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China is the native land of Camellia sinensis, the tea shrub. Legend has it that an ancient Chinese emperor discovered tea as a beverage when, as he was boiling a small pot of water in order to make it potable, a breeze dropped some tea leaves into the pot. He found that the water, now turned green, smelled pleasant and made him feel energized. Whether this legend is true or not, someone in China did discover tea around that time. Once tea had been discovered, it quickly spread across Asia, ranging from Siberia to Japan and to India. Tea has been a central part of Chinese culture for over five thousand years. Consequently, China has a vibrant culture surrounding tea that includes some intricate and beautiful tea ceremonies. There are several different Chinese tea rituals that correspond to different kinds of tea, settings, and events. Because tea figures so dominantly in Chinese culture, every decision that one could make about tea has ritual and symbolic connotations. Furthermore and more generally, Chinese tea culture makes many more distinctions about tea than is generally done in the west. For instance, Yixing clay is generally considered the best material for teapots for the same reasons many people consider cast iron the superior material for cookware. Stoneware made from Yixing clay is slightly porous, so trace amounts of the tea brewed inside will be absorbed by the pot. The teapot's "history" thus affects its brewing, lending a depth of flavor prized by many, and people tend to have Yixing pots dedicated to white, green, black, and oolong teas in order to prevent unwanted flavor mixtures. The most famous of all Chinese tea rituals is probably the wedding tea ceremony. It is a long affair that involves the newlywed couple performing a traditional tea ceremony in the homes of each spouse's family. It symbolizes, among other happy things, the union of the two individuals and their families. The occasion also includes the reunion of both families so that the newlyweds have the opportunity to meet and familiarize themselves with their new coterie of in-laws in an atmosphere of great happiness and mutual respect. Traditionally, the couple first goes to the home of the husband's family where the bride is treated as an honored guest. In the afternoon, the ceremony is repeated at the bride's family home for the husband's formal introduction to the bride's family. Besides specific ceremonies for special occasions, there are a number of everyday Chinese tea rituals. The practice of finger tapping as a way to give thanks when someone pours a cup of tea is probably the most ubiquitous of these. In Cantonese China, when someone is poured a cup of tea, that person will partially extend his or her index and middle fingers and tap them to the table, as if their hand was a tiny person bowing to the pourer. This is done because it is inconvenient and time consuming to actually stand and bow. In other parts of China, the hand signal is the same, but is only done if one's mouth is full and cannot verbally give thanks. These are but a small selection of the culture surrounding tea in China. Chinese tea culture has a long and storied set of traditions that vary from region to region, so there is still much to learn about Chinese tea customs. Considering that tea is one of China's most important cultural institutions, learning more about China's tea culture might very well open new doors in enjoying tea and it certainly sheds light on all aspects of Chinese culture.
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