GOOD MANNERS FOR A TEA GATHERING
First, it is important to explain what we mean by tea ceremony. As the non-Asian readers I assume most of you reading this are, the concept probably evokes images from the Japanese tea ceremony, or a formal Chinese tea gathering.
In the case of Japanese tea ceremony, the term actually comes from an unfortunate mistranslation. In Japanese, the practice is called “the way of tea” (茶道, Chadō) or “the hot water for tea” (茶の湯, Cha no Yu). This approach to tea (usually matcha, but it also exists for sencha/gyokuro) is seen as a lifelong practice that teaches how to make a good bowl of tea and how to receive it in the most harmonious way. In China, though way less codified than in Japan, brewing good tea is also considered a practice that is referred to as Gong Fu Cha: refining one’s tea making skill over time.
At AN SHIM TEA, we chose to use the term ‘tea ceremony’ because it differentiates what we are doing from a simple cup of tea served in a café. It conveys the idea that it is a special moment that invites beauty, reflection and mindfulness.
As drinking tea is a practice and you will figure out what it means to you as you do it, here are a few helpful, concrete pieces of advice to navigate the beginning of your real-tea drinking journey.
In the case of Japanese tea ceremony, the term actually comes from an unfortunate mistranslation. In Japanese, the practice is called “the way of tea” (茶道, Chadō) or “the hot water for tea” (茶の湯, Cha no Yu). This approach to tea (usually matcha, but it also exists for sencha/gyokuro) is seen as a lifelong practice that teaches how to make a good bowl of tea and how to receive it in the most harmonious way. In China, though way less codified than in Japan, brewing good tea is also considered a practice that is referred to as Gong Fu Cha: refining one’s tea making skill over time.
At AN SHIM TEA, we chose to use the term ‘tea ceremony’ because it differentiates what we are doing from a simple cup of tea served in a café. It conveys the idea that it is a special moment that invites beauty, reflection and mindfulness.
As drinking tea is a practice and you will figure out what it means to you as you do it, here are a few helpful, concrete pieces of advice to navigate the beginning of your real-tea drinking journey.
What to wear at a tea gathering?
Dress appropriately for the weather and the activities. Something that you’re comfortable in, but given the aesthetic nature of a tea time, we would like to recommend wearing clothing made from natural material (cotton, linen, hemp, silk, wool) and natural colors. In general, clothes that are a little loose and not too revealing are more comfortable, especially if you’ll take your shoes off or sit on the floor.
Be clean, but avoid wearing strong smells. Maybe one of the most inappropriate things to do at a tea gathering is to wear perfume, as it can completely overpower the delicate notes of tea and impose too much presence on the other guests. It would also be preferable not to wear lipstick as it can stain ceramics, and avoid wearing thick rings as they can also threaten glazed items or crack fine porcelain.
Dress appropriately for the weather and the activities. Something that you’re comfortable in, but given the aesthetic nature of a tea time, we would like to recommend wearing clothing made from natural material (cotton, linen, hemp, silk, wool) and natural colors. In general, clothes that are a little loose and not too revealing are more comfortable, especially if you’ll take your shoes off or sit on the floor.
Be clean, but avoid wearing strong smells. Maybe one of the most inappropriate things to do at a tea gathering is to wear perfume, as it can completely overpower the delicate notes of tea and impose too much presence on the other guests. It would also be preferable not to wear lipstick as it can stain ceramics, and avoid wearing thick rings as they can also threaten glazed items or crack fine porcelain.
How to prepare for a tea gathering?
Don’t come on an empty stomach. There might be some tea snacks, but also there might not be! Tea can sometimes be a little harsh on the stomach, so having food an hour before a tea session will allow you to have the most enjoyable experience.
Connect with yourself. The state you come in will influence your experience and the tea gathering. There is no reason to be scared or intimidated! A tea time is not an exam, the point is to relax, breathe and enjoy time together. You don’t need to pretend to be anyone, just be yourself and bring a respectful awareness.
