The Food That Made Me

Kids, I’m going to be teaching you about pouring tea.

In my younger life, there were two main places where this occurred:

When I was young, we would go yum cha (飲茶), which literally means to drink tea, at the Koi Palace in Daly City every month or so to eat dim sum (點心). R.I.P. to the Daly City location, which was a cultural icon. But, more on that later. Later, when I was in school, I spent winter and summer breaks in Hong Kong for the most part, so I would be there for 2-4 months throughout the year. (why is being in HK relevant to this paragraph?)

When I was young, my family poured for me. But come to think about it, culture was very different back then, because why should a five-year-old be having caffeine for hours? I couldn’t pour tea because the ceramic teapot is pretty heavy for the wrists of a small child. If the teapot is metal, it is a lighter material, but there is usually a larger amount of water. Honestly, with the tea inside, it is still pretty heavy for me as an adult. I would say it is about five pounds.

Generally, you let the adults order the tea. But, if you are of age, generally you order tea according to the body conditions of the table. Generally the choices are Pu-erh (普洱), Dragon Well (龍井), Tie Guan Ying (鐵觀音), Jasmine (香片), Oolong (烏龍), or Chrysanthemum (菊花). For more elderly folks, you may want to have more warming properties, such as oolong. When it is hot outside, you would want a tea that has more cooling properties, such as Dragon Well, Pu-erh, Jasmine, Tie Guan Yin. Chrysanthemum is one of the few caffeine-free options, but it has a cooling property; it also reduces inflammation. Or, you can drink hot water, which is better for you because iced water cools your internal body temperature too abruptly.

Before you begin pouring tea, you have to wash all of the cups and things. Which is great because generally, you don’t want to drink the first batch of tea so that you can let the tea bloom and release any dirt or dust that it may have.

1. Start by washing the plate setting: chopsticks, bowl, spoon, and cup. The plate doesn’t need to be washed. They will provide a large bowl to hold the dirty water.
2. Grab everyone’s cups, chopsticks, and bowls.
3. Start with the cups because then you can start pouring people tea after. Put a couple of cups in the large bowl at a time, and then pour tea in the cups and around the rims.
4. Turn the cups to the sides and start rotating them a few times. Continue until all the cups are washed. Then, wash the bowls in the same manner.
5. Check for food bits, and if there are any, you can just put those dishes to the side and ask for new ones later.
6. Wash the chopsticks by letting the hot tea clean them.
7. Your hands will get used to the temperature over time. But, in general, the tea shouldn’t be scalding hot because if they actually know how to make it, then the temperature should never be so high. Chemically, the tea changes and releases tannins, which makes it taste more bitter. If it is scalding, wait for it to cool a tad. If they don’t give you a large bowl, then wash everything using your bowl.

Ok, finally, it’s the pouring tea part. Ok, this is the tricky part that takes experience and the reason I wish that I had paid more attention in Physics class. You have to look at the different pots and how full they are. The tea will come out differently depending on how much tea is left in the pot. Sometimes you pour it and it goes all over the table, so make sure the person’s hand isn’t on the cup. Sometimes the pot is so heavy that it makes your wrist shake. Sometimes it is filled so full that the tea goes out of the little hole in the middle of the lid. Try to remember to stay calm, assess the pot situation, and start very slowly.

There are a couple of ways to pour it. You can start with the oldest person and go counterclockwise. Or, you can start with the oldest person. Then, go to the next oldest, and so on. Fill the cup until it is 3/4 of the way full. You only overfill alcohol. There is a saying called 茶滿欺客，酒滿敬人, which means a full cup of tea is an insult to guests, but a full cup of alcohol shows respect. Maybe because a full cup of hot tea may risk a guest spilling it and losing their elegance, also, tea should be sipped and savored, while a guest should drink alcohol boldly and unrestrained. Maybe this is why I enjoy serving tea and ample amounts of alcohol to my guests.

Depending on the size and shape of the table, there may be a lazy Susan. If there are only 6 or fewer people, it should be a smaller table, and you should be able to pour tea for everyone from your seat. If the table has a lazy Susan, generally there should be multiple pots of tea, but you can aim to refill cups for the two places next to you on each side. Also, you have to gauge if the person that you are serving is getting annoyed with you, is not satisfied with your service, or prefers to do it themselves. If they say that they don’t need it a couple of times, then you can stop offering it to them and just offer it to the rest.

To say thank you, it is customary to give a one or two-finger double tap on the table next to the cup. This gesture can be traced to Emperor Qian Long, when out being incognito, he served tea to his companions. So, one of them thanked him by tapping his fingers on the table, which kind of looks like a kowtow.

I am amazing at refilling people’s cups. For many years, my time spent during yum cha was keeping note of how full everyone’s cups were.

The reason I pour tea now is respect and not filial piety. I do it in all situations now, regardless of whether there are elders. While I may have started because of filial piety, I have shifted to respect. I want to make the lives of others easier, and it is my way of caring for them. Hydration is important, but tea also helps cut the oiliness and carbs and improves digestion.

Please note that most of these customs are only at Chinese restaurants.

When the teapot is empty, you can either raise your hand and ask for them to add water. Or, what I do most of the time is that I place it on the side of the table where the service worker can access it. I slide the lid open and expose the teapot so that they are aware that it is empty. Or, if it is a metal pot, then flip it open. Don’t forget to say thank you when they refill the teapot.

Kids, please keep your guests hydrated.