In this episode, So-Han discusses ways of experiencing tea community or spinning up a tea house environment if you live in a place where there is no Chinese tea house already. A brick-and-mortar business location is not a requirement for having a tea house; a tea house is anywhere people gather to drink tea together. Acting as the host of a tea gathering doesn't necessarily take any special equipment or training, but there are some best practices we've devised from years of serving tea and cultivating tea community.
First and foremost: be inclusive. Tea is already inclusive (most people can drink tea), so it's great to lean into this vibe when creating a tea house environment. We don't want to make others feel stupid for not already knowing something or being new to the craft, as this is likely true if you're spinning up a Chinese Tea House in a place that didn't already have one. We want people to feel welcome and able to express themselves. This is what makes a tea table lively and engaging and fun.
Be hygienic. We don't want to get people sick by accident! Be sure to wash your hands before serving tea. Use tongs to distribute cups, but don't use tongs on cups that have already touched people's mouths (unless you are going to sanitize them). Make sure not to mix up whose cup is whose.
Socially, be a good moderator/host. This means being generally welcoming and creating/holding an environment where everyone at the tea table feels able to participate to the degree that they want to. Sometimes being a good moderator means redirecting the conversation, like if a particular person is really loud or dominating the conversation, or if two or three people break off into a niche or uncomfortable conversation that becomes disruptive to the overall vibe of the table.
It's often very good to share what we know about tea, but it is poor form to pretend like we know something if we don't. Being open about the limitations of our knowledge is OKAY! These are opportunities to learn.
Often people in the West will express that they don't like tea, but for many of them, they have never experienced Gong Fu Cha or fine Chinese tea. It's been our experience that once people see that this way of drinking tea is a whole THING, then they're more willing to give it a try.
If you're wondering WHERE to serve tea, we recommend looking up where people already gather in your town. Where are the community spaces? A park? A library? Local shops? Maybe try pouring tea in public at these locations. Serving tea at festivals or parties can also be a good way to introduce people to Chinese tea culture.
At West China Tea, we really champion a non-pretentious attitude with regard to tea culture. We really encourage staying away from any sort of gate-keeping attitudes at the tea table, like making people feel foolish or uninitiated for not knowing something or having access to certain teas. Gong Fu Cha is not a practice that has lineages for passing down knowledge in a very formal way. In fact, Gong Fu Cha celebrates people creating their own styles and pouring tea in their own way. This is the way tea farmers and tea masters in China treat tea culture, as a very down-to-earth thing that anyone can enjoy.
Tea is connective. Tea connects us with ourselves, through the practice. Tea connects us to nature, in the way that we are interfacing with a plant. And Tea connects us to each other.
If money is the largest barrier to you getting into tea, if you really love this but don't have the funds to get started: please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] - we may be able to help out in some kind of way (no promises, but we will try!).
Teas featured in this episode:
-Rain Butter Shu Pu'er (小堆子熟普洱, Xiǎo Duì Zi Shú Pǔ'ěr, "Small Pile Ripened Pu'er") - https://westchinatea.com/30g-rain-butter-shu-puer/
-Guan Guan Cha (罐罐茶, Guàn Guàn Chá, "Jar Jar Tea") - https://westchinatea.com/30g-guan-guan-cha/
Music by: B. Glenn Copeland (www.SongCycles.com)
Production Credits:
Produced/Directed by: Echo Duemig
Edited by: Henry Arrambide
Cha Xi ("tea stage" - the tea "set up" for this episode) by: Echo Duemig