Tea for 2008

Mali Hsu gazed into her china cabinet, which holds nearly two dozen dollsize, clay Yixing teapots. She was looking for the one that would be best for a tea ceremony to usher in the Chinese New Year, which begins Thursday. She settled on a terra cotta number adorned with a design of bamboo stalks around the circumference of the pot. “I love this teapot that is surrounded with this bamboo design, because bamboo means good fortune, and long life,” she said.

She had invited us to her home to show us how the Chinese perform a tea ceremony, so anyone who might be interested in staging one will know what’s involved.

At its core, the tea ceremony is a social time.

“It’s a time for family and friends to relax, tell stories and celebrate,” Hsu said.

Tea, not food, is the star of the show; so aside from a few small snacks, good tea leaves, a decent teapot, and a knowledge of brewing and sipping techniques, all you need is a desire to get some people together.

But it should be treated as a special occasion, not a family picnic. For our visit, Hsu had spread a lovely yellow satin brocade runner down the center of her dining room table, which is ornately carved with Chinese designs. At one end, she displayed an array of intricately designed canisters of Chinese tea.

As she carefully removed teapots from her glass case, she told us about the custom of a tea ceremony.

The 50-something Taiwanese native, who came to the U.S. when she was 33, said the Chinese tea ceremony is all about a sense of peace and calm. Before it was a common drink, tea was used solely as an herbal medicine to aid digestion. For that reason, the ceremony is often held after a meal.

Unlike the well-known Japanese tea ceremonies called cha dao, which originated in China and focus on symbolic hand gestures, the Chinese adopted another name for their ceremony: “cha yia,” meaning “art of tea.” It’s less ritualistic than the Japanese version.

Still, according to Sevencups.com, a Chinese tea ceremony should encompass six basic components: attitude, tea selection, water selection, tea-ware selection, ambience and technique. Hsu explained and demonstrated each step as it is done in her native Taiwan.

- Attitude: Certainly, Hsu had the attitude of the tea performer, which, according to the Web site, is to be calm and relaxed, and to enjoy the act of making tea.

- Tea selection: The Web site states that “in addition to fragrance, shape and taste, the tea should have a beautiful story and name.” Forget tea bags when you are going to have a Chinese tea ceremony.

“They have a poor tea flavor and are too old for making aromatic, flavorful tea,” Hsu said.

For her ceremony, Hsu looked over her array of tea canisters and homed in on Longjin tea leaves, a green tea that has a mild earthy aroma when brewed.

- Water selection: This is a big deal for making delicious tea; Sevencups.com mandates “pure, light and clean water.”

“Some Chinese references say to use fresh spring water or even clean snow,” Hsu said.

But with the good quality of Colorado Springs water, she often uses tap water or bottled spring water.

“Never use hard water,” she said. “It will spoil the delicate taste of the tea and has less of the healthy minerals of spring water.”

The water should be at a rolling boil for brewing.

- Tea ware: The Web site recommends “useful and beautiful items,” though, any teapot will work.

Hsu selected one of her little clay pots and another clay pitcher. She placed both in the kitchen sink, then poured some of the boiling water over them to warm them. Next, she placed several pinches of tea leaves in the pot and filled it with boiling water.

“The tea will steep very quickly — about 10 to 30 seconds,” she said.

- Ambience: What you want, according to Sevencups.com, is a “clean, comfortable and quiet room.” Hsu had that and more — a table setting worthy of a home-magazine cover. She sat the teapot on a small, embroidered, silk coaster and the pitcher on another small, square coaster. With her dining room decorated in all things Asian, the mood was set for the performance of the tea ceremony.

- Technique: When the brewing time was up, Hsu poured the tea from the pot into the pitcher to release its fragrant bouquet, then poured the tea from the pitcher into small serving cups.

Sipping hot tea is akin to tasting wine.

“First, you smell the warm fragrance of the tea,” she said. “Then take just a little sip and hold it in your mouth before swallowing.”

When the first round of tea was finished, she added more boiling water to the same tea leaves and repeated the process.

“The teapot can be refilled four or five times with boiling water over the same leaves,” she said.

Food at a Chinese tea ceremony is less important than the tea being served.

“We might offer a few snacks at a tea ceremony: dried tofu, dried fish, dried fruit or nuts — sort of like foods you might have with cocktails,” she said.

For the traditional pre-tea meal, we’ve included some easy recipes.

