Small pots allow us to brew a concentrated infusion (akin to an espresso) that help us taste subtle flavor differences and determine the overall quality of any tea.
One reason for the small cups is because they're better for taste and appreciation of fine quality teas. When brewing tea the traditional gong-fu way, the general rule is, more leaves, less water, quick infusions.
In Chinese, these are known as Pinming cups. Teacups used for Gong Fu Cha (the Chinese tea ceremony) can vary significantly in style and material used. In general, I am referring to the small cups used for the tea ceremony.
Small cups also cool faster so you can have the drink you pour sooner, rather than waiting a long time for your drink to cool enough to even have a sip.
The formal and standard gesture is to stand up, men hold fists(left over right), women put palms together, make a bow, sit down, and take over the tea cups, smell the tea's aroma first, then take a sip and savor the tea.
What does that mean? Tapping the table with the index and middle fingers when being served drinks is a very common practice in China. It basically means “thank you” in an unintrusive way – with the welcome effect it won't interrupt conversations at the dining table.
It can be very impolite to not fill the cup all the way, as it is a sign of respect since you are a guest. If your cup is running low but you would not like any more tea, it is acceptable to politely ask that you would not like any more tea if someone wants to refill your cup.
It makes it easier to concentrate on the tea's taste
If you serve tea to someone in both a small teacup and a bigger one without telling him that it's the same tea, the smaller one appears to contain a more precious tea because the quantity is less.
The saucer is useful for protecting surfaces from possible damage due to the heat of a cup, and to catch overflow, splashes, and drips from the cup, thus protecting both table linen and the user sitting in a free-standing chair who holds both cup and saucer.
Lightweight And Thin
Or rather, within your mouth. A thin rim, as you would get on a white bone china mug, means that the tea has far fewer obstacles between the cup and your mouth. The sooner it can go from one to the other, the more flavour it can retain.
Chinese teacups are usually made of porcelain, and the shape without handles is more convenient both for production and transportation. And there are specific temperatures for brewing certain tea. In this case, a cup with no handle allows people to hold it with hands and feel the temperature by themselves.
How often should you clean teapot stains? This is really up to you – but in order to avoid an unpleasant build-up of stains, it's safe to say that you should at least rinse your teapot after every use. Opt for a more thorough cleanse every once in a while, depending on how often you have a cup of tea.
The significant difference between Chinese and Japanese Tea is that the latter is fixed by steaming, whereas the former is fixed* with drier heats such as pan-frying.
Green tea is synonymous with Japanese tea. It is the most consumed beverage in Japan, valued for its health and restorative properties. Drinking green tea (緑茶) is a custom that has been interwoven into Japanese culture, with almost every meal in Japan accompanied by a freshly brewed pot of green tea.
Chinese teas tend to be made from larger leaves, so the holes in the clay filter tend to be larger than those of a Japanese teapot. This will allow some of the smaller leaves to pass through the filter and into your cup.
Saucer – the Russian teacup? Don't be surprised if, at a Samovar tea party, you notice people sipping tea directly from the saucers. Since water from the samovar is usually boiling hot, pouring it in a saucer allows for a limited amount only, that is quicker to cool down.
The concept of a lidded tea cup is not new — in fact, cups with lids have been used in traditional Japanese and Chinese tea ceremonies for centuries. By sealing in the hot water and steam, the cup better steeps delicate tea leaves, creating a more fragrant and balanced taste.
If sat at a table, the proper manner to drink tea is to raise the tea cup, leaving the saucer on the table, and to place the cup back on the saucer between sips. It's considered rude to look anywhere but into the cup whilst sipping tea, and absolutely no slurping!
The ideal teacup should have a smooth surface and be impervious. This stops tannins in the tea from binding to the cup instead of dissolving in the water. That's where the china cup comes in. It's smooth, glazed surfaces don't bind the tannins, leaving the flavour of the tea untouched.
“But, if the milk is added at the start of the steeping process then its proteins can bind to the tannins and other minerals in the water. This prevents them from turning solid – which in turn gives you a far superior flavour”.
The general consensus among the tea community is that a tea cup in measurement terms is 6.0 ounces.
Mongolians drank tea with milk. Chinese did not. The simple fact is that China was never traditionally a country where cows grazed in vast numbers. Milk was available in England in the countryside and it was common to drink Chinese black tea with milk even before Indian tea arrived in the 1840s.
The Chinese drink their tea without additional ingredients because they have quite a vast array of flavours to choose from, and most of them don't really taste good with milk.
Do not touch, hug, lock arms, back slap or make any body contact. Clicking fingers or whistling is considered very rude. Never put your feet on a desk or a chair. Never gesture or pass an object with your feet.