Drinking green tea has been part of my rituals most of my mornings for the last 20 years, but I have never had any idea of how much this hot drink can produce from plants to my cup.
However, on the eye-opening tour, the situation changed, with my rest Viking Yi Dun’s recent tourThe first coastal Chinese sailing of Cruise Line, speaks English.
Tea has been brewing in China for thousands of years, here I stand in the birthplace of tieguanyin tea (a type of oolong tea) and I am about to choose it myself.
My companion passengers and I spent the past few days on a 10-day cruise from Shanghai to Shenzhen in September, immersing ourselves in Chinese culture and rituals. (The product was the new Viking after it launched its voyage among domestic travelers in the East and South.)
Many of us watched with interest as the line held a traditional tea ceremony on board. Accompanied by the pebbled tone of traditional Chinese ancient string music, a Chinese woman sat on the table in front of us, just as she was on the stage. She slowly and systematically heated the small cups, brewed and discarded some tea, then filled the boat and provided it to the guests. The ceremony is like a show and acts with caution.
Fujian tea terrace. Image source: Andrea Zelinski
Now, with the call from the Viking Empire in Xiamen, we boarded the Charter Bus that drove a group of us to the mountains of Fujian Province. The hills lined with a row of tea trees reminded me of Italian grape vineyards.
On the way to our destination in An’xi County, our English-speaking Chinese guide told us how to forage Tieguanyin tea and explained the An’xi Tieguanyin tea culture. Our guide tells us that this type of tea (Oolong) is located between the green and black on the tea spectrum. According to the oxidation method, the tea tastes more like a kind of.
I breathed the smell as I got out of the car and started the tour. This is simple and familiar, the tea I thought of. Around the corner is a overlook where I can see tea trees on the mountains.
Next we went for a family-style lunch which included refreshment grilled long fish. Stewed beef s and pig’s foot tendons; and the whole cock, as well as noodles, vegetables and fried pumpkin cakes, which are my favorites.
The writer wears a bamboo hat and once it starts to rain, it comes in handy. Image source: courtesy of Andrea Zelinski
Harvest time
After lunch, the staff equipped us with bamboo hats and tea baskets and then took us to a paved sidewalk to reach a small tea tree for harvest.
As we walked through the dense trees, our owner in the facility (via our guide) directed us to look for two large leaves in the middle and pick three groups with a small small leaves in the middle.
We went to work and forage for proper trio. I quickly started adding leaves to the basket and enjoyed their scent, which reminded me of the comfort of my morning tea.
After a while, the mosquitoes began to bite people and the rain began to fall, so we retreated to the mountain and found shelter under the pavilion. Our hosts and guide share more details about the tea as guests rest and take a breath from the wet walk.
We will then lead indoors to demonstrate how to handle leaves. Workers first let the leaves dry, a task that is accelerated by throwing the leaves in from a large basket hanging from the ceiling. We all have a chance to try it out.
Then fry, curl and roll the leaves.
Our guide said that the key to picking tea leaves is to pick two large pieces with “baby” leaves in the middle. Image source: Andrea Zelinski
Tea time
After the tour, we sat in the tea room and received the traditional tea ceremony. We had about a dozen sitting at a low table watching our Chinese master follow the same etiquette process we learned on the boat. We drink tea in small cups and sample caffeine and decaffeinated tea. Many people bought some tea to take home – me included; I bought some for myself, and some smaller packaging for family, friends and neighbors.
I asked our guide how common these rituals are. Judging from his answer, to me, it doesn’t sound like it’s reserved for special occasions: He watches NBA broadcasts in the United States every morning and performs at the ceremony every day, he tells me.
I think we all have our rituals.
