The ritual of drinking tea

I drink numerous cups of tea every day of my life. Every morning, I stumble into the kitchen and make myself a cup of Rooibos tea which I not only sweeten with honey but also add milk to. I'm usually (read always) too lazy to take out the bag before drinking it.

A recent trip to Majeka House, a boutique hotel in Stellenbosch, has put this so-called ritual of mine to shame.

I was lucky enough to be one of the journalists invited to attend the launch of their afternoon tea offering during a Taiwanese tea ceremony presented by tea master (or as he likes to humbly call himself, tea person) Mingwei in their beautiful parlor.

I stared almost as if in a trance as he continued to pour hot water over his brown tea pot sat on a wooden board with a tube running to a bucket under the table. He only makes oolong tea in this specific tea pot.

He told us he woke up at 05:30 (one of the benefits of a life lived on tea no doubt) and had his own private tea ceremony while watching the sun rise until his daughter joined him at 06:00.

My mind immediately flashed back to how I had my tea that morning: In my polka dot nightgown, on the couch, watching old episodes of Modern Family.

Mingwei carefully poured the tea first into tiny fragrance cups and then instructed us to cover the cups with a tiny bowl. After dipping this makeshift porcelain mushroom over, we gently lifted of the fragrance cups to reveal the floral scents of the first oolong brew of the afternoon.

As we continued to drink round after round of expertly brewed oolong tea, it became very clear that they way I drink tea does nothing to celebrate the variety of flavours and smells you can get from adding a few leaves to hot water. The tea first became woody, then smoky, and continued to develop a different flavour profile every time Mingwei filled our cups.

The ceremony was, of course, followed by the most amazing treats, paired with the tea blends Mingwei helped Majeka House to design, like chocolate brownies paired with a cranberry and apple infused tea.

After munching my way through the delicious fare and tasting many more cups of tea, I left Majeka in a bit of a daze. Not only because the tea was kicking in, but because my eyes had been opened to the ritual of drinking tea.

* Afternoon tea at Majeka House will be served with either black, white, red or green tea depending on which day you visit. For more information about Majeka House's afternoon tea, contact them at 021 880 1549. Visit my Instagram profile for more pics.