Chinese Tea
China is famous for its history, architecture and art as well as for its tea traditions and cuisine. There are two things you should not forget to do when you travel China: enjoy Tea Ceremony and taste Chinese cuisine. China's art of cookery reflects its long history and traditions as well as rare contacts with other cultures. Today it's one of the most popular cuisines in the world due to its profit and originality.
Tea Ceremony
1) Kung-fu Tea. Tea pot is warmed up inside and outside. It helps to bring out the best quality of the tea and specially for this Wuyi tea and Yixing pot are used. Besides the tea is made of spring water.
2) Chaniang Tea. One big pot is used to fill with tea several small cups. This method was popular among ordinary people.
Chinese Green Tea, Oolong Tea and Black Tea are the most popular kinds of tea in China. No other nation knows so much about tea, that's why it would be useful for you to know how to distinguish the best tea from à wide variety of different teas. Five distinguishing factors of the tea quality:
1) shape of the leaf;
2) aroma;
3) colour;
4) taste;
5) appearance of the infused leaves.
Among these five factors aroma and the appearance of the infused leaves are the most important.
In case you decided to buy tea remember that Chinese, who knows everything about tee, never drink poor quality tea (dust and fannings). Do buy only small leaf, broken leaf or large leaf tea, if you want to enjoy real taste of quality tea no matter whether you are in Beijing or in Shanghai.
Chinese cuisine
There are three basic factors, which distinguish Chinese cuisine from many others:
1) colour (arrangement and design of dish);
2) aroma (slight smell of raw materials and the blend of spicery peculiar to Chinese cuisine);
3) taste (spicery, the structure of ingredients and the perfect slicing methods.
There is no doubt that while you travel China you will ask yourself such question as "where to eat?" It's hard to distinguish several places, because of the numerous restaurants in each Chinese city with its unique dishes and delicacies. Wherever you will decide to go to eat remember to make certain of the cleanness of the restaurant and freshness of the food. Besides, we advise you to use your own chopsticks, if you are going to eat in wayside cafe.
Here are some rules you should stick to at the table in case you were invited to a dinner:
1) lay your chopsticks near your bowl and do not ever stick them in the rice, because Chinese do like this when someone does;
2) do not ever rap with your chopsticks;
3) do not ever try to turn a fish over yourself, because a waiter or the host will part the meat from the skeleton.
4) do remember that the spout of the teapot always should face towards the free space, otherwise it will be judged as your ignorance. |