Afternoon tea has already appeared in China as early as the Tang Dynasty. Afternoon tea in modern life is the best way for friends to get together, chat and relax. The most common way to open it is for a group of friends to sit together and watch exquisite pastries. Take a photo and send it to Moments, and then chat in a relaxed and happy manner. If you drink tea in a teahouse in Chongqing, you will definitely have another simple and refreshing feeling.
You think afternoon tea is European and American style
Little did you know that its ancestors were in China
Speaking of the origin of afternoon tea, the first reaction of most people must be "from European and American countries". A little research can make it more clear. The answer is "from the UK". However, today I want to tell you that the concept of afternoon tea has already appeared in China as early as the Tang Dynasty. Are you saying in surprise: "What?" You didn't expect that the European and American style afternoon tea actually comes from China?
As early as the Tang Dynasty, Chinese literati and poets had the habit of holding small tea parties. In the afternoon, they would brew a pot of good tea, invite friends to taste tea together, add some pastries, and recite poems and talk to each other. . This is the earliest prototype of afternoon tea.
Why was the afternoon tea culture that emerged in the Tang Dynasty not carried forward in the future? This has to start with Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang . Zhu Yuanzhang was born in poverty and could only drink the simplest tea leaves. The tea ceremony at that time was complicated and cumbersome, which made Zhu Yuanzhang very disgusted, so he issued an edict to ban the production of tea cakes. The whole country Everyone learned from farmers' tea making methods. Since then, the thousand-year-old tea culture has declined in China, and naturally no one has mentioned the form of afternoon tea anymore.
The high-end afternoon tea
was invented because we didn’t have enough to eat at noon?
Although China has had the prototype of afternoon tea since the Tang Dynasty, it was the British who really promoted afternoon tea, and the reason for its rise is enough to make you roll your eyes: it turned out to be because the British aristocrats did not have enough to eat at noon. , thus becoming popular as "added meals". At that time, the upper class in Britain had hearty breakfasts, light lunches, and social dinners that didn't start until around 8 p.m.
One afternoon in the 117th century, Lady Anna, Duchess of Bedford, felt a little hungry at home. There was still some time before a formal dinner with complicated etiquette, so Lady Anna asked the maid to prepare toast and black tea. Enjoy. After drinking tea, Ms. Anna felt very comfortable. The next day she invited several close friends to enjoy it together. Everyone was full of praise for this invention, so they followed suit one after another. Soon it became an afternoon tea culture that the upper class was flocking to.
In Britain at that time, tea was still a luxury product and not everyone could drink it. It was transported there from the East by businessmen who risked their lives. Therefore, for the nobles, afternoon tea is no longer just a meal, but a symbol of their status and financial resources. It is also an introduction to social interaction and the best way to make friends in the upper class.
The world-famous afternoon tea
turned out to be the result of noble ladies’ gossipy tongues
In the mid-to-late 18th century, tea began to slowly flow into the homes of ordinary people. Afternoon tea, which in the past could only be enjoyed by nobles, gradually became popular among common people and became common people. However, what really made afternoon tea a popular culture and a global phenomenon was actually a group of gossipy ladies.
The ladies of the time would take the opportunity of afternoon tea to excitedly and jealously exchange the tidbits they knew and the latest clothing trends.
This afternoon tea party would not be possible without some exciting "gossip". Ladies will not waste time drinking afternoon tea alone. They must exchange some "parental gossip" messages with their friends to form a tea party.
Do you think this is the most scheming thing? NO! Even the place where these ladies have their afternoon tea is "carefully designed".They must have afternoon tea in some suitable public places, so that everyone passing by can appreciate their graceful appearance, take a sip of tea in an extremely elegant posture, and eat a biscuit smaller than a fingernail. . Could this be the earliest "scheming girl"?
