A: there are a lot of Chinese expressions that link tea with food. For example, “firewood, rice, oil, soy sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven daily necessities.”

B: the purpose of tea and food is totally different though. People eat to fill their stomach. But, tea-drinking can help a person achieve an elevated state of mind. Tea-drinking is said to have originated with the advent of Buddhism. Monks drank tea to keep themselves awake and help their concentration. Ordinary people were tempted by the tranquility of the monasteries and began to imitate the monks. So tea-drinking is considered an elegant pastime.

A: has tea-drinking become fashionable?

B: a few years ago It was fashionable to drink lipton tea whit milk and sugar to emulate a western lifestyle. Later it was green tea. Fruit tea was also popular for a while.

A: I heard that pu’er tea is very popular in japan and Taiwan. People think it can help them lose weight and control their blood pressure.

B: it is also popular in china’s mainland. Pu’er tea looks and smells more like French red wine than tea. Plus, its rumored function is to reduce weight. Pu’er tea-drinking has been very fashionable. Green tea is good for longevity and combating cancer. Red tea is good for keeping the stomach warm.

A: many tea houses have been opened. Usually tea houses are where ordinary people like to hang around. But, some tea houses are destinations for high-brow cocial life.

B: tea houses have even changed the way people do business. It used to be over meals. The saying now is “at a table of spirits, the more you talk, the more muddled things become. But at a tea table of tea, the more you talk, the clearer things become.”

A: tea parties also seem to have become popular.

B: the represents thriftiness and cleanliness. Government agencies like to host tea parties to celebrate public holidays. It serves the purposes of both socializing and saving money.

A: a cup of tea, not only serves social and economic purposes, but also political purposes as well. No wonder tea is always with food in Chinese culture.