Ｎｅｗ　Ｉｄｅａｓ　ｆｏｒ　Ｎｅｗ　Ｔｅａ　Ｂａｎｑｕｅｔ　ｉｎ　Ｈａｎｇｚｈｏｕ

Ｒｕａｎ　Ｈａｏｇｅｎｇ

March 28, 2008 was a memorable day for me, for on that day, the West Lake Tea Banquet was launched simultaneously in Lakeview Teahouse, West Lake International Tea Peoples Village, Old Dragon Well Royal Tea Garden and Harmony Teahouse. I was the concept man behind the latest version of tea banquet. Qianjiang Evening News wonders in its coverage of the banquet if the local residents, always eager to go for trendy things, would fall for the new tea treat.

Tea banquet is nothing new in Hangzhou. Over the past 20 years, it has been around in Hangzhou. The main idea of the banquet was to use tea as an ingredient for various dishes. The tea banquet was actually a banquet with dishes flavored with tea. Why did I want to introduce something new into the old concept?

History chronicles a kind of tea and fruit banquet in the Jin Dynasty (265-420). Tea banquets were also a luxury at the royal house in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), as testified in some poetry of the era. A tea banquet in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) was more often than not a gathering of scholars and artists who met and composed poems and painted. Some paintings of the period depict such tea banquets. A tea banquet in ancient times was a gathering at which people sipped tea and ate some refreshments. In modern times, some scholars enjoyed simple tea and some refreshments immensely.

So I wondered why a tea banquet should be a celebration of luxurious dishes. I thought it would be wonderful if tea would serve as a main course. This inspiration opened up a completely new space for me to introduce new ideas. A tea banquet, on the other hand, should not be something like an English high tea. It should remain as a banquet, but it should highlight grace, health, art, culture, and fashion. It should be something that could be promoted as a new banquet for consumers, not something just for show.

The new change that I want is that different cups of tea are served for different courses. Shelled shrimps, fish balls and green beans go with green tea such as Dragon Well tea. Seafood goes with a cup of black tea. Fully fermented black tea goes with desserts. Puer tea goes with meat.

Now what about tables and flatware used for a tea banquet? Ancient paintings show that oblong tables were used for tea banquets. So an oblong table was introduced for the new tea banquet. Dishes, plates, bowls, and cups at a tea banquet should also have an ancient touch. And food should be distributed out on small individual plates and bowls like the way western food is served.

After the concept tea banquet was launched and tried out, a group of experts met to examine and discuss the idea. We agreed that the banquet should be a commodity and an affordable and manageable way of life. Now the first banquet is on the market. The structure has been set up. What must follow are the efforts to refine the format and contents of a tea banquet until its perfect for mass market. □