The most orthodox time for afternoon tea is four o'clock in the afternoon. In the Victorian era, if you want to attend an afternoon tea party, men must wear a tuxedo, a high hat and an umbrella; women must wear a dress and a hat. To show respect for the host. In addition, the presentation and order of entry of tea snacks are very particular. They must be served on a three-layer porcelain dessert plate: sandwiches are placed on the first layer, traditional British snack scones are placed on the second layer, and cakes are placed on the third layer. And fruit tarts, starting from bottom to top, from salty to sweet...
Chongqing people are not pretentious when drinking tea
Still old teahouses It tastes the most appetizing
At this time, Chongqing people who have always been upright and not too rigid in their rules I couldn't help but say: "It's so troublesome to drink tea! There are so many rules, my head is getting big! There is no need to divide your time when drinking tea!" That's not the case! This "pretentious" afternoon tea does not seem to suit the appetite of most Chongqing people. What Chongqing people like is to meet up with a few close friends, go into a teahouse, and drink tea while talking about poetry and distant places, no matter what the weather. This is just right!
Chongqing’s old teahouses are full of market atmosphere and Jianghu atmosphere. In the corner of the neighborhood, set up a tiger stove, a shed, a wooden square table and long benches, and it would be a teahouse. And this timeless old teahouse is a good place to go.
Changting Tea Garden
A century-old old teahouse
Changting Tea Garden was founded in the 1920s and is one of the oldest teahouses in Chongqing. It used to be a place frequented by elegant people, and celebrities such as Lao She and Cao Yu also left their footprints here.
Today, the tea garden still retains a lot of cultural atmosphere, and there are many beautiful garden buildings around it.
Address: People's Park, Xinhua Road, Jiefangbei, Yuzhong District
Hanlin Tea Garden
An old teahouse hidden in Ciqikou
Hanlin Tea Garden is hidden in the prosperous Ciqikou Ancient Town, a quiet place amidst the bustle of historical buildings.
Address: Ciqikou Ancient Town, Shapingba District
Bailuyuan Tea House
It combines grandeur and refinement
Bailuyuan has carved beams and painted buildings, and is elegant and elegant. As soon as you step through the wooden gate of the teahouse, you feel like you have stepped into a paradise.
The owner of Bailuyuan believes that "the character of a person is the quality of tea, and the taste of tea is the taste of people." The tea room is filled with the aroma of tea and melodious ancient music. You can taste tea, appreciate art and enlightenment here, and return to the harmony and tranquility of pure nature.
Address: Jinyang Chongqing Image Pedestrian Street, No. 66, Nanping West Road, Nan'an District
Lingshang No. 1 Teahouse
A good place to overlook the Chongqing river view
Lingshang No. 1 Teahouse, the name alone is full of elegance and chic.
This teahouse is located at the highest point of Eling Park Cultural and Creative Park, overlooking the beautiful scenery of Jialing River. The tea house is located along the slope with various teahouses and tea rooms, making it a unique place. There is also a Chinese Studies Center here, which is suitable for cultivating sentiments and cultivating one's moral character.
Address:
Tea Shopkeeper
Unique retro-style building in the Cultural and Creative Park of No. 2 Factory, Eling Zheng Street, Yuzhong District
Tea Shopkeeper is located in the Liujia Wharf commercial district. The store is decorated in an antique style, simple but not dull, refined but not slender. Generous but not flashy.
The tea sommeliers here are of high quality and well trained. Their speech and behavior reflect the professionalism and service that a tea sommelier should have.
Address: Area B, Liujia Pier, Jiangbei District
Chongqing Drinking Covered Bowls Tea Secrets Revealed
Although Chongqing people don’t pay much attention to the time and tea leaves when drinking tea, they are particular about the placement of covered bowls and tea sets. Each type of tea formation contains its own code words.
The tea lid is facing down The tea boat Meaning: Waiter, I want to add water
In this way, the waiter can be asked to refill the water for the guests alone. Generally, it can only be refilled twice. If you want the waiter to refill water for you a third time, you have to wait until the teahouse refills water for all tea guests.
Putting a leaf on the tea lid means: leave temporarily and don't put the lid on the tea bowl.
