Tea for two

E. and I picked out some tea sets for her to use in Seoul. We went to the tea shop Fook Min Tong in the Landmark building in Central. We were served pu-er with rose tea while we made the selection.
"This one is too big, don't you think?"
E. asked, pointing to the standard size tea cup, which is about the size of a small eggcup without a stand. I agreed.

Chinese tea pots are generally small and delicate, no bigger than the size of your palm. The ones we were picking were not the over-elaborate, clumsy, multi-coloured ones you see in Hollywood films, we were choosing the sleek, monotone, modern designs that are elegant and require a light touch to use. The two we eventually selected were both a bronze fired earth colour, one of which was in a design that suggested that in a whimsical moment the teapot might be able to float in thin air. The tea cups we chose were miniature works of art, purchasable for a mere six dollars - they looked like translucent white eggshells, small vessels that could only contain two sips of fluid.

The lady in the tea shop was pouring out hot water from the balancing cup (something that looks somewhat like a sauce boat) into the larger white cup which contained tea leaves. She then poured that liquid into the tea pot, and then transferred the tea from the tea pot into our cups. All of this was done over a terracotta coloured round worktop stand. The tea was strong and thick, coloured brown like Chinese herbal remedies but when poured it reflected a hint of orange against the whiteness of the cup. The rose fragrance was intense and the end taste was slightly bitter.

I can still taste the flavour on my tongue.

Types of Chinese tea