It’s not too late to organize a Chinese tea ceremony in honor of the Year of the Rat. Swing by an Asian market to pick up some tea and snacks, and make a stop at Sparrow Hawk, 12 E. Bijou St., where you can find a good selection of Yixing teapots and serving cups.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0271 or teresa.farney@gazette.com

YEAR OF THE RAT RECIPES

BASIC BEEF STIR-FRY

Yield:6 servings

- 1 (3/4- to 1-pound) flank steak

- 1/2 cup store-bought stir-fry sauce

- 3 tablespoons canola or peanut oil, divided

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped and divided

- 3-3 1/2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetable mix Cooked rice, for serving

Procedure:

1. Using sharp carving knife or cleaver, cut steak into thin slices about 1/8 inch thick and 1 1/2-2 inches long. Set aside

2. Measure stir-fry sauce into small bowl or measuring cup.

3. Heat wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil, tilting pan and drizzling oil so it coats sides of pan. When oil is hot, add half the chopped garlic. (You can test to see whether oil is hot by dropping in a small piece of garlic. If it sizzles, the oil is ready).

Stir-fry garlic 10 seconds, then add beef. Brown briefly, then stir-fry until beef loses its redness and is nearly cooked through (if you are using 1 pound beef, it’s best to divide it in half and cook in two batches). Remove beef and drain on paper towels.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add remaining garlic. Stir-fry 10 seconds, then add frozen vegetables. Stir-fry 3-5 minutes. Splash vegetables with a bit of water if they begin to dry out while stir-frying. Return stir-fried beef to pan. Add stir-fry sauce and bring to boil. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes to combine ingredients. Serve hot over cooked rice.

Source: About.com

STEAMED EGGPLANT WITH ASIAN DRESSING

Yield: 4-6 servings

- 4 Asian eggplants

- 2 tablespoons red rice vinegar

- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as canola

- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Procedure:

1. Remove stalk from eggplants and cut each into quarters.

2. Heat medium skillet with lid over high heat; add eggplant and steam until softened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and cool.

3. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over eggplant and serve. Source: About.com

CRISPY CHICKEN LEGS

Yield: 4-6 servings

- 6 chicken drumsticks

- 1 tablespoon Peppercorn Salt (see recipe below)

- 1 tablespoon sherry

- 1 thin slice gingerroot

- 1 scallion, finely chopped

- 4 cups oil

- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

- 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cook’s notes: May be prepared in advance through Step 2, or frozen after Step 4. If frozen, thaw and refry before serving.

Procedure:

1. Rub chicken thoroughly with Peppercorn Salt. Combine sherry, gingerroot and scallion in ovenproof bowl and add chicken. Marinate 2 hours.

2. Place bowl containing chicken and marinade on rack in pot or steamer. Cover and steam over boiling water 30 minutes.

3. Heat oil for deep frying.

4. Rub drumsticks with soy sauce. Sprinkle heavily with cornstarch. Deep-fry 3 minutes, or until crispy. Serve hot or cold with Peppercorn Salt.

Source: “Madame Wong’s Long-Life Chinese Cookbook,” by S.T. Ting Wong, Sylvia Schulman and Linda Jarvis

PEPPERCORN SALT

Yield: 5 tablespoons

- 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns

- 4 tablespoons kosher or sea salt

Procedure:

1. Mix together salt and peppercorns. Heat heavy frying pan over medium-low to low heat. Add peppercorns and shake pan continuously, until smoke appears and peppercorns are aromatic (8-10 minutes). Cool.

2. Blend cooled mixture in blender or food processor until peppercorns are crushed (about 30 seconds). Store pepper in sealed jar at room temperature. Source: About.com

BASIC FRIED RICE

Yield: 4-6 servings

- 1-2 scallions, to taste

- 2 large eggs

- 1 teaspoon salt Pepper, to taste

- 4 tablespoons oil, divided, or more as needed

- 4 cups cold cooked rice

- 1-2 tablespoons light soy sauce or oyster sauce, to taste

Procedure:

1. Finely chop scallions. Set aside.

2. Lightly beat eggs with salt and pepper.

3. Heat wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add eggs. Cook, stirring, until lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove eggs and clean out pan.

4. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pan. When hot, add rice. Stirfry a few minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart. Stir in soy sauce or oyster sauce, as desired. When rice is heated through, return scrambled eggs to pan. Mix thoroughly. Stir in chopped scallions. Serve hot.

Source: About.com

FIVE-MINUTE CHOCOLATE-DIPPED FORTUNE COOKIES

Yield: 15-20 cookies

- 15-20 store-bought fortune cookies

- 1/2 cup chocolate baking chips

Procedure:

1. Line 9-by-13-inch baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. Set fortune cookies on baking sheet.

2. Place chocolate chips in heatproof bowl. Microwave on high 90 seconds. Remove bowl and stir chocolate (it will continue melting while you are stirring). If necessary, continue microwaving at 5-second intervals, stirring in between.

3. Holding a fortune cookie by its ends, dip rounded bottom of cookie into chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip off. Place fortune cookie on its side on wax or parchment paper. Continue with remainder of cookies.

4. Place cookies in refrigerator to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Source: About.com