Tea Universe

Feeling the brisk 7 A.M. air, I am heading to the kitchen. Last night’s tiredness is still clinging to my shoulders, but the kettle is turned on without so much as a thought. As the water boils, I select today’s tea leaves and tea bowl from the cupboard. My day slowly begins along with the infusion of tea aroma that fills my kitchen.  

When thinking about tea you will very soon realize that ‘taking time’ is everything when it comes to drinking – or rather approaching – tea. During my first foray into tea culture (“da-do” in Korean), I wanted to ‘learn’. Thankfully my tea master (if I may call him that) gently reminded me that if you try to ‘learn’ tea, you’ll end up never actually drinking tea at all. He hopes that people experience tea more casually at first. By simply sipping tea with relaxed conversation, he believes you will inescapably be lured into the vast tea universe. A place where you not only enjoy the physical health benefits of tea, but also the meditative characteristics it brings with it. Etiquettes and rules can follow later, he said.

The essence and beauty of tea drinking is waiting: the boiling of water, warming up the teapot and tea bowl*, enjoying the art of ceramics and finally savoring the taste. This waiting process can make you weary at first but as you repeat it several times, you will feel your inner chi change and sooth everything around you.

*In Asian tea culture, we mostly use a bowl that you can grab it with your both hands to feel the warmth of it. It is called chawan.

Unlike coffee, tea is often tied to words such as ‘calm’ ‘relaxing’ and ‘soothing.’ This actually has grounding in the eastern concept of Yin(-) and Yang(+): tea and coffee both have caffeine but are very different.

Coffee is grown in a hot climate and artificially processed to strengthen its aroma. That is why after too many cups of coffee you get excited (Yang+), making difficult to fall asleep. On the other hand, tea is most valued when harvested on the coldest days. It cools (Yin-) your energy down and helps you calm. The ingredient itself literally cools you down.

Apart from this unfamiliar concept, it is an undeniable fact that having a short tea break provides a much needed pause in our hectic days. As tea masters have long said, when tea breaks become a daily part of your life, you might discover a side of yourself you never knew, a different universe of pre-mundane surroundings within the magic of tea.

So I suggest, why not start your day with a warm, delicious bowl of tea today.

 

Places to enjoy tea culture in Korea
DAM DA
drink tea, sell tea ceramics & tea leaves 
24, Seolleung-ro 100-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

HO JOONG DUH
drink tea, buy tea ceramics, tea leaves, occasional tea workshops
100-1, Yonggang-gil, Hwagae-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do

JIYUGAOKA
mini-workshops, sell various tea leaves and tools
various locations

Places to find beautiful tea ceramics
Artist Lee Young Jae
Korean ceramic artist based in Frankfurt, Germany 

YIDO
 sell tea ceramics, ceramic making class
191 Changdeokgung-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul