After allowing the Tea connoisseurs to appreciate the appearance of the tea, the tea brewer stands up and places the tea leaves into the pot, pours hot water over them from a kettle, covers the pot, and starts a timer. The tea brewer stops all other movements, placing their heart into the pot as they stand, accompanying the tea while it steeps in the hot water. Seeing this action from the tea brewer, the other tea connoisseurs also focus intently on the Teapot. Thirty seconds pass, and the tea brewer remains standing still; another thirty seconds pass, and the tea brewer is still motionless. After a while, the tea brewer glances at the timer, then lifts the teapot to pour the tea into a pitcher. The other connoisseurs think about their questions: Why does it need to steep for so long? What will the tea Infusion look like? The tea brewer is very focused on brewing the tea—.
Why does the tea brewer stand while brewing the tea? Perhaps the chair isn't high enough, or perhaps he believes that standing emphasizes his role in accompanying the tea while it steeps in the pot.
The tea leaves are plucked from the tea tree and further processed by the tea maker. Now, the tea brewer places them in the pot to steep in hot water. What kind of life cycle is the tea undergoing now? On the tea tree, we call it fresh leaves; after going through the tea manufacturing process, it becomes dried tea or tea powder, which we refer to as tea. When the tea brewer immerses it in water for drinking, we call it tea infusion. “Fresh leaves” require years of growth and resources, “tea” relies on human effort and natural conditions to be created, and “tea infusion” comes into being when it's soaked in water in a pot or bowl or beaten with external force (as in Matcha). Although the birth of the tea infusion may simply be described as soaking or beating, it requires a fusion of water quality, temperature, vessel material, tea-to-water ratio, steeping time, striking force, and tea ceremony cultivation to achieve. The steeping of the tea leaves in the pot is akin to a baby developing in its mother's womb. How can the tea brewer and the tea drinker not hold their breath in anticipation?
If the tea brewer and the tea drinkers are not sufficiently attentive, they might only glance at the tea during appreciation, and when the tea brewer turns off or on the heat source, no one realizes that they're adjusting the optimal temperature. Pressing the timer after pouring water is merely seen as setting a time. During the steeping period, if the tea brewer begins pouring the warm water used to preheat the cups into individual cups to warm them, or picks up a cloth to wipe water droplets from the table, the connoisseurs will likely consider this an idle moment while the tea steeps. They may start chatting, playing with their phones, or taking photos, and even the tea brewer may engage in lively discussions about tea and gossip. When the required steeping time has elapsed, the tea brewer pours the tea infusion into the pitcher, discards the water used to warm the cups, and distributes the tea into the cups. The connoisseurs continue chatting and playing with their phones, waiting for the tea brewer to bring the tea to them.
This scene is not what those who take tea brewing and drinking seriously would like to see, because under such circumstances, it's unlikely they'll enjoy good tea, let alone the beauty of the tea ceremony as an art form. Some might say that regardless of how noisy everyone is or whether they appreciate my tea brewing, I can still brew good tea and serve it to them. They'll Drink my tea after they finish chatting, and I don't care whether I'm brewing tea as a servant or creating a work of art in the tea ceremony—. Setting aside the aesthetics of the overall performance, without sufficient concentration on brewing the tea and being busy with other tasks, waiting only for the time to elapse before pouring out the tea, it's impossible to present the tea infusion as a finely crafted piece. Saying that the tea has been brewed well is just a rough distinction between good and bad.
The time during which the tea brewer and the connoisseurs remain silent, accompanying the tea while it steeps in the pot, should not exceed two minutes (approximately four infusions). During this time, only minor actions, such as turning off or on the heat source, are allowed. If it exceeds two minutes, some preparation actions, such as readying the cups, can be done, along with explanations for why the tea needs to steep for so long or discussing the steeping time curve for each infusion of this pot of tea. However, these should not develop into lengthy lectures or idle chatter.
Remaining silent while accompanying the tea as it steeps in the pot and avoiding idle conversation during tea brewing and tasting are not dogmas, but rather necessities for brewing good tea and enjoying it. They are essential for integrating tea brewing, serving, and tasting into a single work of tea ceremony art. Accompanying the tea while it steeps in the pot not only increases the concentration on brewing the tea but also elevates the recognition of the tea as a work of art to be appreciated. (Author: Cai Rongzhang, Director of the Tea Culture Research Center at Zhangzhou Science and Technology College.)
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