Recognize The Differences In Tea Drinking Culture In China And Japan

Illustration of the culture of drinking tea in China and Japan (Freepic)

JAKARTA - The culture of drinking tea is so thick with people in Asia, especially in China and Japan. In fact, the two countries both have a ritual of drinking tea on a certain agenda. So what is the difference in the habit of drinking tea from the two?

Pemilik Siaming Tea House Suwarni Widjaja, yang telah mendapat sertifikat teh dari Kyoto Jepang dan gelar teh dari China, menjelaskan beberapa kebedaan atacara minum teh di China dan Jepang.

The woman, who can also be called a tea expert, said that Chinese-style tea drinking ceremonies are generally carried out using simple tools. Usually it starts by preparing brewed tools and recitation such as plates to put a small tea-sowing teapot, large dishes for pot food, and small tea cups for guests.

"Potserve is to serve glasses or guests. Because of this (pot food) glass, he becomes fair, so everyone drinks as much as the same. It's not like putting one in a glass," he said, as quoted by Antara.

If the tea from the brewed tea is poured directly into the cup one by one, he continues, then the last cup will get a rather thick and bitter tea. The suwarni also explained the philosophy behind the Chinese-style tea drinking ceremony.

He said that the movement to lift and put a cup when drinking tea meant that people must accept what is obtained in the world and release it if they have to return to God.

A tea drink ceremony in Chinese is called Cha Dao (read: cha tao), which means a trip or a tea line. Tea leaves go a long way from the planting process, picking, processing, to being served as drinks.

The drinking ceremony is a form of appreciation for the hard work of tea farmers and gratitude for God's gift.

"We have to be able to accept, oh it turns out that tea is like this. That's why before we drink, we have to be grateful and grateful because farmers, they are difficult to pick until the tea process is not easy. That's what we have to accept and be grateful for," said Suwarni.

Chinese people usually do tea drinking ceremonies on big holidays or Chinese New Year celebrations. Home Owners who usually drink tea generally already provide tea drinking utensils for guests who come to visit.

Suwarni said that the tea banquet in China was more relaxed and friendly.

Hosts and guests can relax together while enjoying tea in Chinese-style tea drinking rituals, in contrast to Japanese tea drinking ceremonies.

Suwarni said that the tea drinking ceremony in Japan was more orderly. Guests who receive tea dishes may not chat casually with the host or the person serving tea.

"If we are in the tatamium room, we don't talk much. We only focus on making tea for us to drink and we only question what we get. For example, where the tea comes from, where the cake comes from, the equipment used, that's all the communication," he said.

According to him, the procedure for brewing Japanese-style tea is also more complicated than in Chinese style.

During the Chinese tea drink ceremony, a brew of tea was first put into the food pot before being poured into the drinking cups.

Meanwhile, in the Japanese tea drink ceremony, the way tea serving is carried out according to the type.

According to Suwarni, dilute tea is served in one bowl for one person. Meanwhile, thick tea is served in one bowl which can be drunk by three to five people.

Japanese tea drinking ceremonies also contain philosophical meanings such as Chinese tea drinking rituals. Virtual Japanese-style tea drinks show humans must live harmoniously and peacefully not only with others, but also with the environment.

"In Japan there are four words, look after my behavior, meaning that there is peace, harmony, respect, unity, actually the way of the tea is all included in it. So we have to make peace, peace with the environment, with ourselves, and friends. Harmonious to the environment too," said Suwarni.