The Way of the Leaf: A Chinese Tea Ceremony
Wen Raiti isn’t expecting me when I arrive at Hakka Kitchen due to a bit of a miscommunication. Formerly House of Leaf and Bean, the restaurant is in a state of flux as Raiti and her team transition it to focus more intently on the cuisine of her heritage, the Hakka people of southern China. Nevertheless, she’s glad for the interruption and the opportunity to take a break and discuss her favorite topic – tea.
My journey with tea began years ago as a natural extension of my time in the coffee business. Anyone who’s ever found themselves staring at the bottom of their third or fourth cup of coffee knows the feeling of a caffeine overload, that moment when the miracle turns into a curse. It’s the embodiment of the old adage: too much of a good thing. Tea, however, is different. Although molecularly identical to the caffeine in coffee, the caffeine in tea bonds with other chemicals found in the leaf to smooth the edges of its stimulating effect on the nervous system. If coffee is the beverage of frantic multi-tasking and hustle in a society hell-bent on maximizing productivity, tea is the elixir of mindful meditation, singular focus and the inward gaze.
Hakka Kitchen is not a large restaurant. In fact, it used to be a Taco Bell before Raiti repurposed the building for her mostly vegan concept. Yet a sizable portion of its floor plan, one that could house additional seats, is instead dedicated to tea. In the “Zen Room,” Raiti takes her guests on a guided journey through her version of a traditional tea ceremony. Everything in the room is designed to create the perfect ambience for a proper tea session. Picturesque images of cloudcovered tea mountains and verdant terraced tea gardens adorn the walls as a tinkling water fountain does its best to drown out the noise of traffic from nearby Beach Boulevard. A ceramic tea set with various bamboo tools and accessories is neatly arranged on a low table as if in preparation for an ornate and complicated ritual.
Raiti isn’t trying to meticulously replicate every motion and facet of the traditional tea ceremony (of which it can be said there is no single prescribed technique), but rather to present an accessible adaptation that introduces her customers to the physical, mental and emotional benefits of drinking tea. Traditionally, a tea master serves tea to their guests in silence, but Raiti takes the opportunity to educate instead during the one-hour sessions. “If I didn’t talk at all, no one would know what is going on,” she says. “So, I explain things step-by-step. I talk about the tea we are drinking, its history and how to drink it properly.”
Several times throughout our impromptu session, Raiti instructs me to pause and observe – to note the color of the tea in the small, white ceramic cup; to close my eyes, and savor the tea’s aroma or contemplate its texture across the tongue and down the back of the throat. “Drinking tea is about relaxation,” explains Raiti. “Whenever I drink tea with my American friends, I ask them to do this because we are always running around.”
All “true” tea is made from a single species of plant, Camellia sinensis, but there are dozens upon dozens of styles of tea grouped into six basic categories defined by their processing methods. In our session, Raiti and I sip a white tea, a minimally processed tea that is simply withered in the sun, producing a very mellow flavor with but a whisper of natural sweetness. Raiti offers many different styles but her favorite to share is longjing, or Dragon Well, which she sources directly from an organic farmer in Zhejiang. A premium green tea, it was once the exclusive domain of China’s elite. “A long time ago, only the emperor could have this tea, but now you can have it in Jacksonville,” Raiti says.
Towards the end of our session, a palpable serenity descends over us and Raiti thanks me for the unexpected visit. “I really enjoy this peacefulness, it’s so beautiful,” she whispers, barely audible. “I’ve had a very busy morning so it’s nice to slow down. Isn’t it wonderful how just a moment of stillness can change your whole body?” It is indeed.
For more information about the Chinese tea ceremony, visit Hakka Kitchen, 14474 Beach Blvd. Jacksonville, 904.379.1921.
