Tea and porcelain are two splendid flowers in the garden of traditional Chinese culture. Chinese people love drinking tea and appreciate porcelain, and exquisite ceramic teaware enhances the aesthetic pleasure of the entire tea-tasting experience. There is a wide variety of Chinese teas and porcelains, and pairing suitable ceramic teaware with different types of tea makes the experience even more delightful.
Green Tea with White Porcelain: Graceful and Elegant
“Life is like tea; the first infusion is as bitter as life, the second as fragrant as love, and the third as light as the breeze.” Green tea is one of the oldest types of tea, characterized by its green color in both the dry leaves and the infused tea. Representative varieties include West Lake Longjing, Dongting Biluochun, and Xinyang Maojian. Tea experts from Blue Sky Tea compare green tea to a charming lady: “Green tea is fresh and elegant, with a delicate and pleasant aroma that matches best with simple white porcelain teaware. Tea enthusiasts can admire the graceful posture of the leaves in the tea soup during the tasting process.”
Black Tea with Celadon Porcelain: A Harmonious Pairing
The meticulous processes involved in making black tea give it a sweet and mellow quality. The alluring green hue of Longquan celadon porcelain enhances the redness and richness of the tea, making them a harmonious pair. “Tea has a spirit. When immersed in water, every pore of the leaf opens up, releasing the essence of the mountain, soil, water, and cultural atmosphere of the place where it grew. Drinking it evokes endless aftertastes and lingering charm,” said Tang Shi Yi, a tea enthusiast who has visited Longquan many times in search of the perfect companion for black tea.
Oolong Tea with Gold-Decorated Porcelain: “Gold-Weaving” for Richer Flavor
Oolong tea leaves a lasting fragrance in the mouth and a refreshing aftertaste. Representative varieties include Tieguanyin, Dahongpao, and Dancong. Because oolong tea is neither bright red nor vivid green, but rather a subdued hue, the teaware should add a touch of brightness. Gold-decorated Guangdong porcelain is the perfect match for local Dancong oolong.
Pu'er with Blue-and-White Porcelain: Serene and Reserved
Some say that men and Pu'er share a similar temperament: they strive for success through perseverance and hard work throughout their lives, seeking peace after achieving success; they wash away their youthful impetuosity and flamboyance, allowing their lives to become calm, restrained, and mature, emitting a faint, slightly bitter, yet rich aroma. The beauty of blue-and-white porcelain adds vitality to the serene character of Pu'er. “Blue-and-white porcelain is formed in one firing, with the design clearly emerging from the glaze. This captures the wondrous subtleties of creation, as the infinite gives rise to the finite,” Mr. Gong Shi of the Qing dynasty truly captured the essence in his words.