Special Guide: A Simplified Version of Chinese Tea Ceremony 茶道

This is a Special Guide on how to Brew and Drink Chinese Tea in Klang BKT Eateries. 🫖🍵

Unlike in JB or Singapore, there is a Unique Tea Culture and Procedure that is being observed in Alot of BKT Eateries in Klang Malaysia 巴生.  🤔 Instead of just ordering Drinks as usual, you can also choose to have a Teapot and brew Chinese Tea using Tea Leaves. 🫖🍵🌿

Traditional Classic Chinese Tea Brewing Ceremony Procedures 茶道 is not something I reckon Most Singaporeans are familiar with. 🫖🍵 I myself have not done this before. 😅 For a First Timer and a Complete Newbie, it can Feel Intimidating. 😅 I had the Good Fortune of meeting a Friendly Klangite Elder 大哥 🇲🇾 who kindly taught me, so I thought I'd share this with Everyone. 😄


If you are someone who is already familiar with the Procedures, 🫖🍵 feel free to skip this Guide and do it your Own Preferred Way. 👍 We would appreciate if you can share any Extra Tips in the Comments below! 😄❤️

Of course, this Entire Tea Ceremony is Completely Optional. 🫖🍵😄 You don't have to do this if you don't want to. But I thought I'd just provide the Steps for anyone who is interested to give it a try! 👍

Before I get into the Tea Procedures, there are some things to look out for when you're in a Klang BKT Eatery. 🤔

1) Not all Klang BKT Eatery offer Chinese Tea served using Teapots and Tea Leaves like this. 🫖🍵 Only the More Traditional Ones do. This is one quick way you can find out if a BKT Eatery is More Traditional or More Mainstream. 🤔

2) For Eateries that offer Chinese Tea like this, look out for Kettles that are usually boiled on Hot Stoves 🔥 which will be located all over Eatery. These Kettles will contain the Plain Hot Water that you will use to refill your Teapot. 🫖🍵  Refills are usually Unlimited. Feel free to refill your Teapot as much as you want. 👍

3) Some BKT Eateries will offer the Chinese Tea in either Raw Tea Leaves 🌿 or have Tea Sachets on the Table for you to choose. 铁观音, Pu-Er or Oolong are the Common Types of Teas that I observed. 🌿🤔

I'm not a Tea Connoisseur so I just randomly chose whichever I fancied. 😅 If there is a Specific Type of Tea you prefer though, feel free to ask them if they have it.




Step by Step Procedure on Klang Tea Brewing Culture.

Step 1:
Before we start, take note of 4 Main Items you will usually have on your Table. 

🌿 Tea Leaves (These either come in Raw Tea Leaves or in Tea Sachets)
🫖 Your Teapot
🍵 Small Tea Cups (Usually 4 or 5 of them) 
🪣 An Empty Container. This is for you to put your Teacups in to "Wash" your Cups.

Step 2:
Open up the Tea Sachet and Pour all the Tea Leaves into the Teapot. 🌿🫖

Step 3:
Grab a Kettle from a Nearby Stove and fill the Teapot with Hot Water. 🔥💦

Some BKT Eateries use Hot Water Dispensers instead of Kettles like shown in this Photo.

Anyway this is known as the "1st Tea Brew".
Its not meant for Drinking, so don't drink this. 🙅‍♂️

Step 4:
This is the Most Fun Part of the Ceremony. 😄

Put all your Tea Cups into the Empty Container. 🍵🪣 Pour this "1st Tea Brew" into that Container with all your Empty Tea Cups to "Wash" them. 💦🍵 You don't really have to Scrub and Clean them. 

This Step is Really More Ceremonial than anything. 🤔 Some People will use Chopsticks 🥢 to hold the Cups and twirl them around while pouring the 1st Brew, some will just pour the Tea in a Simple Circular Motion all over the Cups. 🫖💦 There is No Right or Wrong Way, do whatever you fancy. 👍 

Go ahead and 自由发挥. 😅 Channel your Inner "Tea Master Zen Energy" 🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️ and go Full Out Atas Traditional or as Simple Casual as you want. 👍 Be as "Yiu Siu" or "Chor Lor" as you want, no one is going to judge. 😅
This Video shows yet another method to "Wash your Teacups" that you can try.
You can "Wash" your Eating Utensils too if you want. 👍 Video Credit: 露露軍軍
Like I mentioned, there is No Wrong or Right Way. Just do whatever you fancy. 😄

Step 5:
After you've finished "Washing the Cups" with the 1st Brew, refill the Teapot with Hot Water again. 🔥💦

We now have the 2nd Brew.

At this Point, you can drink this if you want, however I was taught to also use this 2nd Brew to "Wash" the Cups. 💦🍵 Only Drink at the 3rd Brew, but you do what you fancy. 👍

Final Step 6:
No Special Procedures here at your 3rd Brew, just take the Tea Cups out of the Washing Container and fill them up and drink as normal. 🫖🍵 Feel free to Close your Eyes and Flutter your Eyelids 👁️ and pretend you are in Deep Thought and Compose a Poem "床前明月光" if you want. 📝 🧘‍♂️🧘‍♀️ Hahaha! 😅

Hahaha Jokes aside, that's the Whole "Ceremony" on how to Brew and Enjoy Chinese Tea in a Klang BKT Eatery. 🫖🍵 Other than BKT, you can also use this Procedure for those Very Traditional Dim Sum Eateries too. 👍 Hong Kong especially has alot of such places. 🇭🇰
My Personal Thoughts about this Tea Brewing and Drinking Procedure 🤔

Tea Ceremony 茶道 is an Actual Ritualized Practice which according to Wikipedia actually originated in Japan in the 15th Century. 🇯🇵⛩️ The Whole Process is actually a Whole Lot More Complicated than what I've written 🫖🍵 but this Guide is probably Good enough especially if you're a Complete Beginner Newbie like me. 😅

While the Procedure looks Ceremonial, I thought it had a Practical Purpose because the 1st Few Tea Brews can be Too Strong and Bitter to Drink. 🤔 I thought this was an Elegant Way to not waste those 1st Few Brews and incorporate them into "Washing" the Cups. 💦🍵

He will probably never see this Post, but I must thank the Klangite Elder 大哥 🇲🇾❤️ who was patient enough to teach me the procedures. Everything you read here was taught by him. ❤️ This Trip to Klang has been really Educational. Again, I must emphasize that this Whole Tea Procedure is Completely Optional and is not required for you to enjoy Klang BKT. 👍 If you're not a Tea Drinker, feel free to ignore this and just order whatever Beverages you prefer. 🥤🍹

Thanks for Reading and I Hope this Helps! 😄