Tea, teahouses and receiving a cup
Tea is the default drink of a meeting, a meal and a slow afternoon. Knowing how a cup is poured and refilled removes most of the awkwardness.
What it is
Tea is served from a shared pot or brewed in a covered cup (盖碗). Cups are small and refilled often. In a teahouse you pay for the tea and stay as long as you like; in a restaurant, tea usually arrives unasked and may be charged per person.
Where you will meet it
- Restaurants, where a pot lands on the table within minutes
- Teahouses, especially in Chengdu, Hangzhou and Beijing
- Offices and homes, where offering tea is the first thing that happens
Do
- Tap two fingers on the table lightly when someone refills your cup — a quiet thank-you that needs no words
- Hold the cup with both hands when receiving it from someone older
- Let the host pour first; a guest pouring for others is appreciated but not required
- Ask for hot water (续水) rather than more leaves — the pot is usually topped up
Avoid
- Pouring a cup to the brim — it is read as unwelcoming
- Leaving a cup completely full and untouched
- Assuming herbal or fruit teas are the same thing — they are usually a separate menu
Regional, family and generational variation
The finger-tap thank-you is a southern habit that has spread nationally; it is not universal and nobody will be offended if you simply say thank you. In the north, jasmine and long-leaf green teas dominate; in Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan, small-pot oolong service is the norm; in Yunnan and Sichuan, compressed and aged teas are common. Younger offices often run on coffee instead.
Words worth having
- 茶 chá
- tea
- 盖碗 gàiwǎn
- covered tea cup
- 续水 xù shuǐ
- top up with hot water
- 谢谢 xièxie
- thank you