Tea Ceremony

Monday we were introduced to the proper way to prepare and enjoy tea. Tea is to China as coffee is to America. Our hostess at the tea house explained that the first cup of tea poured should be consumed in three sips. This sounds appalling until you understand that the tea cup only holds 2-3 ounces. There are actually two tea cups: the shorter one is for tasting while the taller cup is for smelling the aroma of the tea. The three sips for the first cup are for happiness, good luck and a long life.

Here are the five teas we sampled:

1. Oolong tea - a blend of green and black teas (my favorite)

2. Jasmine tea - made from jasmine; very fragrant. Apparently good for the liver.

3. Fruit tea - made from dried fruit. Slightly tart and sweet. Most of our group liked this one.

4. Pure black tea - produced in the Yunan province in South China. This tea is cured for up to seven years. As such, in its purest form, this tea is very expensive. It is reputed to reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol. To be honest I thought it tasted like dirty sock water.

5. Lychee black tea and rose tea blend- made from lychee fruit and rose petals. Good for anemia and poor circulation. Quite delicious and very fragrant. Several of us would have liked to bathe in it.

According to our hostess, loose tea leaves should only be reused 10-12 times. Tea bags should only be used twice.

We enjoyed learning about the different teas and several of us purchased our favorite types to enjoy later.

Peggy