 放大圖片
■絲襪奶茶是香港獨創的招牌飲品。 資料圖片
Lily Poon
A Chinese dinner host never stops pouring tea(灌茶)for any guest whose glass is empty. Tea is essential to the colourful culinary(adj.烹飪)heritage(n.傳統)of China. China produced 1.24 million tons of tea in 2008 and is one of the largest tea producers in the world now. Traditional Chinese tea is often served during meals in H.K. Being a former British colony, the tea-drinking habits here has been changed. H.K people naturally inherited(v.繼承)English "milk tea"(奶茶)and modified it to meet the taste preference(口味)of local consumers.
What is so special about Hong Kong-style tea? The Hong Kong-style milk tea is also known as the "silk stocking milk tea"(絲襪奶茶). This distinctively unique(adj.獨一無二的)tea is served in all local cafes-Cha Chaan Teng(茶餐廳)in Cantonese. The ingredients(n.材料)are Ceylon tea(錫蘭茶), milk and sugar. Ceylon tea is sometimes replaced by a mixture(n.混合)of different kinds of tea to lower production cost. Its deep smoky aroma(n.香味)is the result of using silk stockings as tea filters(n.過濾器)for many years. All cafes have their own secret recipes(n.處方)for making milk tea and keep them away from competitors. In fact, everyone is using the same basic formula. A well-balanced milk tea should not have any bitter(adj.苦味的)taste.
We always have to choose between coffee and tea after dessert. Another unique Hong Kong-style beverage called "Yuanyang"(鴛鴦)allows you to drink both tea and coffee at the same time. It is a mixture of coffee and the "silk stocking milk tea". "Yuanyang" is a species of water birds also known as mandarin duck. Since they always appear in pairs, the name "Yuangyang" becomes a symbol of things that come in pairs. The "Yuangyang" drink reflects the creativity of Hong Kong people and their respect to Chinese culture.
City life is busy and stress. Learning Chinese tea ceremony(中國茶道)is perhaps a way to get relaxed after work. Tea was originally cultivated(v.耕種)as herbal medicine(山草藥)in ancient(adj.古代的)China. Monks(n.僧侶)began to develop tea ceremony to teach respect for nature. The underlying philosophy(n.哲學)is to understand "peace, quietness, enjoyment and truth" in life through drinking and serving tea. Small cups and red clay(n.黏土)teapots are used in a Chinese tea ceremony.
Steps for making and serving Chinese tea:
Step 1 Rinse(v.沖洗)the teapot with hot water.
Step 2 Use spoons made of bamboo or wood to put tea leaves into the teapot.
Step 3 The temperature of water depends on the type of tea used. Water for green tea should not be boiling. Water for jasmine tea(水仙茶)can be a bit hotter and water for Oolong(烏龍茶)or black tea(紅茶)can be boiling hot.
Step 4 Pour water out from a large teapot into a small one. Then, pour water among the small tea cups. You should not drink this tea as the purpose of this action is to warm the cups only.
Step 5 Refill the teapot with water and pour tea into tea cups again. This first serving should be brewed(v.釀造)for 10 to 30 seconds.
Step 6 Tea cups should be put in a wooden or bamboo holder for serving.
|
放大圖片