Be on time: the host has made the effort to plan the event and have everything ready for your arrival. If there are other guests, it would be a little insensitive to make everyone wait for you. And if they start without you, your late arrival would interrupt the already started event. You would also be missing out on the optimal experience flow.
Don’t come on an empty stomach. There might be some tea snacks, but also there might not be! Tea can sometimes be a little harsh on the stomach, so having food an hour before a tea session will allow you to have the most enjoyable experience.
Connect with yourself. The state you come in will influence your experience and the tea gathering. There is no reason to be scared or intimidated! A tea time is not an exam, the point is to relax, breathe and enjoy time together. You don’t need to pretend to be anyone, just be yourself and bring a respectful awareness.
Be on time: the host has made the effort to plan the event and have everything ready for your arrival. If there are other guests, it would be a little insensitive to make everyone wait for you. And if they start without you, your late arrival would interrupt the already started event. You would also be missing out on the optimal experience flow.
How to be a good guest during a tea ceremony?
The main goal of a tea ceremony or gathering is to have a beautiful time, share, learn, and drink good tea together. Observe, use your 5 senses, enjoy! An experienced tea host will lead the session by giving clear instructions and guidance, so that everyone is comfortable.
To appreciate the appearance and aroma of the leaves, some utensils or the teapot might be passed around the participants. In the Eastern style of tea serving, it is considered polite to handle objects with both hands, which also minimizes the risk of dropping items. Indeed, it is important to be mindful when handling tea objects, as some of them can be fragile, rare antiques, pieces of art, or hold significant emotional value. Ceramics or wood absorb smells, so we recommend having clean hands before handling such objects, and avoid wearing hand creams.
Some people wonder how fast/how much tea they should be drinking. This is entirely up to you, even if the host keeps brewing and other people drink faster than you, you can take your time to finish your cup and notice how it makes you feel. Some teas can be quite powerful and it is fine to savor them slowly, or pause your tea-drinking and have some hot water instead.
Each tea gathering is different and its unfolding depends on the season, the time of day, the teas and the people who participate. Sometimes there will be deep conversations, sometimes there will be a lot of light laughter, sometimes there will be silence. Be mindful of the general mood and of how much each person gets to speak.
The main goal of a tea ceremony or gathering is to have a beautiful time, share, learn, and drink good tea together. Observe, use your 5 senses, enjoy! An experienced tea host will lead the session by giving clear instructions and guidance, so that everyone is comfortable.
To appreciate the appearance and aroma of the leaves, some utensils or the teapot might be passed around the participants. In the Eastern style of tea serving, it is considered polite to handle objects with both hands, which also minimizes the risk of dropping items. Indeed, it is important to be mindful when handling tea objects, as some of them can be fragile, rare antiques, pieces of art, or hold significant emotional value. Ceramics or wood absorb smells, so we recommend having clean hands before handling such objects, and avoid wearing hand creams.
Some people wonder how fast/how much tea they should be drinking. This is entirely up to you, even if the host keeps brewing and other people drink faster than you, you can take your time to finish your cup and notice how it makes you feel. Some teas can be quite powerful and it is fine to savor them slowly, or pause your tea-drinking and have some hot water instead.
Each tea gathering is different and its unfolding depends on the season, the time of day, the teas and the people who participate. Sometimes there will be deep conversations, sometimes there will be a lot of light laughter, sometimes there will be silence. Be mindful of the general mood and of how much each person gets to speak.
We hope that these common sense guidelines will help you enjoy our tea gatherings, and you are always welcome to contact us with any questions you might have.
It is interesting to notice that this guide is not only about being a polite guest during a tea session, but can be applied to a lot of other situations. As always, tea is not just tea, and we think that a true tea practice becomes powerful once it starts overflowing on what happens outside of the tea space.
It is interesting to notice that this guide is not only about being a polite guest during a tea session, but can be applied to a lot of other situations. As always, tea is not just tea, and we think that a true tea practice becomes powerful once it starts overflowing on what happens outside of the tea space.
Juliette Doutreleau
AN SHIM TEA Japan
Andrei Ivanov
Founder of AN SHIM TEA
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