Category: Tea

Exploring Chinese Tea Culture – The Gongfu Tea Ceremony

The Gongfu tea ceremony is China’s take on ritualized tea drinking. Rather than a strict procedure with symbolic and aesthetic connotations like the Japanese tea ceremony, the goal of the Gongfu tea ceremony is to present a finely crafted cup of tea. The ceremony relies mainly on the knowledge and expertise of the tea brewer, but proper teaware and quality tea also play a major role in the tea drinking experience.

The term “gongfu” is a variant spelling of “kung fu”. Although the contemporary understanding of kung-fu refers to Chinese martial arts, its original meaning refers to any skill that learned through practice and training. In this case, “gongfu” refers to the skillful preparation of tea. The ritual is also called the Fujian tea ceremony, the Chinese tea ceremony, and Gongfu Cha.

Chinese Teapots and Teacups

Proper teaware is as important to the experience of drinking tea as the tea …

Christine O'Donnell's Defeat a Lesson for Palin and the Tea Party

Christine O’Donnell believed until the bitter end of election night, November 2, 2010 that her candidacy would result in victory. Voters in Delaware, however, “refudiated” Sarah Palin’s protégé by electing Democrat Christopher Coons to the seat once held by Vice President Joe Biden. Coons defeated O’Donnell by 65 percent of the vote. Republican Mike Castle had led Coons by fifteen percent prior the September 14, 2010 primary election, but last minute support for O’Donnell via Tea Party cash and Palin’s endorsement gave her the primary victory.

How O’Donnell’s Loss May Affect the U.S. Senate Composition

The GOP needed ten seats to gain control of the upper chamber. Although final results in Alaska and Washington may not be known for several days, in Delaware, Mike Castle would most likely have claimed the senate seat for the Republicans. O’Donnell’s support from the Tea Party and Sarah Palin might have played a role …

How To Brew Loose Leaf Tea – Tips For Making Tea

Tea is the beverage of choice for many people around the world. Whether enjoyed simply for pleasure, health or warmth, tea can be experienced and experimented with. Straying from the common tea bag into the world of loose leaf can greatly enhance the flavor and quality of your tea. Brewing loose leaf tea can be rewarding, but what is the best way to create a tasty cup? Is it best to use a teapot, or an infuser?

Infusers, Teapots and Gaiwans

For the best tasting cup of tea, brew your leaves in smaller quantities. Although this is impractical when brewing for a large group of people, making tea in small "batches" creates premium flavor and doesn't give time for the tea to turn bitter. This can be accomplished with either an infuser, a small teapot, or a gaiwan. Traditionally, we associate brewing tea with teapots. However, it may be time …

Constitutional Rights at Work-Tax Protestors and the Tea Party

April 15 was tax day, and disliked by numerous citizens across the country. This year numerous small towns as well as major metropolitan areas prepared for a larger turnout of protests. " The Tea Party movement grows with each passing day, as President Obama and Congressional Democrats refuse to listen to the America people," RNC Director of Media Affairs LeRoy Coleman stated. So is this a protest against taxes or an expression of Constitutional rights to assemble and state grievances about all policies?

Tea Party Movement Growing

In the 60’s baby boomers protested the war daily. Graphic pictures and footage were on the front page of every newspaper and TV channel. Today we see a minute clip followed by flippant comments about angry protesters, and the need for enhanced police protection both federal and local. Why does the media not cover this protest with any depth? Costs to the community …

Tips for Brewing the Perfect Cup of Tea

The perfect cup of tea depends on many different factors such as the mineral content of the water used. These factors can adversely affect or significantly

Connoisseurs of fine tea will declare that to brew a delicious cup of tea, you must pay attention to the details. From the freshness of the tea leaves to the temperature and mineral content of the water, the factors that go into brewing tea greatly affect the subtle nuances of the flavor that develops.

Water

More than any other factor, the choice of water will either greatly enhance or significantly impair the taste of brewed tea. Tap water is not a good choice for tea unless it is filtered through a high-quality filter that removes chemicals like chlorine and fluoride that are often added to municipal water supplies. Distilled water should not be used because it is devoid of mineral content and produces tea …

Tea Ceremony – Zen Philosophy and the Way of the Tea

The Japanese tea ceremony is more than the act of drinking tea – it is an aesthetic pleasure, an opportunity to experience inner peace and quietness through the subliminal messages that the whole ritual passes on.

The room, the clothes that the hosts wear, the utensils and the movements during the preparation of the tea, symbolize a process of purification of the senses. However, it is not possible to understand the tea ceremony without looking at the zen philosophy that influenced this ancient art.

The Way of the Tea (Chanoyu or Chado) and Zen Buddhism

Brought to Japan in the ninth century from China, the tea became widely appreciated in the region of Kinki, where tea plantations began to spread under the orders of the emperor Saga. By the thirteenth century, the tea was already considered a symbol of status among the warrior classes, which were partially responsible for associating …