Traditions
Where do we start with Chinese tea traditions? Since China is where tea got its big break, the reverence for tea and its incorporation into daily life are ubiquitous among the Chinese. If every one of their fortune cookies said, “Tomorrow you will have tea” they would almost certainly be right 100% of the time.
Totally woven into the fabric of life, tea was regarded in ancient China as one of the seven most important elements in Chinese life (the others being firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, which is like modern Americans saying tea is like gas, electricity, internet, cell service, pizza, Netflix, and Amazon).
While we have delved into tea traditions in Japan and Britain, the Chinese have ceremonies and meanings all their own. While there are similarities, China holds a very special place in the world of tea.
You Can Show Respect
Chinese heritage and tradition are steeped in respect. From the household to the board room, even today there are protocols that are not to be broken, and one of those is offering tea to your elders or superiors.
Traditionally, younger generations of Chinese show respect to an older generation by offering or taking them out for tea. The same is true in the workplace, where again traditionally employees would offer tea to their superiors, not vice versa. In today’s more liberal Chinese society, these long-held practices are not as strictly observed, except in formal occasions where they are scrupulously adhered to.
You Can Apologize
In China, you can seriously offer up a cup of sorry. If you have offended or wronged someone, criticized their ancestors or said they have big dumplings and you cannot lie, you can make amends by pouring them a cup of tea. When done sincerely, this is taken as an act of regret and humble apology. We really don’t think coffee can do that.