Tea Culture | Hello Tea Cup

Should You Put Baking Soda in Tea or Not? Is It a Myth?

teasenz — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 15:55:37 +0000

Sweet tea should be simple: just water, ice, tea bags, sugar, and maybe a squeeze of lemon or lime. Boil the water, brew the tea, stir in the sugar, and pour it over ice. But as with many simple recipes, especially in Southern cooking, there are lots of little tweaks that can elevate a drink from just okay to amazing. One trick? Adding a pinch of baking soda to your sweet tea. Sounds weird? Pointless? Or maybe genius? It’s all about the science and your brewing technique. We usually think these tips are kind of useless; after all, many of us grew up enjoying sweet tea with no special tricks, and it turned out just fine. But there are some solid theories about why baking soda might enhance iced tea, so we dug a little […]

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An Expert Guide to De Zhong Teapots: History & Features

teasenz — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 09:04:05 +0000

“De Zhong” refers to a classic Yixing teapot shape, crafted by the esteemed potter Shao Daheng. It’s inspired by an ancient percussion instrument “zhong”, resulting in a cylindrical teapot body, which gives it a sense of stability. An Yixing teapot is a type of traditional Chinese teapot made from clay found in the Yixing region of Jiangsu province, China. These teapots are highly prized by tea enthusiasts for their unique clay composition and ability to enhance the flavor of tea. They are known for their simple designs, as well as their functionality in brewing tea. The history of Yixing teapots can be traced back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), but it was during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) that they gained popularity among the wealthy class. It was during this time that skilled craftsmen began perfecting […]

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Exploring Tea Culture & Customs Around the World

teasenz — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 15:26:23 +0000

Tea is a beloved beverage that has been enjoyed for centuries and holds a significant place in the cultures around the world. While it originated in China, tea drinking customs have spread across the globe, with each country having its own unique traditions and rituals surrounding this popular drink. In this blog post, we will explore the rich tea culture in different countries such as China, Japan, India, the UK, the US and more. From traditional brewing methods to the role of tea in social gatherings, let’s take a journey through the diverse world of tea and discover how it brings people together across borders. China: The Origin of Tea China is the birthplace of tea and tea culture, and tea is found in every aspect of life. Chinese people love to drink a wide […]

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A Tea Poem: On A Cold Night

teasenz — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 13:12:09 +0000

China is both the “land of tea” and the “land of poetry”, which is why the subject of tea has long been infused into poetry. From the earliest days of tea poetry to the present, over the course of 1,700 years, poets and scholars have composed thousands of beautiful tea poems. From this long list, we have selected and translated one ancient tea poem that provide a glimpse into the tea culture and lifestyle of the past. The poem was written by poet Du Lei of Song dynasty. The words used in the poem are simple and natural, and scenes described are vivid and timeless. Also read: Tea Culture during the Song Dynasty Poem: On A Cold Night (Translated) On a cold night when a guest came, I served tea as wine. The water was […]

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10 Most Popular Chinese Teas You Must Try

teasenz — Tue, 25 May 2021 13:48:49 +0000

For a starting tea drinker who’s about to explore Chinese teas, the hundreds of kinds of teas in China can be overwhelming. In this article, we’ll introduce the 10 most popular Chinese teas. These will be a great starting point for your tea journey as the below teas will also cover all the 6 main types of tea (white, green, black etc). 1. Long Jing 龙井 (West Lake Dragon Well) Without a single doubt, Longjing (Dragon Well) green tea is the most popular and well known tea in China. Original Longjing is produced in the West Lake region south of Hangzhou. An authentic Longjing tea comes from one of the 5 legendary longjing villages. That said, don’t write off Dragon Well teas that are produced in other regions in China. Due to the popularity of […]

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China’s Dragon Kiln: Meaning & History

