Chinese Tea Brewing

Even though it seems that enjoying a good cup of tea is rather universal, as around the world, everyone seems to be drinking some kind of tea, the most popular kinds of tea are divided into two--the western kind of tea, and the oriental kind of tea, neither of which can be interchanged as the two reflect the specific culture's tastes and aesthetics, though basically enjoyed by both members of the same culture upon the onset of globalization. Nevertheless, the methods of brewing them or drinking them are certainly not the same. Western tea is one thing, but the oriental tea (which has been ingrained in the orient for many generations, dating back to times before Christ and therefore practically a perfected art) is quite different.

Take Chinese tea, for example. If one is looking to properly brew a good pot of Chinese tea, one would certainly not do it the way the English would. Traditionally the very first part of making a good cup of Chinese tea is to select a very good class of oriental blended tea. Oolong and sencha are very popular. Green tea was, and still is to this day, the most popularly drunk tea in the world, sought after even by Westerners for its healthy properties and taste. There are approximately five methods outlined in choosing an apt Chinese tea, Xin method declares that one should only utilize the freshest tea, and never anything that would taste bitter or whose fragrance is no longer prominent. Gan method is to make sure that the tea's content is very low in moisture. Jun method is to so carefully examine the tea so that one is sure that there are no burn marks on the tea as a result from roasting the leaves. Xiang method looks for the scent--to make sure that the tea has no burnt smell. And finally there is Jing method, which is to make sure the tea has no foreign bodies or substances in it. The second part is to select the appropriate water for your tea, and the Chinese find this important because the grade of your water is that upon which good tea rests. Certain mountain rivers' waters are highly recommended for tea. And after the very careful brewing, one should look into the most appropriate tea set to use for the tea, catering to aesthetics as well as taste. High class citizens look for quality pottery made by masters, which are highly coveted.

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