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Tips and notes for tea making and drinking
1. You can add sugar or honey to taste and put even ice, but it's not Chinese tea anymore.
2. Boiled water is too hot for tender green tea leaves. Pouring boiled water upon the leaves will cause the immediate release of tannins, resulting in a bitter brew.
3. In any circumstances, before you pour tea into your own cup, always look around and see whose cup is not full, pour tea into their cups first.
4. When someone pour tea for you, lightly knock your two fingers on the table and say "thank you".
5. In Chinese culture, pour tea for someone can have a lot of meanings. When a guest comes, they serve tea to show a sign of welcome.
6 In a proper tea ceremony, everyone has their roles. The host is in the position for pouring tea for everyone and you shouldn't take this role. However, in a restaurant, if someone pour tea for you, you can do it for him in the next round.
7. Having the spout of the teapot facing anyone may be regarded as a bad manner in a proper tea ceremony, but Chinese usually skip this manner in a casual place.
(China.org.cn August 8, 2011)
