Tea... an art?

Because tea, isn't it just hot water into which you drop a teabag? Where can one see an Art?

Yet, sometimes you just have to look a little more closely, in detail.

Details of some leaves, carefully grown at first, and then harvested, processed with passion, experience and respect. Actually very far from teabags or even from those numerous loose leaf teas that are mostly poor ersatz created to sell added aromas (that are more and more often artificial) or so-called diet virtues.

On the contrary, one can also decide to take some distance, away from a continent where tea is just one beverage among others. A hot drink for "grannies", "girls" or that you only drink when you are sick.

If you choose to forget the tea "à la française" or the english five o'clock tea and if you wish to discover tea on a more authentic side, you will catch a glimpse on how tea is so much more for chinese, japanese, korean or taiwanese people.

It is part of their everyday's life of course. But it also is the central element that led to the development of a proper Tea culture, unique and different in each country, region or within each ethnic group. With this culture and a growing number of consumers, craftsmen developed specific tea ustensils.

From crafts to Art, there often is a small step. Around this beverage, craftsmen (ceramists, poters, casters), painters and calligraphers, but also poets and musicians widely expressed their creativity and talent.

It is then possible, if one agrees to open eyes and mind, to discover an Art of Tea that goes far beyond the hot and healthy drink, prepared in a large porcelain teapot, in which sugar and/or milk is added, and served with pastries, scones and napkins.

With Cha Yi, it is this vision of Tea that I will try to share with you. We will discuss of Tea and teas of course but also of those objects, works of art, natural elements that are closely or farther related to Cha Yi, the Art of Tea.

PS : For the english readers, don't hesitate to correct my writing. I know it will be far from perfect so all your corrections are welcome.