Ng (right) and an association member looking at some Chinese tea varieties at a tea shop in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
THE art of Chinese tea-making and tea-drinking should be made accessible and less intimidating to the public, says a group of enthusiasts.
Johor Tea Art Association president Ng Cheng Kiat said many people had the impression that the art was an elite and expensive hobby.
“Since 2015, a group of us Chinese tea enthusiasts have been coming together to hold outdoor tea-drinking sessions on the first Monday of each month with hopes of creating awareness and exposure for the art.
“During these free sessions, held by the lake in Taman Pelangi Indah, Johor Baru, our members display their skills and brew a variety of Chinese tea for visitors to sample.
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“We also use this opportunity to educate guests about the beauty of tea-making,” he told StarMetro.
Ng said the association was registered in 2019 and since then had collaborated with various non-governmental organisations to hold tea exhibitions and engagement sessions.
He said that during public engagement sessions, association members made it a point to use basic tea sets alongside speciality clay sets to show that the hobby did not require one to spend a lot of money.
“We want to change the impression that only expensive tea is good tea, as this is inaccurate.
“Our association believes that each person has their own preferences.
“Whatever type of tea that suits your palate is considered good tea.
Diong enjoys making and drinking tea with his wife Layla Gan, 36, after a long day at work.
“I always say that drinking Chinese tea is like eating durian.
“Some people like kampung durian, some prefer Musang King or 101; it is completely up to the consumer,” he added.
Ng said there were six main types of Chinese tea – dark tea, black tea, yellow tea, green tea, white tea and oolong.
“Each type has many sub-varieties and people are usually surprised to find out that oolong tea alone has more than 3,000 sub-varieties,” he said.
He noted that the art of Chinese tea, consisting of brewing and drinking the beverage, had gained a lot of interest among young people in the past few years.
“We currently have more than 90 members and the majority of them are aged 40 and under, with a handful of teenagers.
“I am glad that Chinese tea has attracted some interest from our non-Chinese friends. We hope this is a good start to let more people know about this traditional art form,” he added.
With the association celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, Ng hopes it can continue spreading information about the art of Chinese tea.
He said the association aimed to carry out more classes and exhibitions to engage with people who had no knowledge of the art.
“This is why we simplify our classes. We want to show that drinking Chinese tea, which also has many health benefits, can be affordable and no-frills,” said Ng, who conducts basic tea art evening classes at Foon Yew High School.
Meanwhile, Chinese tea enthusiast Diong Wen Han, 50, finds the art of tea-making a good way of winding down after work.
The businessman said he was exposed to Chinese tea-drinking years ago when his friend left him his entire collection of pu-er tea cakes, which are compressed discs of Chinese tea.
“That’s when I discovered the delicious and fragrant taste of Chinese tea. Prior to that, I never gave much thought to it.
“Gradually, I learned to appreciate Chinese tea and the art of making it.”
He said Chinese tea-drinking had become part of his daily routine.
“I find the act of pouring hot water into the teapot, rinsing the tea leaves, tilting and rotating the teapot to ensure better infusion before pouring the hot liquid into a cup, very relaxing.
“I can spend hours enjoying the tea and having a chat with my wife after a long day at work,” he said. — By YEE XIANG YUN
