For hundreds of years Chinese culture has included an important tradition in each day. Tea preparation and consumption are considered a key element to Chinese culture, and proper tea brewing and drinking are important social elements.

Proper tea preparation includes several steps. Firstly, one must select an appropriate tea set, depending on a variety of factors. This is an aesthetic consideration, as well as a scientific one, because the proper brewing of the tea depends in part upon the utensils used in the process.

So what exactly comprises a Chinese tea set? The components of Chinese tea sets are referred to as teapots, tea bowls, tea saucers, and tea trays. In modern terms there are different types of Chinese tea sets that exhibit certain designs and characteristics. The tea sets play a significant role in the artistry of tea making and tea drinking.

Some Chinese tea sets are so highly crafted that they are extremely valuable, and reflect the storied tea culture in China. There are two main kinds of tea sets. The first is the sets used in everyday life, day in and day out for making tea. The second is the sets with great artistic value, which are generally used only in very special tea ceremonies, such as wedding ceremony. Often, these sets are kept on display in beautiful cabinets, and are only rarely brought out for actual use in a tea ceremony. Both sets, however, are considered part of the family, and even though a set may be used every day, it is still a vital part of the meal.

It is not very difficult to select the right tea sets and identify their use. The selection of a Chinese tea set for every day use depends primarily on the types of the tea that the owners will be drinking. To some degree it even depends on in what region the people live.

For example, floral teas (which are considered herbal teas) are most commonly consumed in the eastern as well as northern regions of China. Since large teapots are commonly employed to boil the tea in water when brewing floral tea, this would be the teapot most commonly selected for everyday use in those regions. These teapots are generally ceramic, and their size varies according to the number of people to be served.

In the Kangnam region, green tea is the favorite, so lidded ceramic teapots are most commonly seen. Other regions favor oolong tea, so in Fujian or Guangdong provinces, a regular kettle will be used for brewing most of the time.

Either a ceramic pot or a regular tea kettle is suitable for brewing Hong or Gongfu teas. However, when drinking some of the high quality teas such as Ton-ting-bilei-chun, Jun-shan-yin-zhen, or Xihu-long-jing, using clear glass cups is considered most proper.

Small tea cups are most appropriate for fine-leaf teas, rather than large cups. The reason is that large cups allow the ratio of water to tea to change, and the leaves will brew too quickly, discoloring the leaves and changing the fragrance and flavor of the resulting tea. Another interesting element is the addition of a modern thermos to the traditional tea set. Many people enjoy keeping green tea in a thermos, to enhance the flavor and color. You can find thermoses in many of the sets for sale today.

Tea plates, tea set cover cloths, teaspoons, tea trays, and tea-brewing containers may be included along with those previously mentioned items in a Chinese tea set. The key is to get yourself a set and get started enjoying this ancient tradition.

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Dugan Venfield is a columnist for a variety of established web magazines, on anti aging products and senior health topics. You can get a unique content version of this article.