Tearooms are spaces where people gather to drink and enjoy tea, and can be western or eastern in style. The first tearooms appeared in China and were used by nobles to serve and entertain guests. Tea culture is still important in Japan, while in the West, tearooms are generally more relaxed and function like cafes.
The term “tearoom” can be attributed to a number of tea-related venues, from restaurants and tearooms to private spaces used for tea ceremonies. Most tearooms can be classified as either western or eastern in style. English tearooms are exemplary of Western-style tearooms: these are ballroom-like places, usually in homes, where tea and small scones and sandwiches are served at set times. An oriental tearoom is the type of tearoom commonly found in Japan and China. These are usually small, enclosed rooms, often in dedicated teahouses, where tea ceremonies are held and tea is served to certain guests.
In many countries, tea is more than just a beverage – it’s a piece of culture and an important piece of social fiber. Tea rooms are common in these places. There is no defined definition of a tearoom, but in most cases it is a space, large or small, public or private, where people gather to drink and enjoy tea.
The first tearooms appeared in China. Tea, which is native to many of China’s mountain slopes and countryside, has been part of Chinese culture for many centuries. The best teas were reserved for members of the dynastic nobility, and tearooms were where these nobles served and entertained their guests. Many of the first tearooms were in palaces and private homes.
Tea retained its status as a beverage of the elites for some time, largely due to the price of early exports. Countries like Russia and Japan were early importers of green and black tea blends from China, but the cost was such that only the richest people could afford it. Tea in these cultures was often highly ceremonial and revered.
Members of the Japanese elite developed an entire tea culture as early as the 16th century. It all started with the construction of a teahouse, a freestanding structure often built overlooking elaborate tea gardens or meditative landscapes. Teahouses were built primarily for the tea ceremony, an ancient ritual that combined tea preparation and hospitality. Traditionally, guests would partake in the often elaborate tea ceremony in the teahouse’s tearoom, then adjourn to the gardens or reflective spaces for silent meditation. Tea ceremony and tearoom culture are still important in Japan, but they are not as prolific or central to society as they once were.
Tearoom culture is a little different in the West, but still centered around ideas of hospitality, entertainment and wealth. Western-style tearooms reached the height of their popularity in Victorian England. A traditional English tearoom was a sitting room, usually in one’s home, where servants served tea and light refreshments each day, at an appointed time.
In modern days, tearooms are generally more relaxed. Many cultures now feature public tearooms that function in much the same way as a cafe or coffeehouse, just with an emphasis on tea. Western tea shops offering high tea in the English tradition also often adopt the name “tearoom”. In China, whole tea restaurants, known as cha can ting, are popular places for customers to enjoy snacks at any time of the day. The modern Chinese tradition of yum cha, a set time for tea in many companies and schools, also brings some of the elements of ancient tearoom culture into the mainstream.
Asset Smart.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
