(1)
For Black Tea
Take utensils for brewing tea into consideration, there are two
types; brewing by cups and in teapots. Many people like to brew
Congon, black Souchong tea, tea bags and instant tea by cups; and
other people prefer teapots to cups for tea broken, sifting and
dust with a purpose of separating the dregs from the liquid.
Speaking of additive, there are plain
tea and tea with additives. Most people in China are accustomed
to drink plain tea without any additives. In European and Amercian
countries, people like to drink tea with milk and sugar added. Black
tea can be prepared as a cool beverage. The usual way is that: pour
luke warm water over instant tea to make a strong liquid, then pour
the liquid into a glass filled with ice cubes, add honey or sugar
to taste and one or two slices of lemon. Then a cup of cool beverage
with sweet and acid taste is ready.
(2)For Green Tea
In China, most tea-drinkers drink their green tea in higher quality
from glass cups to enjoy the crispy green color while savor the
tea. For Mee tea and Gunpowder (Zhu tea) people like using the porcelain
cups, the delicate tone of the cups, glaze enhancing the tone of
tea.
People living in other countries brew
green tea in different ways. In Northwest Africa and Mali etc. People
are fond of drinking tea with mint, by boiling tea then add two
or three sprigs of fresh mint leaves and sugar and boil them together
again. It makes a feature of refreshing and cool taste and keeps
off the mental fatigue when savored.
(3)For Oolong Tea
People are particular concerned about the way of making Oolong tea.
The utensils used for making tea form in a complete sets named as
“four treasures”, namely: Yui shu wei (kettle), Meng chen guan (teapot),
Ro shen ou (cups) by pouring boiling water from Yu shu wei (kettle).
Then put oolong tea leaves into the teapot about sox or seven tenths
full and pour boiling water over the leaves and cover the teapot
with its cap tightly. Pour hots water over the capped teapot to
retain the heat. Brew for about half a minute then pour the tea
liquid into cups usually four cups from each teapot. The tea liquid
is poured into each cup only half full, one after another, then
pour again until the cups filled about three fourths full. It ensures
tea with even and unified flavor. This gives a bracing and lasting
aroma while sipping it slowly.
(4)For Scented Tea
Scented tea is processed from green tea scented with fresh sweet-smelling
jasmine flowers. Complemented with flowers of subtle scents the
tea yields a kind of refined flavor.
Having savored the Chinese jasmine tea,
a foreign poet wrote a verse, saying: “I feel the flavor of spring,
when I sip the the tea of jasmine.”
Most tea-drinkers like to brew scented
tea in porcelain cups with caps on them to keep the aroma from escaping.
The way of making is quite simple: just put a tea-spoonful of tea
leaves into a cup and pour over it boiling water then cover the
cup with its cap for four or five minutes and the tea is ready to
serve.
(5)Some special ways of making tea In
ancient China tea had been served as soup and vegetables. Nowadays,
a number of special methods of making tea have handed down from
very ancient times and remained popular in some minority regions.
Roasted tea
Minority nationality residing in Pu-er and Menghai in Yunnan Province
are found of drinking roasted tea. First, put an empty pottery jar
over a fire pool to warm up then put a handful of sun-dried green
tea leaves in the jar and roast for a while. The tea leaves turn
to brown color after being roasted and send out pleasant smoky smell
together with bursting sounds. Then the roasted tea is ready to
serve by pouring into cups. Roasted tea is orange in color with
pleasant and lasting aroma. It is apt to be addictive when drink
it from time to time.
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