Japanese Tea Ceremony
The Japanese Tea Ceremony is primarily a social event that stresses aesthetics and may have a religious element as well. Since the mid 16th century, the steps to the ceremony have not changed. Clean the serving bowls, boil water, serve a sweet treat to guests, and mix powdered green tea, called matcha, with the water and serve to guests.
A Japanese Tea can be informal, a chakai, or formal, a chaji. While both ceremonies have the same purpose, to serve tea and food to guests, the difference lies in the higher quality and greater quantity of the food served and the ritualized movements that are associated with the chaji.
A formal tea, called a chaji, has very structured gathering rituals, a meal served in courses, an intermission in the garden, a formal thick tea ceremony followed by a less solemn thin tea ceremony. The chaji lasts three to five hours and is an intimate gathering of up to 5 guests. A good host will choose guests that will be compatible and enjoy each other’s company in this small group.
The informal tea lasts from 20 minutes to an hour. Guests gather at an appointed time to be served a sweet and some tea or perhaps a small meal with the sweet and tea. The chakai can be served to a single guest or to a number limited only by the host’s resources.
Learning to prepare and participate in a Japanese Tea Ceremony takes practice. Acquiring the basic skills needed for an informal gathering may take only a few weeks. The more complicated formal tea may take years of practice to master. Formal teas are arranged and choreographed to be aesthetically pleasing, from the presentation of the food and drink, the appearance of the serving utensils and even the smallest physical movements of the participants.
By: Nancy McDonough
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Filed under Travel And Leisure by on Aug 26th, 2010. 