In Japan, we serve green tea when welcoming our guests. This is one of the things we do to make our guests feel comfortable.Japanese teacups are different from those for coffee and black tea in that some cups have lids on them. Here, I would like to talk about the etiquette for drinking tea using a cup with a lid. This information will be useful when your host serves you tea in such a cup.
Your host will take much time and effort to prepare your tea so that you will enjoy it in the best condition. He or she will be very satisfied if you compliment how good the tea tastes.
You should drink hot tea while it's hot, iced tea while it is cold. Hot tea is sometimes served in a teacup with a lid.
So, what is the etiquette if your teacup comes with a lid?
- First, bow slightly and say “itadakimasu”, which means “I will eat/drink” in a sense of gratitude. Place your left hand on the side of the cup for support, then open the lid with your right hand. Tilt the lid slightly so that if there are any drops of condensed vapor, they will fall into your cup. Take care not to let the drops fall onto the table. Once you've made sure that there is no more condensed vapor, place the lid on the table to your right with the inside facing up.
- Next, hold the cup with your right hand while supporting it from below with your left hand. Drink the tea (while still holding it with both hands), without making any noise. If the tea is too hot, you shouldn’t blow on it. (It's just like drinking soup)
- After you have finished drinking your tea, slowly return the cup on the saucer. Take the lid from the table, turn it over above the cup so that the condensed vapor does not drop to the table, and put it back on the cup.
Then, if you make a comment such as "This tea is good! Where is it from?" (meaning where was the tea grown), you'll be able to have a lively conversation. The key point is to express your gratitude to your host that you enjoyed your tea. This will help create a relaxed atmosphere.
It's important to always be mindful of the warm heart poured into a cup of tea, isn't it?
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