Frothy Song Dynasty art of whisking tea

In much the same way a coffee barista leaves a pattern on latte milk foam, the art of whisking tea, or dian cha, has its origins in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

The green tea is first ground into a fine powder. Hot water is added and whisked in a bowl to create a paste and a thick white foam.

After that, the tea aficionado takes a teaspoon and applies the paste like using a paintbrush.

It is said that Japan's matcha tea has its origins in the Hangzhou village of Jingshan in East China's Zhejiang Province.

In 2022, 44 Chinese tea traditions were inscribed on the UNESCO intangible culture heritage list including the Jingshan tea ceremony.

Watch the video to see tea whisking in action.