The Art and Artisans of Tea

From tea programs to restaurant tasting menus and food pairings, high-quality tea is becoming increasingly of interest in culinary circles because of its historical connection to the world of art and aestheticism.

Throughout its long history, tea has been more than a commodity. Its main purpose was to be enjoyed as an art form. There are ongoing studies of the terroir of tea (the environmental conditions that lend teas their unique flavors), production, and ways tea is served, but to better understand today’s tea culture, we look to the beginnings of tea’s artistic history in China.

Chinese tea culture has seen three distinct artistic periods — the Classical, the Romantic and the Naturalistic — coinciding with three of China’s most prominent dynastic periods. Each of these tea periods was heavily influenced by the times and societies that bore them, and saw different tea production and service styles.

At a time when Chinese society was witnessing the burgeoning of a new cosmopolitan culture during the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE), its metropolitan atmosphere welcomed the idea of sophistication and hierarchy, and tea became synonymous with these ideals. During this dynasty, tea dealers traveled the Silk Road by foot, and needed to carry tea without losing stray leaves along the way. Tea was packed and molded into solid cakes, and changed the way many took their tea, requiring the breaking of the cake followed by toasting and grinding. As they were transported along the Silk Road toward Russia, the tea cakes fermented, resulting in the rich dark teas that are now the standard in Russian tea drinking.

Tea cakes combined pragmatism with creativity. The production of caked tea reflected its society, embodying functionality and patience, the characteristics common in Classical Art. Dynamic and robust in their taste profiles, the flavors of caked tea refine as they age and are coveted, now as then, by discerning palates.

The next dynasty to see a change in tea culture was the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE). An increase in population, the expansion of cities, and the emergence of a national economy were factors that framed tea’s Romantic period. Social expansion and political shifts allowed ordinary citizens, who were previously unable to participate in local affairs, to engage with the local economy.

Romantic art placed high value on individualism, and artists in the Song dynasty were inspired and daring. There was a shift from the creative orderliness of the Tang dynasty to disruptive creativity, and this is when the preparation of whipped tea became popular. The grinding of dried tea leaves into a fine powder which, when whipped, yielded a frothy liquor for consumption, was a grand reimagining of tea and tea culture. In the later parts of this period, tea drinkers in Japan began perfecting their tea culture, beginning with whipped tea. This style provided tea producers and consumers a more intimate connection with the tea process; it took time to produce the powder, and careful practice to whip the perfect cup. The sense of freedom and connection to nature, thematic of the Romantic period, was captured in the practice of whipped tea.

The Ming dynasty (1368-1644 CE), described as the greatest era of orderly government and social stability in human history, saw a rebirth of the loose leaf tea tradition — the style of tea production still most pervasive around the world. Today’s tea dealers recognize and promote the terroir of the farms that grow and produce the finished teas in order to highlight the tea’s defining characteristics.

Artists during the Naturalist period (in the 19th century) created works depicting a realistic likeness of the world around them, drawing attention to selected aspects of their subjects’ natural beauty. The artistry of tea during this period, and continuing until today, lay in the tea producer’s ability to work in harmony with the rhythm of nature, producing teas with varying accentuations of their natural character.

The artistic beauty of tea is found not only in the intricacies of growing and processing, but also in the style in which it is served. Like a theater performance, all aspects of the tea service — the wardrobe, the audible atmosphere, and the nuance in movement — are intended for the purpose of enjoyment. Different styles of tea service are practiced around the world, but at their core, all tea services — whether personal or for guests — are carried out with forethought and purpose and are expressions of simple and everyday acts of artistry.

There are a few basic principles of movement practiced in every tea service. The first principle is purpose in movement. There is reasoning behind each movement the host makes. For example, in the Chinese tradition, the hand or finger placement on the tea cup when handing it to another is done in such a way that the hot cup can be safely received by the guest. In Moroccan tea service, pouring tea from a great height causes a light foam to form on the surface of the tea, indicating that the mint in it has been fully infused; if necessary, the poured tea is returned to the pot for further steeping.

Movements during Chinese tea service are communicative. Prior to the service, the host will decide on a theme or aesthetic which is made known to the guests through movement and the use of chosen teaware and tea.

Those serving or preparing tea strive to create an inviting atmosphere through the use of bodily expression/movement. Tea hosts use simplified movements, engaging only their wrists when pouring, or moving slowly across the serving space so guests can follow with their eyes. The host’s body is positioned as the backdrop to the tea space and the arms give the space framework or depth. Elbows may be held out to open the space up, or drawn in close to make the space seem smaller. Last, movement portrays character. An individual’s personality, attitude, health and even age is revealed in every move. This is why there is great diversity in tea services across different cultures, and why each individual serves tea a little differently.

Tea traditions around the world are dynamic cultural expressions, artistry inextricably tied to the political and social climate of their time and place. They are not merely an aestheticism of old world charm. Understanding tea services as performance-based art forms, rather than a ritual, pushes observers to reframe their notion of tea cultures and their histories.

This lens of artistic observation draws attention to the creativity, intentionality and personalization behind serving and preparing tea. Viewing finished teas as works of art highlights the artisanal nature of tea production and shines a spotlight on the practice of the discipline of serving tea.

Tea culture has found its way into well respected art establishments and the contemporary food scene. Art spaces have begun to incorporate tea presentation and service into their curatorial spaces. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York city has hosted a Chinese Tea House pop-up in which patrons of the arts could enjoy Gong Fu style tea service. In some restaurants guests can now experience a truly curated selection of teas, tea presentation and pairings that go beyond the pervasive English tea service or a box of assorted tea bags.

As the ceremony of serving tea is adopted by the culinary world and taught in schools and museums, contemporary society is making its own adaptations and adding to its history, reimagining tea culture and carrying it forward.