Tea Ceremony by Nicolas C. Solari

Did You Know that People Celebrate a "Ceremony" with Green Tea in China?

Tea cleanses the soul and makes the mind free...; Drink tea and forget the stress of everyday life – is what it says in many specialized books and literature about green tea.

Chinese naturopathy has long known about the positive effects of green tea on our health. The results are astonishing. Green tea prevents cardiovascular diseases and the development of malignant tumors, protects against viruses and bacteria, and is good for our digestion. Because of its healing effect, as well as its valuable ingredients (such as alkaloids, saponins) and vitamins (B1, B2, biotin, vitamin K), the favorite drink of the Chinese has also become very popular with us in Europe.

The Chinese Tea Ceremony:

For Japanese and Chinese monks, drinking tea has always been a sacred act, a solemn ceremony. They have developed the enjoyment of this drink into a culture.
One of the most famous tea ceremonies is the Jihn Shan ceremony in the Jing mountain temple in the province of Zhe-jiang. To honor the guests, the rite is celebrated by the abbot personally. All of those present first receive a cup of tea. However, they do not immediately drink it. The lidded cup is first opened in order to enjoy the fragrance of the tea, then the color is assessed, and only then does the person drink the tea in small sips.
People begin to discuss, classify the tea, praise the abbot as the tea master, and exchange opinions and experiences related to religious and philosophical issues only after the third cup of tea.
Afterwards, it's also possible to talk about topics such as friendship and everyday life.
When drinking tea, it is always important to pay attention to the ambience. The tea room should not be too large but always very tastefully decorated. The tea should be enjoyed in a very tranquil, serene, and relaxed way. This makes it possible to forget everyday life and develop a completely new, previously unknown sensitivity for the fine aroma of the green tea.

The appropriate utensils include the tea caddy, teapot, tea ship, mixing pot, bamboo scoop, bamboo spoon, tea towel, and drinking cups


If you would like to enjoy a festive tea hour, begin by preparing a table at which all the guests can sit comfortably

First pre-warm the teapot with hot water. Then pour this water into the mixing pot.
Use the bamboo scoop and bamboo spoon to fill the tea leaves into the teapot. As you do so, briefly explain the types of teas to the guests.
Pre-warm the drinking cups with the hot water from the mixing pot.
The teapot with tea leaves is filled halfway with hot water, which is immediately poured into the mixing pot. This is called "warming the tea leaves" (which is only done with the varieties of green tea that are very tolerant of high temperatures – such as Oolongs)
Now pour water at the required temperature (approx. 75 to 80 degrees Celsius) into the teapot, close the lid, and set the timer. (Let valuable varieties stand for a max. of 3 to 5 minutes. This will have a strong effect and be very stimulating).
As soon as the timer goes off, pour the tea from the teapot into the mixing pot.
From the mixing pot, first pour the tea into pre-warmed high "tasting cups" (but it can also be poured directly into the drinking cups).
The guests should first enjoy the fragrance of the tea and then pour it into the drinking cups and savor it in small sips.

It's also acceptable to give your guests the moist, brewed tea leaves to chew. When the tea is good, these leaves also have a fine aroma, which makes it possible to recognize the high quality of the tea.

This ceremony is carried out within the scope of onboard events on our Chinese ships by our employees. We wish you much enjoyment with it….