Tea ceremony
Throughout the centuries different rituals of tea preparation have evolved, from green tea ceremonies in North Asia to the "milk-in-first" tradition in England and the East Frisian "Koppkes" which is prepared with rock candy and cream. What all these rituals have in common is that one needs some moments of quietness and peacefulness to enjoy and appreciate a freshly brewed cup of tea.
Here you can learn how green tea is prepared in Japan and Korea according to a thousand years old tradition:
Step 1: preparation
On a tray prepare the tea pot, cups, wooden saucers, cooling bowl and bamboo measuring spoon with green tea leaves (for a detailed description of each utensil see below on this page).
Step 2: warming of tea set
Pour boiling water first in the cooling bowl, then into the tea pot. The hot water in the tea pot is poured into the cups to warm them up.
Step 3: cooling the water
To prepare tea boiling water is poured into the cooling bowl. There the water temperature shall cool down from 90°C to 85°C.
Step 4: dosage
Use the bamboo measuring spoon to put green tea leaves into the tea pot.
Step 5: brewing
Pour the water from the cooling bowl into the tea pot. The proper amount of water is approx. 50 ml water per 1.5 to 2 grams tea (one tea spoon). Let the tea draw for 40 to 90 seconds, depending on the type of tea.
Step 6: preparation of tea cups
Discard the water which in step 2 had been filled into the tea cups.
Step 7: filling of tea cups
Pour the tea from the tea pot into the warmed cups.
Step 8: the ceremony of enjoying tea
Serve the tea to your guests on little wooden saucers. The last cup is for the hosting person who tastes the tea and asks the guests to enjoy it.
Step 9: refilling
New water is poured from the cooling bowl into the tea pot. This process can be repeated up to three times.
Necessary utensils
The following utensils are necessary to prepare green tea according to the traditional way (in the shop system see under tea & tea accessories):
1. tea pot
Traditionally the tea set is made of celadon or fine china. The Korean name of the tea pot is Da-guan. Green tea leaves are given directly into the tea pot and brewed with approx. 85°C hot water.
2. tea cup
Tea from green tea leaves is traditionally served in small cone-shaped cups. Tea from green tea powder is served in larger, bowl-shaped cups in which the green tea powder is brewed with boiling water and stirred with the matcha bamboo broom.
3. saucer
Traditionally the saucer is made of carved wood.
4. cooling bowl
As green tea leaves shall never be brewed with boiling water a cooling bowl is used, with the Korean name Suk-woo. The boiling water is first poured into the cooling bowl and then, at a temperature of approx. 85°C, from this bowl into the tea pot.
5. emptying bowl
After the tea pot and the cups have been warmed with hot water, this water is discarded into the "emptying bowl" or Toe-su-gi.
6. tea filter
When pouring the tea from the pot into the cups a fine filter is used to prevent leaves from entering the cup.
7. bamboo measuring spoon
According to the traditional way a bamboo spoon is used to give the green tea leaves or powder into the tea pot or matcha bowl.
8. Matcha broom
To prepare tea from green tea powder the matcha broom is used which is made of pure bamboo. Contrary to the preparation of green tea from leaves green tea powder is brewed with boiling water and then stirred in the matcha bowl with the matcha broom.
9. serving tray
Traditionally, the tea is served on a wooden tray.
source: www.creer.co.kr
