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Elements of a Chinese Tea Set

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To the Chinese population, tea is an extremely important part of each day. Tea consumption and preparation has a large role in Chinese culture. Having been tea drinkers for many hundreds of years, the Chinese have great experience and knowledge about tea and tea making.

There are several steps involved in the proper preparation of tea. The first step is selecting the most appropriate tea set. This is crucial to the process of preparing good tea, and the role that the set plays is more than decorative, as the proper brewing of tea is part of the process.

What then, are the proper components of a Chinese tea set? A good set includes tea saucers, tea bowls, a teapot, and a tea tray. There are various design characteristics that are traditional, and the sets themselves often become a significant part of the artistry of drinking tea and making tea.

Some Chinese tea sets are so highly crafted that they are extremely valuable, and reflect the storied tea culture in China. There are two main kinds of tea sets. The first is the sets used in everyday life, day in and day out for making tea. The second is the sets with great artistic value, which are generally used only in very special tea ceremonies, such as wedding ceremony. Often, these sets are kept on display in beautiful cabinets, and are only rarely brought out for actual use in a tea ceremony. Both sets, however, are considered part of the family, and even though a set may be used every day, it is still a vital part of the meal.

The various regions of China specialize in different teas, and the best tea set to use will also vary by region. Depending on the kind of tea being brewed, a particular set might be more appropriate.

For example, herbal teas and floral teas are consumed more frequently in the northern and eastern regions of China. Because floral teas generally use larger teapots to boil the water, people in these regions usually choose large teapots for daily use. Most commonly, these are ceramic pots, and they can be custom chosen to accommodate the number of people served at each meal.

In the Kangnam region, green tea is the favorite, so lidded ceramic teapots are most commonly seen. Other regions favor oolong tea, so in Fujian or Guangdong provinces, a regular kettle will be used for brewing most of the time.

Either a ceramic pot or a regular tea kettle is suitable for brewing Hong or Gongfu teas. However, when drinking some of the high quality teas such as Ton-ting-bilei-chun, Jun-shan-yin-zhen, or Xihu-long-jing, using clear glass cups is considered most proper.

Small tea cups are most appropriate for fine-leaf teas, rather than large cups. The reason is that large cups allow the ratio of water to tea to change, and the leaves will brew too quickly, discoloring the leaves and changing the fragrance and flavor of the resulting tea. Another interesting element is the addition of a modern thermos to the traditional tea set. Many people enjoy keeping green tea in a thermos, to enhance the flavor and color. You can find thermoses in many of the sets for sale today.

Tea plates, tea set cover cloths, teaspoons, tea trays, and tea-brewing containers may be included along with those previously mentioned items in a Chinese tea set. The key is to get yourself a set and get started enjoying this ancient tradition.