In old teahouses, you usually pay first and then drink tea. If a guest wants to leave temporarily for something, he can place a small object on the tea lid, such as a match, a stone or even a leaf.
The tea lid is leaning outwards against the tea boat. Meaning: Outsiders, asking for help if they have difficulties.
If a member of the out-of-town gang encounters any difficulties and needs to seek help from someone in the local gang, the tea set will be placed like this. After the waiter sees the code word, he will look for it in the teahouse and introduce the two parties to each other.
Stand the tea lid up and place it next to the tea bowl. Meaning: You didn’t bring enough money, so you have to pay for it on credit.
You forgot to bring tea money when drinking tea. If there are friends present, in order to avoid embarrassment, you can signal the teahouse owner to give the tea money on credit first and wait for another day. repair. The teahouse owner also knows how to avoid revealing anything and save face for his guests.
Put the tea lid upward into the tea bowl. Meaning: After drinking the tea, you can clear the table.
This means to notify the teahouse owner that you have finished your tea and left.
Chinese afternoon tea is best paired with
green tea, black tea, black tea, yellow tea, white tea, and green tea. The world of traditional tea is colorful. If you want to be more particular at home, and pair it with a variety of exquisite snacks, So uncomfortable! The old saying goes, "Sweetness goes with green (green tea), sourness goes with red (black tea), melon seeds go with oolong." It makes sense when you think about it carefully.
West Lake Longjing + Mung Bean Cake
Authentic West Lake Longjing itself has the aroma of beans or chestnuts, especially this West Lake Longjing picked in the Ming Dynasty. It has a flat and tall appearance. After soaking, the buds and leaves become tender green flowers, and the aroma is like tender beans. Fragrant and refreshing, smooth and sweet in the mouth. Some tea drinkers often say that the better the tea, the richer the content of various elements, and the faster you will get hungry after drinking it. At this time, it is necessary to prepare some mung bean cake.
Mung bean cake is an authentic Chinese snack. It is delicious and not expensive. It is popular on the table and meets the public's taste. The original Jiangnan mung bean cake has a smooth and square appearance, is only about the size of a knuckle in length, and has a delicate and compact shape. The color is natural bean yellow, the bean flavor is rich, the taste is dense and delicate, and slightly sweet. The sweetness is just right when paired with green tea.
From a health perspective, some ingredients in green tea are helpful in digesting sugar and fat. Therefore, those who love sweets will not have to worry about being greasy when paired with green tea, and can also stay in shape.
Dianhong +huamei
Large-leaf black tea produced in Fengqing area of Yunnan is characterized by rich floral aroma, caramel aroma, and rich layers. It is smooth in the mouth. Compared with other black teas, it has the advantages of "mellow" and "long-lasting sweetness" of large-leaf black tea, making it more suitable for afternoon tea.
As mentioned above, the large-leaf Dianhong drink has a rich, mellow aroma and high sweetness. It is quite suitable to be paired with sour plums. Erbao Hua Mei is a local brand in Yunnan. The meat is not thick but very chewy. It is very tasty and has just the right level of sweetness and sourness, which can neutralize the rich and mellow taste of Yunnan red.
Dongding Oolong Tea + fragrant melon seeds
The aroma of Dongding Oolong tea is not as strong as ordinary Oolong tea, but fresh and elegant. It has a refreshing and pleasant feeling when smelling it, and it is sweet in the mouth.
It is not advisable to choose nut snacks with too strong flavor to pair with this frozen top oolong. The original flavor will be more suitable. Melon seeds are a common snack in Chinese afternoon tea. The slender and tall melon seeds are generally plump and delicious. Sipping melon seeds, drinking tea, listening to two crosstalks, and chatting about family matters, this is the essence of Chinese afternoon tea.
Source: Harper’s Bazaar WeChat public account, Oriental Net-Oriental Headlines, Chongqing Weekend Qunar WeChat public account, Chongqing Tea Knowledge Network
