Green tea is very popular in the southern regions of China and is a widely beloved type of tea. Its brewing methods vary depending on the specific tea and the region.
High-quality green teas (including various famous teas) are generally brewed in transparent glass cups to showcase the tea's quality characteristics and facilitate appreciation. Common green teas like Mei Cha and Zhu Cha are often brewed in porcelain cups. Porcelain cups have better heat retention than glass cups, allowing the effective components of the tea to be easily extracted, resulting in a more concentrated tea liquor. Lower-grade teas and green tea dust are often brewed in a teapot, which facilitates the separation of the tea liquor from the tea dregs and makes drinking convenient.
In the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, people generally prefer famous teas like Longjing and Biluochun, as well as high-grade Mei Cha. When drinking, they pay great attention to the cleanliness of the tea utensils and the quality of the water.
The production process of oolong tea has many unique features, and its brewing method is even more elaborate.
Both Fujian and Guangdong provinces in China favor oolong tea. Especially for people in southern Fujian and the Chaoshan area, great attention is paid to the tea quality, water, tea utensils, and brewing techniques when drinking oolong tea. They mostly drink premium oolong teas such as Wuyi Rock Tea and Anxi Tieguanyin. For brewing, sweet and pure stream or spring water is used. The tea set is a coordinated, small, and exquisite set called the "Four Treasures," which includes: Yushuwei (kettle), Chaoshan Honglu (stove), Mengchen Guan (teapot), and Ruoshen Ou (small teacup). The Yushuwei is a flat, thin porcelain kettle that can hold about 4 liang of water. The Chaoshan Honglu is made of cast iron, small and exquisite, and uses hard charcoal as fuel, sometimes sugarcane or olive pits are also used, with care taken to prevent smoke from entering the kettle spout. The Mengchen Guan is mostly made from Yixing, with purple being the most prized color, and it holds about 2 liang of water. The Ruoshen Ou is a small, white porcelain cup that holds no more than two or three qian of water, often made from places like Jingdezhen. When drinking tea, the stove is placed against the wall with the Yushuwei on top to boil water, while the tea utensils are washed with clean water. When steam gently rises from the kettle's spout, the Mengchen Guan and Ruoshen Ou are rinsed with boiling water. Then, the oolong tea is placed in the teapot, filling about 60-70% of its capacity. After pouring in boiling water, the lid is used to skim off the foam on the surface. The lid is then covered, and boiling water is poured over the top of the lid. The Ruoshen Ou is also heated with this water. After two or three minutes, the tea liquor is evenly poured into the individual cups. Typically, one pot of tea is divided among four cups, with each cup filled halfway at first, and the process is repeated until each cup is about 80% full, ensuring an even flavor in every cup. At this point, one can slowly sip the tea while refilling the kettle with fresh water, preparing to brew a second pot. This brewing method produces an extremely concentrated liquid. When the teapot lid is lifted, it is full of tea leaves, yet the amount of liquor is small. A Ruoshen Ou can only hold two or three qian of tea liquor, which might be less than a single sip. However, this method allows for a detailed tasting with a long-lasting aftertaste and a fragrant mouthfeel. This method is also known as "Gongfu tea."
When drinking oolong tea, hold the cup, slowly move it from your nose to your lips, and smell the aroma while hot before sipping the flavor. Especially for Wuyi Rock Tea and Tieguanyin, there is a unique tea fragrance. When smelling, the cup is not held close to the nose for a long time, but rather brought slowly from far to near and back again, so that the tea's fragrance seems to rush toward you. The taste is sweet and pleasant, with an endless aftertaste.
Scented tea is mostly made by scenting fine green tea with fragrant and richly scented flowers, allowing the tea to absorb the flower's aroma. Among scented teas, jasmine tea is the most common and most beloved. Scented tea is often brewed in a porcelain cup. A pinch of scented tea is placed in the cup, steeped with boiling water, covered for four to five minutes, and then ready to drink. If there are many people drinking, the teapot method is often used, where an appropriate amount of scented tea is placed in the teapot, steeped for four to five minutes, and then poured into teacups or bowls for drinking.
The method of drinking scented tea is similar to that of regular green tea, but special attention must be paid to preventing the loss of its aroma. The tea utensils and water used must be clean and odor-free. It is best to use a white porcelain teacup with a lid to enhance the tea's natural color and preserve its fragrance.