When it comes to tea, two cultures often come in our minds: the British and the Chinese. Though they technically drink the same beverage, there are quite a few differences between English tea and Chinese tea. Here are some of the major differences between these two types of tea:
TEA DRINKING CUSTOMS
British tea drinking customs
Afternoon tea This is the one that comes to mind when people think of British tea ceremonies. An English-style afternoon tea is traditionally served between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and typically lasts about one and a half to two hours.
Chinese tea drinking customs
The Chinese popular tea drinking customs is quite different from the British ones. As an art, tea drinking requires a special environment. According to the theory of traditional Chinese tea ceremony, it is unnecessary to have many participants. The theory required one to drink tea in elegant environment, such as by clear springs or in bamboo groves on mountains, in ancient temples and small pavilions, or in one’s own garden while appreciating flowers, snow or fish.
TYPE OF TEAS THEY DRINK DRINKING
English Tea is mostly black tea. English tea appreciates the varied flavoring added. They usually drink their tea with milk and sugar. They are usually imported from India or Ceylon – where the teas are produced. There are many different flavours of black tea, such as Darjeeling, Ceylon, Earl Grey, and a lot more. In the UK, formal tea drinking is usually accompanied by snacks such as cakes and sandwiches. People take their time and enjoy a chat with their friends, often in the lobbies of grand hotels or in tearooms.The English black tea, such as Earl Grey tea, works best with milk and sugar, so the British enjoy drinking their tea this way.TYPE OF TEAS THEY DRINK DRINKING
According to historical records, there are nearly 6000 types of Chinese tea, and can be divided into 6 major categories on the basis of commodity classification. They are Green tea, black tea, white tea, yellow tea, post-fermented tea and Oolong tea. Chinese tea lays more emphasis on its original pure aroma, and matched with traditional Chinese medicine and diet. The Chinese drink their tea without additional ingredients because they have quite a vast array of flavours to choose from, and most of them don’t really taste good with milk. Take jasmine tea or lavender tea for example. They are not likely to mix well with milk.
