128 CultureShock! Chinaa gentle rocking motion until it
has enough momentum built to
shoot out the spout and create
a hissing hot stream into your
tea cup.
After the waiter or waitress
has pouted the first round of tea,
the teapot is placed upon the table. It is customary to pay
close attention to the cups of those sitting nearby and to pour
fresh tea for them as their cups empty.
When the teapot runs out of hot water, signal to the waiter
or waitress to add water by placing the lid of the pot upside
down and at a slight angle on top of the pot of tea. The waiting
staff knows this is a signal to refill the pot. They will typically
just add hot water to the pot, using the old leaves. Whether in
your teacup or in a pot on the table, one batch of tea leaves
is usually good for up to three rounds of tea.Drinking Tea
Tea in China is typically served loose leaf, which means that
as it is poured, you will have floating tea leaves in your cup.
The trick in drinking tea with loose leaves is to wait until
the leaves have settled into the bottom of your cup before
trying to drink it. Gently blowing on the leaves at the top of
the cup to move them away from where you are sipping is
an acceptable strategy. Inevitably, you will end up consuming
a few leaves and stems. If so, either swallow happily (many
great dishes are made with tea leaves) or if you have little
sticks of stems in your mouth, discreetly transfer them to
your hand or a napkin as you would the shell of a nut.Water
Do not drink unboiled tap water. Although many local people
happily drink it, tap water in China is still a health risk.
Water for tea has been boiled, and once water hits its boiling
point, 99 per cent of the germs that can hurt you would have
been eliminated.
Typically, if Chinese order plain water, it is hot. It is a
preference but there is also hygienic logic behind this. If youThe signal of thanks when
someone pours you a cup of tea
is to tap the table lightly twice with
your first two fingers. For most,
this is an unconscious act—there
is no need to pause conversation
or draw attention to this subtle
form of thanks.