The tea culture in my hometown ( Part 1)

From ancient times, tea is a tradition of bold Vietnamese tradition.

Definitely the Vietnamese people, no one does not know tea cups (tea) Thai Nguyen famous, but not everyone is deeply impressed by the tea culture. Join me and Viet Co Tea to learn about this special culture.
I used to be a person who did not pay much attention to what kind of tea, which tea was good. Even if my dad was going to buy that tea, the other one would just go shopping and never ask him why he did not drink the tea. Only after a study of tea and tea culture, I find tea, tea is also a culture, is also an art that not everyone can do.

I am a young person, referring to tea, I just think of the sidewalk iced tea, where people often sit and talk to each other in the afternoon, rarely thinking that one day they "suffer" deep taste. Taste, unique of Tan Cuong teapot charm.
Stone pavement tea is simply a cup of tea diluted and a little ice to drink a sip of refreshing drink then sit with the wind blows with you. What is tea? Tea is to see the color of the tea that you are lifting in your hands. Tea is a must to enjoy the aroma of tea. Tea is to feel the bitter taste, the sweet, the smell of tea spread from the tip of the tongue into the oral cavity.
Tea appreciation can feel the most characteristic of the tea itself. It is toxic humid. However, if you are happy to sit and enjoy the tea, it is a way to enjoy the best tea. Together humidity, humidity ... and talk about things in life is certainly not as interesting.

Tea field in Tan Cuong, Thai Nguyen, ( about 30 km from my home) 
Source photo: http://tuoitre.vn/tin/chinh-tri-xa-hoi/20160909/tan-dai-su-thuy-dien-ngoi-via-he-ha-noi-uong-tra-da/1168974.html

Different from soft drinks, one can drink to quench his thirst, then there will be no more of the kind of water he has drunk. Or even a cup of sugar will give you a sweet feeling when drinking but then will be a sour throat sore. What about tea? After you enjoy a cup of tea, the first feeling you feel is a tongue. But right after that you will feel a sweet smell in the oral cavity. This is like human life. At the age of young to meet many arduous but late life received sweet fruit, is that the law "cause - effect" already exists in the cup of tea?

 Before, I only drink tea is difficult to sleep, so every night when I want to study late, I often ask for a cup of tea to be able to stay awake long. But now thinking back, that's a mistake. Tea is born to enjoy the flavor characteristics, not to take advantage of something. That will lose the true value of tea.
When enjoying tea, we should take a look at the cup of tea and enjoy the aroma of the tea before to feel the golden color and aroma of gentle aroma of Xinjiang Thai Nguyen tea. Then slowly put into the mouth to feel the tongue and sweet taste in the throat. Actually, it's a hard feeling to understand.

Below I will share some insights and teas today.

And when taking office for two weeks, the new Swedish ambassador to Vietnam Pereric Högberg had a day stroll on the streets of Hanoi, visit Ngoc Son Temple and drink sidewalk tea.

( source : http://tuoitre.vn/tin/chinh-tri-xa-hoi/20160909/tan-dai-su-thuy-dien-ngoi-via-he-ha-noi-uong-tra-da/1168974.html) 

Ancient tea
In first, I would like to introduce with your guys about ancient tea or kind of royal tea in Vietnam. As one of the 4 same cultures with China, Korean and Japan, my country is also very famous for it good teas.

At the royal palace, the ancient princes of ancient tea are very sophisticated and elaborate, the tea is brewed from the day before, the tea is drawn from the dew drops on the lotus bud the next day. When the phase is finished, the tea is poured into porcelain cups, with two hands gently reverently "on grace".

In the place of meditation, tea is considered static, so there is a saying: "tea, meditation, unity," meaning tea and Zen is one. The way of drinking tea Zen express clearly the philosophy of learning in four words: Harmony (harmony of nature and people), Glass (respect for the existence of things), Thanh (purity of Material and spiritual), Pure (peace of mind).

In the wilderness, there is not a Vietnamese village that is lacking in the original, with a teapot, a few chairs, a tube of tobacco pipe, tea drinkers can sip peanuts, sesame, bean cake green…

Drinking tea can be toxic humid (drink alone), moisture (two people) or moisture (many people), so the ancient people have the sentence: "Tea tam, wine four. Every spring or Mid-Autumn, the guests dressed together gather together to enjoy tea, watching the moon, poetry. Inviting tea and tea is also a way of looking for intimacy, intercourse.

Accordingly, a proper tea ceremony must meet the criteria: the most water (tea must make delicious tea), second tea (essence tea), Tamo, quart (instruments and methods of making tea must be standard) , Five pants (Tri with tea together).

The preeminent connoisseurs in the art of tea said that: Tea has many water, water first girl, pure, sweet. Second water is water, deep, deep, that is really the essence essence in a teapot. After the bitterness is sweet aftertaste forever.

Therefore, tea helps nourish the soul of purity and is endless source of inspiration for poets. The folk still handed down the great poetry of the ancients : Tea: "When the incense early, at noon tea. Floating table, silk line "(Nguyen Du), or" Letter requesting new fire tea. Have fun watching through the afternoon "(Cao Ba Quat).

Tea nowadays

Second kind of tea, which is very popular nowadays, the tea which younger generations like me would like to drink to New Tea or Tea Now.

Vietnam has a lot of tea grounds. Traditional tea (post-season) is a kind of tea without flavor, many connoisseurs feel that new feel the pristine flavor. The scented tea is marinated with many different ingredients such as lotus tea, jasmine tea, tea ..., often used to welcome guests.

For example, If I invite you to my house, I will make lotus tea or jasmine tea for you. It is not compulsory which one would be used for guests but somehw it will show my hospitality. 

