Chinese tea together with its inseparable Chinese tea sets has been around for more than two centuries. China, being known as the homeland of tea, exports more than 90% of tea across the globe. Between tea, cocoa, and coffee -- tea is consumed by most number of people in the world.

People from different countries name their teas in different ways. In Russia, tea is called "cha'i", it is pronounced as "chaye" in their local tongue. China and the Philippines have more or less the same local name for tea. In China, it's called "cha" and "tsa-a" in the Philippines. They may not have the same spelling, but they do sound the same when spoken out loud.

It was only after the 17th and 18th century that Americans and Europeans were able to appreciate tea. Japan started its passion for tea after the 6th century. People around the world started enjoying their teas sometime in their lives, but there is no question that the passion for tea started in China, specifically a small town called Yixing.

Chinese teas are classified into several categories, but most of them are clustered according to how they are processed.

1. Green tea: The only variety of tea that can keep its natural color even after brewing is the green tea. Green teas that yield the perfect tea leaves are the following: Longjing tea of Zhejiang, Maofeng from the mountains of Anhui, and Biluochun of the Jiangsu province.

2. Black tea: Teas that are fermented before they are baked are classified as black teas. These teas are also known as "red teas" by tea lovers. The best tea leaves for black teas are: Suhong of Jiangsu, Qihong of Anhui, and Dianhong of Yunnan.

3. Wulong tea: Wulong tea is a combination of green tea and black tea. It is popular in the south-eastern coast of China, this includes Taiwan, Fujian, and Guandong.

4. Compressed tea: Compressed tea or "brick tea" is a variety of black tea that is compressed into a certain shaped to be stored and transported commercially to a large number of consumers. Brick teas are made in Hunan, Hubei, Yunnan, and Sichuan provinces.

5. Scented tea: This type of tea mixes fragrant flowers with tea leaves to create an aroma that is unique to teas. The most commonly used flowers are magnolia and jasmine.

When serving teas at afternoon tea gatherings and formal tea parties, it is proper that tea sets be used with tea. Tea sets are made of high quality porcelain, bone china, or silver, they are to be attractive as much as they are durable.

China is believed to be the cradle of tea. Historically, Chinese tea sets such as the Yixing clay pots are used to brew tea and serve it to the guess as soon as it is in the right temperature. The Yixing tea set is named after a Chinese town of Jiagsu province where tea was first brewed.

In assessing a quality of a pot, there are a number of things that a tea enthusiast should consider. Tapping the body of a pot with another pot is a simple test to determine its quality. If the light tap creates a metal like sound, then the pot is of good quality.

Another way of assessing the quality of a tea pot is to fill it with water until the water touches its rim. To see if the pot is made of high quality material, smooth flowing water should be seen when pouring the pot. Do not forget to close the lead before pouring the water since pressure inside the pot is needed to properly assess it.

When brewing from a Yixing pot, a coat like material may appear, this coat is significant since this retains the natural flavour of the tea as it is used over time. Washing it with soap will erase the coating, therefore, it is better to wash it with warm water and air-dry it. Yixing is very popular among tea aficionados because of this unique ability.

It is undeniable that tea has become a part of life for most people. Teas can be brought in a variety of mixes and flavours. Most teas taste best when they are served in their appropriate tea sets. Chinese tea sets, specifically the Yixing clay pots, are best with Chinese teas since they do not only preserve the flavour of tea, but the tradition of Chinese tea as well.

Author S. Cheng is a home and lifestyle magazine editor situated in Beijing, China. She has a fascination for Chinese Tea Sets and many other oriental style of living. Check out her site about the Chinese Tea Sets here.

Posted under Tea

Tea and China tea sets have been around in China for over 5,000 years. And ancient Chinese tea customs are still often followed.

One of the customs is finger tapping, which amazes many who are new to the world of Chinese tea. It is a gesture that shows your respect to your host.

As the Chinese tea customs go, when tea is served, the guests should thank their host for the tea. However, many find it interesting that rather than say it, the Chinese simply tap the table with three of their fingers (the middle, index, and ring fingers). Each time you get your cup refilled, you repeat the gesture.

You may think this comes from some strange, mystical superstition. But really, this custom comes from a very real incident during the Qing dynasty.

The Qing emperor loved to travel throughout China in disguise and secretly observed the life of his subjects. Wherever the emperor went, he would never miss his favorite place: the local tea house.

Then on one occasion, the emperor cam across a tea house in a very small village where the waiters could bend their bodies in almost inhuman ways to serve tea around the table. The emperor wanted to tries this pay of pouring tea.

Normally everyone would have to bow down to the emperor at first sight, and of course if the emperor ever served you tea you had to hank him in some way! But there was no way for them to bow down, because doing so would completely blow the emperor's cover.

Then one of the ministers thought of a way to thank the emperor: he tapped his fingers on the table, thereby symbolizing the bow he would have usually performed.

Thus, the finger tapping gesture was born! The tale spread fast. Before long, the gesture became popular in tea drinking, as both commoners and officials alike all tried to copy their emperor.

Now you know what to do the next time you're enjoying a great cup of tea. Some Chinese hosts will roll out their best china tea sets for overseas guests, so be sure to show your appreciation by tapping those fingers!

Author D. Cheng has studied Chinese history and handicrafts such as china tea sets for ages. Once in a while, he endorses skilled Chinese craftsmen. Check out some excellent China tea sets.

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Many people don't know it, but Beijing's Lao She Tea House just may be the best place in the world to admire some truly great china tea sets and drink some amazing Chinese tea.

Celebrities, politicians, and royalty have all been to this place, and they rave about the service.

From pure china tea sets to amazing performances, there's plenty to see here!

The building itself is a Qing dynasty-style loft structure, so the establishment really brings you back in time at your first sight! The waiters are all dressed in ancient outfits, and greet you in an interesting tone that immediately invokes the feel of old Beijing tea houses.

Despite being called a tea house, Lao She is more like an entertainment venue, where some of China's finest traditional performing arts are staged every night. On its third floor, you can enjoy acrobatics, Kung Fu shows, Peking opera, ventriloquism, cross-talk, and the famous face-changing dance while taking a sip of your favorite tea.

One of the most welcomed performances is the face-changing dance that originated in Sichuan province. A dancer will change his mask by waving his arms and swaying his head, and complete it in less than a second. The top performers can change their masks up to 30 times with the flick of a wrist. Due to difficulty of changing masks faster than the eyes blink, only a small number of artists can perform this old dance today.

But that's not you'll get at the Lao She tea house.The waiters here perform a kind of acrobatics when they pour your tea. But before even beginning, the China tea sets they use are quite usual and have a long, thin spouts with a length of over 5 feet! To serve your tea, the waiter spins the pot around his body, and then pours tea into each and every cup, never spilling a drop. It takes years of study to serve tea in this way, and you'll never see anything like it anywhere else in the world.

And don't worry, there;s no shortage of snacks to go with your meal. Many China tea sets have little saucers to put the snacks on, which makes it very convenient. Many of the snacks at this tea house have interesting names, like "rolling donkey", and their taste is special to boot.

By western standards, enjoying Chinese tea at the Lao She Tea House is quite affordable. Less than $100 will get you some snacks, a performance, and of course a lot of great Chinese tea from the amazing china tea set.

The Lao She Tea House's location in central Beijing is very convenient, so stop buy, check out their authentic China tea sets, and enjoy some Chinese tea!

Author D. Cheng has studied Chinese history and handicrafts such as porcelain china tea sets for years. Once in a while, he endorses skilled Chinese craftsmen. Check out some excellent Chinese tea sets.

Posted under Tea