Tea making

We were treated to an exquisite demonstration by a delicate and charming young woman whose graceful hands were a joy  as well as her smile and impeccable English.

Chinese tea making

Red, white, green, black, yellow and Yunnan teas.
Depending on how tiny the shoot, and the degree of fermentation, so the different grades of tea. . . then fruit flavours can also be added, like the local osmanthus flower or ginseng . . Thus many many teas can be produced from only one bush.
800 grams can be picked by one person in a day. It takes 5kg to get 1 kg of tea??
The different teas are drunk with different temperatures and from different pots to bring out the best flavour. What may be thought of as an ostentatious gesture. . . . the ‘swoop and pour from a great height’ moment its actually a carefully thought out device to stir up and release the flavour from the leaves.
So there. . .
In one variety, I forget which now, the leaves are in a porous pot; water is poured over the outside. When the pot is dry, the tea is ready to serve.
Holding the cup is precise, with the little finger exuberantly crooked but the positioning of first and third different for men and women.
A tap onto the table indicates when you have had enough.
One finger if you are single, 2 if married and 3 if MBA. .  !
My first favourite its the delicious oolong. I succumbed and bought a tiny tea pot. . .