Northerners like to hang around the teapot, the South enjoy ice tea cool to wear tired. Depending on taste and region, each person chooses for himself a different way of enjoying tea.

Today, Vietnamese tea connoisseurs are not only drinking tea at home but also looking to tea houses and vegetarian restaurants to enjoy the essence of tea. It is possible to mention Thien Phat vegetarian restaurant - the meeting point of many people who love vegetarian food and tea meditation, because of the static space and the melodious music that makes the soul more pure, throw away the bucket to settle
.Enjoy the cup of tea, royal tea, pure tea, blending great with vegetarian delicate and nutritious food.


Tea Essence

Vietnamese tea from ancient to luxurious, rustic, and whether at the time the criteria for tea is still the essence, high quality, good tea must have a sweet taste. However, the favorite and popular in the daily life of the Vietnamese people are the following tea types: 

The first is green tea, fresh leaves just picking down, washed, lightly lit into the warm, boiling water for about 30 minutes can be used. Want to give green and fragrant water when the tea is light, only make tea leaves crushed, not crushed and when the tea must be cooked in warmth covered with towels or straw. Green tea, also known as green tea, has long been popular throughout Vietnam. Where ever green tea is present, the drink that anyone can use, just to quench the thirst, heat, anti-cancer very well.

Chè is dry tea, also a type of green tea, the other is dry tea made from the buds picked up on high tea hills, then sun drying or drying for new use. On cold winter days, hot tea is an indispensable friend in Northern families. Many people dry the tea, drink throughout the year ... and especially when the spring comes home, almost every home has a dry kettle invite the guests with a plate of ginger jam or pumpkin seeds.

There are three main types of tea in Vietnam , each has it own uniquess and advantages which targets specific customers, however as the one, I have been raised in the Thai Nguyen province, the most famous place for planting tea in Vietnam.
I have experienced all three main teas.

For me, it is very hard to say which one is better than the others, the only thing I know is that, in order to make the best of the tea you have, you will have to learn how to make tea drink. ( boiling water and tea culture)

The 3 most important elements in tea making
The secret to making good tea lies in three factors: water temperature, tea quantity and braking time.

http://travietgap.com/tra-bac-tra-thai-nguyen-bot-tra-xanh-binh-duong.html

Tea culture in my home town as well as Vietnam is kind of art.

The 3 most important elements in tea making
The secret to making good tea lies in three factors: water temperature, tea quantity and braking time.

Water temperature
Of course, the tea must be hot, but how hot each type of tea is suitable for a different temperature. The boiling water is only suitable for black tea or oolong tea, it needs high temperature to break the texture and spread the taste. But cold water must be used for delicate teas, such as green tea and oolong tea. Overheated water will cause the tea to "burn", making the tea bitter and lose the subtle flavors, but too cold water will make the tea taste very weak because the compounds in tea are not dissolved .

From my personal experience, if you buy an international tea product from Vietnam, you can look at the cover to check the suitable temperature for water , when mixing up with tea.
It is highly recommended the same as cooking pasta in Italy.

Amount of tea

For me, it is the most difficult part, it is understandable that you can not carry a weightier for calculate how many grams of tea in your hands everyplace. It will cause annoying in Vietnam, the only way is to use your brain.
Too much tea will make the tea too bitter (and expensive ^ __ ^), but too little tea will taste very weak not enough to enjoy. Depending on the type of tea will be different amounts. The ratio that you can start trying is 8g tea for a 300ml kettle, then you can reduce the amount of tea to suit your taste.

Braking time
Best in the tea is "soaked" tea, but this mistake most people get, it will make tea too bitter and have the smell. Like water temperature, each tea will match a certain amount of time. Black tea, oolong tea can be soaked longer but green tea is much faster. In general, tea time is measured in seconds, not minutes.

Tea making steps
This is how 7-step tea is recommended by Vietnamese tea, you need: tea, warm cup and tea to start.

Water Boil: Again make sure your water is filtered bottled water, not mineral water or tap water. Most teas boil tea under boiling point, between 75 ° C - 98 ° C depending on type.
Warm up the cup: When the kettle is near the boiling point, you pour water into the kettle, cover the lid. When the teapot warms up, you pour out the tea and the glasses.
Heat tea: Tea for tea, tea amount depends more depending on the type, usually 1/5 to 1/2 teapot.
Wake up tea: pour hot water overflowing with tea and pour away as quickly as possible.
This is not water to drink, it has the effect of "awakening" to the tea leaves begin to hatch.
Hot water wake up tea is not boiling water.
Tea break: Pour hot water in warm water, cover and warm tea for about 10-40 seconds depending on the type of tea. This is the most important step, make sure the water temperature and braking time match the type of tea.
Pour tea: after 10-40 seconds, poured all the water from the teapot into specialists, from specialists poured tea cups. Specializing in tea is very important, help you stop the process of silencing tea in the warm by pouring quickly and pouring out warm water in specialized.
Make sure the water in the kettle is poured out, leaving no excess water in the kettle.
Open the lid after pouring tea to specialize, so that tea does not "mold" because of the high temperature in the kettle.
Break the next time: Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the next phase. Rear brakes usually last longer than in the previous phase.
If the first tea is too light or too dark, adjust the time at the next brake.
Delicious and well-tasted, you can repeat 5-8 times, before the taste becomes too pale.

I personally have learnt by heart all of these rules whenever I make tea.
In my opinion, it is very important to learn how to make good tea in Vietnam, as soon as, making tea is not just making tea, but for vietnamese people, making tea is making heart, it is an art, not just activities.

The steps to remember how to make good teas might be boring but when I have done it one, two or three times, you will remember it very quickly 

( To be continued)