Savor the Four Seasons Tea: Chinese Tea Through the Eyes of a Japanese Tea Connoisseur

Author: Huang Anxi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: Because she married a Chinese artist, Huang Anxi's name sounds quite Chinese. This Japanese tea practitioner, who studied Japanese tea ceremony for four years, spent seven years traveling to China's most famous tea-producing regions while also experiencing the seasonal changes of tea in the mountains and rivers. The Joy of Drinking Tea All Seasons is the seasonal tea selection designed for tea lovers, as well as an elegant life by China's 24 solar terms. The book includes Chinese poetry, songs, and rhymes, as well as Chinese solar term customs. Different teas correspond to different solar terms, and the charm of the environment cannot be ignored. The dark green tea is Anxi Tieguanyin's spring tea. Its aroma evokes the lush green of the mountains. The texture is smooth and pleasant. Huangshan Mao Peak has a crisp temperament and pure aroma. Green Peony reminds one of a brooch made of glossy silk. The silken hairs of Baihao Yinzhen are as luxurious as sable fur. Junshan Yinzhen is as sharp as clipped fingernails. Although it is not advisable to pick up the tea leaves with bare hands, I still couldn't help but want to feel the weight and texture of every tea bud, every tea leaf, and every silken hair. Before pouring hot water, admiring the aroma of the tea leaves is also one of my hobbies. Place the tea leaves in a tea scoop made of split bamboo, bring it close to your nose, and inhale the tea fragrance. Some aromas come rushing at you, with a lingering aftertaste; others drift into your nostrils subtly, fresh and clear. Even the same type of tea can have subtle differences in fermentation and roasting, and the aroma will never be uniform. Tea is a "magic" that everyone understands. When one stands up and then sits facing the crowd to brew tea, the tea brewer naturally straightens their back. Open the lid of the kettle and observe the temperature of the water on the stove. Although it is somewhat scorching and bothersome, the solemn atmosphere in the room flows all the way to the fingertips. Arrange the tea utensils and warm the kettle. Pouring boiling water from a height produces a melodious sound. People stop chatting and focus their attention on the boiling water falling in a parabolic arc. The tea leaves are smoothly poured into the kettle with a of the hand. After a series of concise and fluid movements, it is time to wait for the tea to steep. At this moment, the tea brewer shows a carefree expression. I think, this is like an original prayer. Silently calculating the invisible passage of time. Fire, water, tea. Gathering them all into one's hands and presenting them to the world in this setting. This is what is called "magic." In no time, the fragrant liquid is poured from the kettle into the cups, and instantly, the quiet space becomes lively again. People pass around the cups and savor the aromatic tea. Sometimes, people are filled with emotions, and the scene is lively; at other times, they close their eyes and meditate, savoring the tea aroma and its lingering aftertaste. Then, "One more cup." Bring the nose close to the bottom of the cup and inhale vigorously—the lingering aroma at the bottom fills the nostrils. Although it may not be elegant, it is the authentic way of drinking Chinese tea. It is truly irresistible.