(Entry for the "Impressions on Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" contest, part of the "Celebrating Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" program, 2nd edition, 2024, organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper).
Tea plants in the grounds of Long Dinh Tea Culture Space
Tea drinking is an art, an art of subtlety. Even without considering the specifics, choosing the right tea set reveals just how challenging it can be.
The teapot must be made of earthenware with a reddish-brown color. The size, thickness, and shape should be chosen according to the specific way tea is enjoyed: solo, with two people, or with four people, to select the appropriate teapot set.
The tea set also includes four teacups and one large serving cup. The serving cup is used for pouring tea. The four teacups are for enjoying the tea; they are small, ox-eye shaped cups.
Tea set
Dew collected on lotus leaves makes the perfect water for brewing tea. The water must be at the correct boiling point, but not too hot, otherwise it will become boiled water. Boiled water loses all its nutrients. Brewing tea with boiled water not only diminishes its aroma but also its color, clarity, energy, and spirit.
The best time to enjoy tea is usually between 4 and 5 o'clock, or on cool, breezy nights. Enjoying tea at these times allows the drinker to maintain alertness and a peaceful state of mind. Of course, the tea-drinking space must also be serene, pure, and elegant.
Brew tea
Color, clarity, aroma, taste, and spirit – these are the five standards for judging good tea from bad tea. Traditional hook-shaped tea leaves have long been considered by many tea connoisseurs to be the best in terms of color, clarity, aroma, taste, and spirit. However, some argue that lotus tea is the most precious type of tea.
Adaptability and flexibility are part of the Vietnamese character, and this is reflected to varying degrees in the ways tea is enjoyed: from rustic and simple to sophisticated and elegant.
Graphics: CHI PHAN
Source
Comment (0)