Question:
Why don't chinese cups have handles?
Cups used in western countries have ears, asians generally use small cups with no handles, why?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Well,
Thee temparature of water used for serving
tea( green leaf tea
and not powdered tea here). The green tea, we are taught, best produce the
most
wonderful taste when the water temparature is 15 degree (c) below the
boiling point.
You boil the water in the kettle. You pour the water into a bowl to reduce
the temparature
about 10- 15 degree( absolutely a must). You must wait patienly--
if you don't, it will kill the aroma and taste of tea.
Having cool down the temparature, you pour the water into the teapot that
contains the
tea leaves. Wait a minute or so to steap and then finally pour the tea in
to a yunomi( tea cup)
If you do follow the instruction precicely, the temparature of the tea cup
is just right
to hold in your hands. If you don't, it's too hot to hold. By not putting
handle, it
make you be more aware of the serving temparature. Thus assuring the good
taste of the served tea. If there is a handle on the teacup, one might not
pay
attention of the temparature for the water because you can hold the cup
without buning your hand and that will kill the wonderful taste of green
tea.
______________________________...
Tea cup without a handle is a good device to test the
temperature of the tea.
If it is too hot for me to hold the cup, that means the
tea is too hot for my lips. If I can hold the cup and
feel warm and comfortable, that means the tea is ready for
me to drink.
Some people can drink hotter tea than others. Sometimes,
our preference (or tolerance) to the temperature of tea
differs according to the weather and to our own physical
condition. This is my own experience and observation.
If we look at the Chinese (bronze) wine cups and vessels
of two thousand years ago, handles were common.
They held it by resting the cup on index and second
finger, with thumb on the rim until cooled enough to hold onto the sides.
Maybe he served a lesser grade of sencha in those cups. Of course, we then
noticed that he held his fresh-brewed tea during the workshop in that
manner. Laisse le bon temps roulez! Hank in Eugene