Sonia — Sat, 15 May 2021 15:16:13 +0000

In China, the art of Ceramics is known as the art of “clay and fire”. That’s not a surprise, knowing that the kiln is a critical piece of equipment for firing ceramics. The most fascinating kind of kiln is without doubt the Chinese dragon kilns (long yao 龙窑). It’s a traditional form of kiln before industrial ovens existed. Even today, such a kiln produces still superior, unrivalled quality ceramics. Now is a good time to further understand the meaning, history and workings of such a kiln, given that Teasenz recently launched a dragon kiln fired Yixing tea pot. Dragon Kiln Meaning You may wonder: how did it get the name “dragon” kiln? First, it is cylinder-shaped and long. Most of the dragon kilns were built on sloping hillsides and were between 30-80 metres in length. Secondly, the kiln […]

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The Tibetan Legend of Tea & Salt

teasenz — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 10:14:02 +0000

In Tibetan folklore, there is a sad and beautiful love story about tea and salt. This legend is related to the Tibetan customs of using salt in tea, which we’ve recently described in this article: Tibetan Tea Drinking Culture And Customs The Story of Maimeicuo & Wendunba According to the legend, there were two tribes with feud: the Xia tribe living on the east bank of a river and the Nu tribe living on the west bank. Over the years, the two tribes had no intention of reconciling and had cut off all communications. The Tusi (ethnic leader) of the Xia tribe had a daughter, Maimeicuo, who grew up herding sheep on the east bank of the river. The Tusi of the Nu tribe had a son named Wendunba, who also herded sheep, but on the west bank of the river. Two kids saw each other […]

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Tibetan Tea Drinking Culture And Customs

Sonia — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 09:49:52 +0000

Tea has been a daily necessity of the Tibetan people for generations. There’s a saying in Tibetan region: “Better to go three days without grain than one day without tea.” Why is that? Let’s find out now. Why is tea So important in Tibetan Life? Tibetan region is located on the high altitude plateau. People eat lots of meat, cheese products, and highland barley. Yet, due to scarcity people don’t consume much vegetables and fruits. Tea comes as a great supplement for this meat-heavy diet and balances out the oiliness. It also helps enhance the immune system and provides natural antioxidants. In another word, tea is nutritious, refreshing, and a necessity in Tibetan life. Tea is also widely consumed by Tibetan Buddhists to show the effect of spiritual purity. Monks perform their practice and maintain clear thinking with the help of brewing and drinking tea. Tea had long become an indispensable drink […]

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Decoding Tea Culture in the Song Dynasty

Sonia — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 10:33:12 +0000

The Song dynasty (960-1279) features an amazingly rich tea culture. Tea during this period involves many aspects such as politics, economy, literature and social customs. With the prosperity of the tea industry, everyone – the nobles, scholars, and common people, all had access to tea. This is one of the famous quotes by Wu Zimu from Southern Song dynasty. Nowadays, it’s one of the favorite quotes among tea enthousiasts in China. What was the tea culture like in the Song dynasty? How did the tea culture flourish then? Read further to find out! Song Dynasty Tea Drinking Method Dian Cha: The Rise of Matcha Different from the Tang dynasty’s (618 to 907) tea cooking method, during the Song dynasty, the way of tea drinking was changed into “dian cha”. Most of the tea in the […]

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Sri Lanka Tea History: Discover Ceylon Tea Culture & Types

teasenz — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 10:03:23 +0000

History of Sri Lanka is fascinating as the country itself. Many years ago, the country had a strong culture and heritage and it was ruled by the kings for many generations. Far back in the 16th century, the country was invaded by many foreign forces that came looking for spices, gems, and such other treasures. The Colonial Past From the 16th century, the country has been invaded by the Portuguese, Dutch and by the British. Like many other Asian countries, Sri Lanka also faced the fate of becoming a British colony in 1815s and the country was named as “Ceylon” by then. The tea culture of Sri Lanka was started back then when the coffee plantations of the country started to wipe out due to a fungal disease. In 1839 British brought a tea plant from […]

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