Know how to use a knife and fork, how can we know nothing about tea etiquette?

Know how to use a knife and fork, how can we know nothing about tea etiquette?

Eat Western food, it is nothing new. 

In addition to the increasing number of western restaurants in the streets and lanes, there are a large number of film and television dramas often interspersed with male and female protagonists to eat steaks and seafood. 

Suitable what to wear at dinner? How to use the knife and fork?  What kind of wine is used to match each dish? ......

A series of questions, even without special training, we can say a rough in the subtle. 

In contrast, the scene of drinking tea is rare. 

In addition to drinking in a few areas, such as Chaoshan and Fujian, tea has become a daily essential configuration, tea in most areas is still limited to teahouses, and tea rooms, and has not yet entered the public life.

Even in the works of the mass media, it is rarely seen. 

The basic knowledge, etiquette, etc. when drinking tea naturally fade away with the fading of the scene, and even many people think it is insignificant.

"It doesn’t have to be so particular, it’s good to pay attention to tea itself."

However, when we are curious to learn new things, can traditional habits be omitted?

When a lot of tea etiquette, change to everyday situations, it has long been streamlined a lot.

The "exquisite" that is currently reserved has long been not only the simplicity of behavior, but also the cultural connotations hidden behind of rituals.

Kòu zhǐ etiquette

A simple little action - knock finger salute as an example. 

In daily tea drinking, I often see the owner giving tea or pouring tea to the guests. The guests face the tea cup at the tea table and buckle a few fingers to show their gratitude.

“Kou zhi etiquette” is popular in Guangzhou, Fujian and Chaoshan, and is now gradually being used all over the world.

| About "knock finger salute," the origin, there is an interesting story

According to legend, when Emperor Qianlong’s micro-service privately visited Jiangnan, he came to Songjiang. He led the two eunuchs to a tea house to drink tea, and the tea house owner took a long-mouth teapot to make tea. Pick up the teacup, and pour the water three times into the cup. The cup is just a shallow cup, and a drop of water is not spilled out of the cup. 

Emperor Qianlong looked very novel, asked the tea shop owner the origin of this action, learn that the name is "Fenghuang three nods." The emperor was very interested, so he learned the boss, picked up his water pot, and poured tea into the cup. 

The eunuch accompanied by the side looked very anxious. The emperor pours tea for them, it should have been horrified to kneel Shane. However, this trip to the micro-service private visit, if such an action is made, will inevitably reveal the identity of the emperor. In this bad and good people mixed up teahouse, it will make the emperor in danger.

So he Jizhongshengzhi, tapping the table with your fingers to "finger salute" instead of "kowtowed." Since then, the "finger salute" action has been continued to date, in order to show respect and gratitude to the tea-teacher.

| Currently used in daily tea-table of "knock finger salute," There are three main forms

When the elders pour tea for the younger generation, the younger generation should put together five fingers to form a fist, and the fists are down, five fingers simultaneously hit the table three times, which is equivalent to bowing. 

When pouring tea between the peers, the guests should put the index finger and the middle finger together and hit the table three times, which is equivalent both hands and hold the fist for thanking. 

When the younger generation pour tea for the elders, the elders use the forefinger or middle finger to strike the table three times, which is equivalent to nodding and expressing appreciation. 

"Knock finger salute", just use your finger to tap, it is indeed a very small, easily overlooked little action.

However, respect and courtesy in Chinese traditional culture are completely contained in it. 

On the tea table, the owner uses the prepared tea, carefully brewing and generously treating each other, is a sincere and warm welcome to the guests.

The guest’s finger salute is a response to the host’s courtesy and is also a kind of courtesy. 

If this "small detail" is lost, the ritual continuation is lost here, and the stories and spirit behind them will disappear. 

On the tea table, the traditional tea habits, the subtle traditional habits, are the tacit understanding that people can look at their smiles when they leave their identity and return to tradition.

This is attribution and is fundamental.

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