teahouse
The ceremony of drinking tea is very common in China. The most important work on tea making is Tea Classic. . This is the only extant work of Lu Yu, a scholar and poet in the Tang Dynasty, written in the 7th century. He described many aspects of making tea, from the location of the teahouse to the way of drinking tea. His paper is regarded as authoritative by many people.
In the north of imperial China, teahouses were regarded as the seclusion of gentlemen, and later as the seclusion of businessmen. The transaction will be discussed and finalized in a neutral and relaxed environment, not in the office.
Teahouses used to be, and are now, places where disputes can be settled harmoniously by drinking tea. The court is not a place where most people feel at ease. China people sometimes use tea houses and a respectful arbitrator instead of this environment. Both sides will agree on terms and strategies, pay for tea and shake hands. Just as insurance agencies and stock brokers in Britain developed from simple coffee shops, teahouses in China are also used as places to conduct business.
Some teahouses in Hong Kong still maintain this tradition and are frequented by China businessmen and entrepreneurs in Hong Kong. Traditional teahouses can still be found in ancient communities. The most famous example in Central is Luyu Teahouse, a living monument with a history of half a century, which shows the sedate fashion of old Hong Kong. Colored glass murals and huge picture frames decorate the white walls. The original black ceiling fan in the teahouse rotates leisurely in the air-conditioned room. A private wooden shed decorated with mirrors and marble is a paradise for conspirators. Going to Luyu for a delicious tea has entered a new era. The best time is around 10 am or 3 pm, outside the peak hours of breakfast and lunch. At this time, every seat and table are usually reserved for regular customers. This very special teahouse is a tribute from Hong Kong to Lu Yu, a tea master in the 8th century. Lu Yu is a Cantonese version of Lu Yu.
[Editor] Tableware
teabowl
Since the Tang Dynasty, the method of tea tasting has undergone considerable changes, and the use of covered bowls is a noteworthy development. Simple and practical bowl-covering design makes them an excellent tool for tea tasting. The exquisite paintings on these bowls also increase their aesthetic value. Nowadays, in most dim sum restaurants, people use small cups more instead.
[Editor] Chopsticks
Chopsticks are a pair of tapered sticks of equal length, which are traditional tools for eating. In China restaurants, chopsticks are usually made of plastic. Sandwiched between the thumb and fingers of a working hand, they are used as pliers for holding food or sweeping rice and small particles of food from a bowl into the mouth. Snacks are small, so it's convenient to eat with chopsticks. Many manners regulate the correct use of chopsticks.
[Editor] Toothpick
Using toothpicks on the dining table is another typical practice. Toothpicks are often used between two dishes, because people think that the aftertaste of one dish should not spoil the enjoyment of the next.
Toothpicks also have another important value, that is, they are ideal and accepted by society, and can be used to select foods that usually do not meet the best choice, such as slippery mushrooms and jellyfish slices coated with sesame oil.
[Edit] Dim Sum
Snacks are usually a light meal or brunch with family or friends from morning to early afternoon. Traditional snacks include various types of steamed buns, such as barbecued pork buns, jiaozi and rice noodle rolls, which contain a series of ingredients, including beef, chicken, pork, prawns and vegetarian food. Many dim sum restaurants also offer steamed vegetables, barbecue, porridge and soup.
Snacks can be cooked by steaming and frying. Snacks are usually small, usually three or four servings on a plate. People are used to ordering family-style dishes and sharing them among all the members of the party. Because the portions are small, people can try all kinds of food.
Snacks can be ordered from the menu, and sometimes the waiter will push the food around on the trolley for the diners to choose. Traditionally, the cost of a meal is calculated according to the number and size of dishes left on the customer's table. Some modern dim sum restaurants put the meal on the bill at the dining table. This is not only neater, but also prevents customers from cheating by hiding or stealing dishes, which has happened before. Some restaurant waiters even use different seals to record the sales statistics of each waiter.
In the United States and many other English-speaking countries, the word "dim sum" is often wrongly used as the name of Yum cha. In fact, dim sum is a phrase in Cantonese, which refers to all kinds of light dishes with China tea, that is, drinking tea.
ceremony
A tea drinker tapped his finger on the table to show his gratitude to party member for refilling her tea.
A tea drinker tapped his finger on the table to show his gratitude to party member for refilling her tea.
[Edit] Finger tapping
Also known as finger kowtow, the action of finger knocking-thanking someone in the traditional China way-is of historical significance. When tea drinkers tap the table with three fingers (occasionally two) of the same hand, it is a silent thanks to a party member who filled their tea.
This gesture reproduces the story of an emperor's obedience, which can be traced back to Emperor Qianlong of A Qing Dynasty, who used to travel incognito. During a visit to the south of China, he once walked into a teahouse with his companions. In order to remain anonymous, he took turns pouring tea. His companions were dumbfounded and wanted to kowtow to this honor. The emperor didn't let them reveal their identity, but let them knock on the table with three fingers. One finger represents their bow, and the other two represent their prone arms.
The lid only needs to be opened and reinstalled.
The lid only needs to be opened and reinstalled.
[edit] refill
When the teapot needs to be refilled, the customer should open the lid of the teapot. This is a polite and customary way to ask for a refill. Other options include placing the cover diagonally, letting it hang loosely by wires, or keeping the cover balanced on the handle.
A story explaining this custom involves a poor student who is said to have hidden a bird in a teapot. The bird flew away when the waiter came to refill the pot and lifted the lid. The student made a scene because it was a very precious bird, so the restaurant owed him compensation. After that, all restaurants will wait for customers to open the lid of the empty teapot to pour water. This custom is not common in northern China, where customers may have to ask the waiter to refill the pot.
In Hong Kong, this is also a sign of service quality. The sign of excellent service is that someone pours water again soon after the lid is opened, while the service below standard is that no one pours water again for a long time.
[editor] public chopsticks
In addition to eating with family members or alone, Hong Kong people use "public chopsticks" to pick up dishes from serving plates.
[Editor] Washing dishes, cups and chopsticks
Before eating, usually even before ordering, Hong Kong people will wash all the dishes with hot water or tea. Then they emptied the bowl of water on the table. Some restaurants don't offer such bowls, and the waiter must come to help.