After a relaxing afternoon visiting the Lama Temple and the Confucius Temple (blessedly across the street from each other!), Blai and I went off in search of a teahouse nearby, an activity we were both quite keen on doing. I did try looking for the one recommended to me by David of Jing Tea but somehow missed it and ended up at the Confucian Teahouse almost directly in front of the Confucius temple.
Not that this teahouse was inferior in any way – we adored the peace and quiet afforded by it. A menu listing quite a few teas was offered, all at different price points. We chose both an oolong (recommended to get the full teahouse experience) and a 1970 aged puerh – the latter was being prepared in the photo below.
I dislike the use of the word ‘ceremony’ when describing how the Chinese prepare their tea only because it feels like the correct way to enjoy it, even everyday. I wish all my tea was served with a teapot, a separate tea jug, a tea strainer and tea cups. The separate tea jug might feel like an extra piece of pottery but it means that your tea won’t oversteep in the teapot. And all that pouring of hot water all over the place means that the pottery is heated and will keep your tea hotter for longer. All very practical!
And that’s exactly how our teas were brewed and presented to us – in a separate glass server. The oolong was lighter in colour on the left and the puerh with its rich smoky flavour was darker and in the jug on the right.
While the puerh was served in one teacup, we had these two for the oolong.
The taller is a sniffing cup while the shorter is for drinking. They weren’t used for the puerh as it’s not as aromatic as the oolong. The tea is first poured into the taller cup, you sniff it and smell it before inverting the shorter cup on top of it. Flip the two quickly and now all your tea is in the smaller cup (or all over the table) from where you can drink it. We were also shown how the still hot sniffing cup can be held over your eyes for a mini steam bath!
This was the perfect respite from the hustle and bustle of Beijing and we whiled away a couple of hours here – your tea won’t run out in this time! Its quality means that it can be re-steeped many times. The Confucian Teahouse also sells all of the tea making paraphernalia and the tea itself, both of which make excellent presents or souvenirs.
Confucian Teahouse
28 Guozijian Lu
(across from the Confucius Temple)
Beijing, China
Tue, 5 Oct, 2010 at 21:14
I just love Chinese teas.. except pu-erh, still haven’t been able to get used to it! There’s a funky flavor there that reminds me of ointment– is that just me?
Tue, 5 Oct, 2010 at 23:20
I could have done with a pit-stop like this on my trip to Beijing! Which one did you prefer, the pu-erh or the oolong?
Wed, 6 Oct, 2010 at 00:23
Su-Lin! CHINA! How cool! If you don’t mind, I’d love to pick your brain about the places you went – I think we’ll be in Beijing late next year (at least I hope we will be).
I love hearing about the teas you tried and will have to check this place out! I’m sure the respite from the hustle and bustle was more than a little welcome.
Wed, 6 Oct, 2010 at 03:28
looks like a great place to enjoy different teas!
Wed, 6 Oct, 2010 at 12:26
id love to try somewhere like this, there’s nothing like tea served in a china cup.
Wed, 6 Oct, 2010 at 15:29
(We were also shown how the still hot sniffing cup can be held over your eyes for a mini steam bath!)
Not surprised; a well-known cure for tired eyes is lie down for a short while with a used tea-bag over each eye.
These sound great … especially teas unadulterated with milk and sugar.
Wed, 6 Oct, 2010 at 22:43
How serene looking and lovely!
Thu, 7 Oct, 2010 at 11:21
I do love a bit of pu-er, had masses of the stuff down in Yunnan as I believe it comes from down that way.
That’s a beautiful looking teahouse too, I really need to get back to China on a holiday – rather than 7 months of scrimping – budget.
Thu, 7 Oct, 2010 at 16:13
I didn’t know about Puerh being served in different style cups. I would think Pu-er was more aromatic than Oolong. Great photos!
Fri, 8 Oct, 2010 at 17:34
Thanks for this educational post.
I hope that educational is the right translation from the italian “educativo” meaning that it is not just an informative post, but much more than that.
If I could have had such tip when I was in Beijing in 1994 !!!
Sat, 9 Oct, 2010 at 12:03
Looks like a really nice tea place, I will visit it next time I’m in Beijing. Just the way it is prepared looks so nice already!
Mon, 11 Oct, 2010 at 15:37
Karen: I think I know what you mean. Funny you should say ointment – some puerhs are supposed to have some health-giving properties!
Mr Noodles: I prefer oolong. But then again, I’ve not got much experience with puerh and I hope to correct that soon.
Rachel: Oh, most definitely! Where in China will you be going? I had some colleagues go to Shanghai too so I could get restaurant recs off them. Hope I can help in any way!
kat: It was fantastic! Of course, after drinking so much tea, I had to use the loo lots! Luckily, they have a nice one!
Northern Snippet: There are a couple places in London that serve teas like this – you may not get the whole experience but they’ll definitely be brewing it correctly.
travelrat: I don’t like milk and sugar in my tea… even in a builder’s. I’ve got to try that tea bag trick – thanks!
Lorraine: It’s so peaceful when compared to the streets of Beijing!
Joshua: I bet you still had some fantastic food at a budget! I was surprised to see that teas cost quite a bit in restaurants there but then what you’d get was serious quality stuff.
Mirna: Strangely, I thought so too but it just seemed that the flavour of puerh is stronger… it doesn’t have much of a scent. The oolong was very aromatic in comparison.
Antonio: I’m glad you like the post!
Pu Erh Tee: I think you’ll like the place!
Wed, 13 Oct, 2010 at 19:58
lovely, Su-Lin. i have been to a tearoom in San Francisco, but this must be an amazing experience, in China. pretty photos. x shayma
Wed, 10 Nov, 2010 at 12:11
shayma: I think I know which tea house in SF you’re talking about … I remember reading about it ages ago (though now I cannot remember its name). I bet that was a lovely experience too!