Tea in Chinese Life: From Daily Necessity to Cultural Symbol
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Time to read 3 min
Introduction
The seven essentials for opening a household in China are: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. This represents the life of ordinary people, and drinking tea is simply one of their daily habits.
While the tradition of tea drinking originated in China as just one of these seven necessities, scholars and intellectuals elevated it to an art form, weaving it together with music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They even infused it with Zen philosophy.
Gradually, tea drinking became increasingly complex and refined, evolving over thousands of years into a formal discipline known as the "Way of Tea." Some say, "To appreciate tea is to appreciate life." But honestly, that's just the pretentiousness of scholars or clever marketing by tea merchants. When ordinary people drink tea, who really thinks about life's meaning?
In everyday life, people don't have time for elaborate kung fu tea ceremonies. Their tea-drinking habits are much simpler:
Table of content
1. Quenching Thirst
It's as simple as this: a big tea mug, a handful of tea leaves, hot water poured over, let it steep, then gulp it down – that's what really hits the spot!
People drink tea when they're tired, while working, during leisure time, at home, or while traveling.
They're not picky about the type of tea or brewing method. Tea becomes a companion in daily life.
Drink when you want to – as long as it quenches your thirst and brings joy, that's all the "enlightenment" you need.
“Tea wisdom lies in the balance between simplicity and elegance, from the art of the perfect steep to the warmth of shared tradition.”
2. A Daily Essential
For the Mongolian people, tea is inseparable from meals. Their milk tea is nothing like what you'd buy on city streets – that commercial "milk tea" is just a mix of artificial flavors without real milk. Authentic Mongolian milk tea is brewed from tea leaves and fresh milk.
For Mongolians living across China's vast grasslands and pastoral regions, milk tea is as essential as food itself. It quenches thirst, satisfies hunger, aids digestion, cuts through rich foods, promotes health, and welcomes guests! When you enter a Mongolian yurt, the first thing your host offers is a steaming bowl of fragrant milk tea!
Making milk tea is beautifully simple. Herders prefer using green or black brick tea. In the past, when transportation was limited, they would travel long distances on horseback or camel to buy supplies, purchasing dozens of tea bricks at once.
They'd grind these into powder at a local mill and store it in large bags. Each morning, their first task is making milk tea. They fill a large copper pot with spring water, add handfuls of crushed tea, and once boiling, repeatedly ladle and pour the tea to fully dissolve it until it turns dark red. Then they add milk, bring it to another boil, continue ladling, and add a pinch of salt. The finished tea has a beautiful bronze color and an irresistible milky aroma.
Paired with milk skin, fried rice, cheese curds, and hand-pulled meat, two bowls of milk tea warm your belly, fight off hunger and cold, and nourish your body.
Similar simple but essential preparations can be found in Ningxia's Eight Treasures Tea and Tibetan butter tea.
3. Simple Tea Wisdom
Even simple tea drinking has its philosophy. For instance, some say the Chinese character for tea (茶) breaks down to equal 108, symbolizing health and longevity.
Regular folks have their own ways of making healthy tea. For example, adding just one type of herb or flower creates a health-promoting brew:
White tea combinations are precious:
White tea with aged citrus peel wards off colds
White tea with snow pear offers sweet moisture
White tea with pomelo aids appetite and digestion
White tea with longan warms and soothes the stomach
“From warming your belly to lifting your spirits, tea offers comfort and connection in every cup.”
There's an old saying: "Skip nourishing yang in winter, waste the whole year." How to nourish yang?
Here are five powerful tea combinations:
Oolong tea with longan
White tea with aged citrus peel
Pu-erh tea with roses
Black tea with fresh ginger
White tea with osmanthus
“To the scholar, tea may be a symbol of life’s philosophy. To the rest of us, it’s simply a moment of peace in a busy day.”
Tea enthusiasts also praise black tea's powerful combinations:
Black tea with goji berries for inner and outer beauty
Black tea with milk to energize body and mind
Black tea with lemon for lasting hydration
Black tea with honey for smooth digestion
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are countless types of tea and ways to drink it. Different people have their own methods – whether for thirst, meditation, ceremony, or relaxation. All these approaches enrich our lives and enhance our health. Tea offers countless benefits with no drawbacks!
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