyin tea is tighter and heavier than ordinary tea. Put a small amount of tea into the teapot and you can hear the sound of "Dangdang". Crisp voice is the best, followed by dumb voice.

Color inspection: the soup is golden yellow, rich and clear. After the tea leaves are brewed and unfolded, the bottom of the leaves is thick and bright (one of the characteristics of Tieguanyin tea leaves is outward bending), with silky luster. This is the top, and the back is dark red soup.

Smell: The delicate Tieguanyin tea soup is fragrant. When you lift the lid of the cup and smell it gently, its unique fragrance is rich and lasting, which makes people fascinated.

Pinyun: There is a quip in the ancients, "Smell the holy and wonderful fragrance before you taste the nectar". Take a sip and gently turn the root of your tongue to feel the mellow and sweet tea soup; Swallow it slowly, it is sweet and dense, and its charm is endless. What about the unique "Guanyin rhyme"? Tea people can't explain it clearly so far, so they have to leave it to future generations to judge, which is precisely the charm of Anxi Tieguanyin.

To sum up, the above is an introduction on how to distinguish the quality of Tieguanyin. By distinguishing the shape, sound, color, fragrance and rhyme of Tieguanyin, we can know the quality of Tieguanyin.

Introduce different tea drinking customs in different countries around the world.

Thai tea custom:

Thailand, with a long history, also presents a unique nationality in customs and etiquette.

Northern Thailand, Myanmar and Yunnan are similar. People here like to eat "pickled tea", which is made in the same way as that made by ethnic minorities in Yunnan, China, and is usually pickled in rainy season.

Pickled tea is actually a dish. Marinate raw tea into sour products, add salt, ginger, peanuts, etc., add spices when eating, and chew in your mouth. Because the climate here is hot, the air is humid, and pickled vegetables are fragrant and cold, pickled tea has become a home-cooked dish handed down from generation to generation.

Indian tea custom:

Indians drink tea in a very special way. They poured the tea on the plate and licked it with their tongues. Besides, it is considered impolite to send tea sets with your left hand in India. Because Indians think that the left hand is used for bathing and going to the toilet. They drink milk tea and also like to drink a kind of "Samara tea" with ginger or soybean milk.

Sri Lanka:

Sri Lankan residents love strong tea, which is bitter and astringent, but they enjoy it. The country's black tea sells well all over the world. There is a big tea shop in Colombo, the capital, which has a tea tasting department. Experts taste it with their tongues and then verify the grade and price.

Turks in West Asia, both adults and children, like black tea. Teahouses are common in both urban and rural areas, and it is also convenient to go out for tea.

In Iran and Iraq, meals are inseparable from strong tea, brewed with boiling water, and then added with sugar, milk or lemon.

Why do people in Guangzhou "sigh for tea"?

People in Guangzhou like drinking tea. When we met in the morning, we just asked, "Have you had tea?" As a synonym for greeting good morning, we can see our love for tea. Drinking tea is a living habit of Guangzhou people, and it is also a major feature of "eating in Guangzhou".

Drinking tea in Guangzhou actually means drinking tea in a teahouse, not only drinking tea, but also eating snacks, which is a way of communication. The concepts of teahouse and teahouse in Guangzhou are also different. It not only provides tea and snacks, but also has magnificent architecture, which is unmatched by teahouses. So Guangzhou people get together to meet friends, talk business and have fun, and they are all happy to go to the teahouse. A pot of strong tea is beautiful. Getting together in twos and threes, chatting while eating, not only filled our stomachs, contacted our feelings, but also exchanged information and even talked about a business deal, which was really a very pleasant thing. Because of this, people in Guangzhou regard drinking tea as "sighing tea". Sigh is a common saying in Guangzhou, which means to enjoy. This is also an important reason why the tea house industry in Guangzhou has been enduring for a hundred years. Among the time-honored restaurants in Guangzhou, quite a few were teahouses of that year.

It is impolite to drink tea in Guangzhou. Only when the host pours tea for the guests, the guests should tap the desktop with their forefinger and middle finger to express their gratitude. It is said that this custom comes from the allusions of Ganlong Xiajiangnan. According to legend, when Emperor Qianlong went down to the south of the Yangtze River, he made a private visit incognito and once went to a teahouse, so excited that he poured tea for his entourage. According to the rules of the palace, servants should kneel. However, in order not to expose the identity of Qianlong, the servant had a brainwave, bent his index finger and middle finger into a kneeling position and knocked on the table without kneeling. Later, the news spread and gradually evolved into a etiquette when drinking tea. This custom is still very popular among overseas Chinese in Lingnan and Southeast Asia.

