But of course, there’s more to tea than those limited options. Indonesian tea master Suwarni Widjaja shares with us three fun facts about tea:

Health benefits

Tea is known for having many health benefits. Suwarni explained during a Chinese kung fu tea ceremony workshop last month that tea contained antioxidants, which are beneficial for our health.

Suwarni mentioned that oolong tea is good for the metabolism, while red tea and pu-erh (fermented tea produced in Yunnan, China) could help reduce cholesterol. However, despite all the benefits, Suwarni stressed that tea cannot be used to cure a disease.

Read also: Jakpost guide to tea places

Remove the first brew

Those who want to brew loose tea leaves are recommended to discard the first brew.

Suwarni said the hot water in the first brew is used to clean the tea leaves and expand them. The second and third brews are usually the best as the dried leaves have expanded.

Japanese vs Chinese tea ceremony

Japanese and Chinese have different styles of tea ceremonies. Suwarni said the former features more discipline and a quiet ambiance.

“You cannot chat during [a Japanese tea ceremony],” she said.

The Chinese tea ceremony is more laid back, allowing people to interact with one another. (kes)