The tea market in Guangzhou is divided into morning tea, afternoon tea and evening tea. Morning tea usually opens at 4 a.m., and evening tea at 65438+ closes at 0-2 a.m. the next day, and some are open all night. Generally speaking, the morning tea market is the most prosperous, and it is often packed from early morning to 1 1. Especially on holidays, many teahouses have to queue up. Drinking tea at night is becoming more and more popular, especially in summer, and teahouses have become the first choice for people to escape the heat.

However, people in Guangzhou also like to drink "Kung Fu Tea" at home in their spare time. "Kung Fu tea" is very particular about tea set, tea, water quality, tea making, tea pouring and drinking. Kung fu teapot is very small, only the size of a fist, thin-walled porcelain, translucent, faintly visible tea in the pot. This cup is only half as big as table tennis. Oolong tea with good color, aroma and taste is selected as tea, and semi-fermented tea is the best. Fill the pot with tea and press it with your fingers. It is said that the stronger tea is, the more mellow it is. It's best to settle the water. When making tea, pour the freshly boiled water into the pot immediately, and pour it once or twice at the beginning, mainly for health reasons. When pouring tea, don't fill the cup first and then pour it, but pour it back and forth constantly to avoid the situation that the former is strong and then weak. Lick slowly with your tongue when you drink, and talk about things while drinking tea. It's called kung fu. Kung fu tea has a strong juice and strong alkalinity. It will be a little bitter when you have just had a few drinks, but after drinking it, you will feel bitter and sweet, nourishing and refreshing, especially after a big feast.

In addition, drinking herbal tea is also a living habit of Guangzhou people. The so-called drinking herbal tea is to boil Chinese herbal medicines that are cold and can clear away heat and fire, and use them as drinks to remove qi from the human body in summer. Guangzhou's herbal tea has a long history, such as Wang Lao Ji's herbal tea, which was formed during the Jiaqing period of Qing Dynasty (1796 ~ 1820). Because of its obvious medicinal effects of clearing away heat and toxic materials and diminishing inflammation, it has always been respected by Guangzhou people. In addition, there are traditional time-honored herbal teas such as Shi Qi Herbal Tea, Healthy Herbal Tea, Jinyinju Wuhua Tea, Guiling Cream, and Raw Fish Gecai Soup, which are also deeply loved by Guangzhou people.

Since 1980s, in order to facilitate drinking, various kinds of herbal tea granules and soft-packed herbal tea came into being, such as Shennong Herbal Tea and Xiasangju, which became the essential drinks for many families in summer.

Introduction of tea drinking custom of Wuyishan people

There are many tea-drinking customs in Wuyishan, among which the tea-drinking customs of women in Wutun, that is, the tea-drinking customs of women, are quite different from those in other areas. It doesn't taste tea, nor does it drink tea, just drinks tea. It replaces teacups, thermos bottles and the most popular purple sand tea sets with rice bowls. The tea used is not very particular, but the local camellia. Simmer tea with a triangular teapot in front of the stove. The following introduces the tea drinking customs of Wuyishan people.

In the tea drinking custom here, men do not participate, and only women are qualified to sit down. The peasant women in the village took turns to hold a banquet for tea, and the female guests in the village were invited to sit at the "tea banquet" that day. Everyone wants to take this opportunity to show their skills and hospitality, and put all their good dishes on a tea feast for the sisters to taste. On days when money is tight, they will try their best to "take local materials" and make their own side dishes, such as mustard seeds, tofu sauce, bean dregs cake, pickled peppers, dried pumpkins, salted bamboo shoots, fried soybeans in sand and peanuts. Nowadays, the "tea feast" is rich. At the "tea banquet", farmers drink tea instead of wine, toast each other and chat while drinking.

"Drinking tea" not only exchanged women's feelings, but also played a role in promoting neighborhood harmony and played a mediating role for women's committees. This custom of peasant women drinking tea has been passed down for thousands of years in Hongyuan, Shangcun, Daji and Jony J in Wutun.

The above is an introduction to the tea drinking customs of Wuyishan people, hoping to help you understand these knowledge.