Australian tea enthusiasts have discovered a 'forgotten' tradition that stems back centuries - and the spiritual act has a practical reason.
A New South Wales resident came across the 'correct way' to make tea by turning the teapot clockwise thrice and anticlockwise thrice after pouring boiling water in.
'My family never did this,but I've had a few people tell me it's tradition. The reasons I've been given are 'for good luck','to settle the leaves',and 'to make the brew stronger',' she shared on Reddit.
She wondered if it was a 'real' Aussie tradition or just a 'generational joke to make people do something silly and unnecessary' - but the act goes back centuries.
Tea expert Cara Chen told FEMAIL in a Gongfu tea ceremony,pouring the kettle anticlockwise instead of clockwise is rooted in traditional Chinese philosophy,emphasising the natural flow of energy (Qi) and promoting harmony.
Turning a teapot works to agitate the water by introducing a circular current that mixes tea leaves together and prevents them from clumping
One was overjoyed such traditions evolved into turning teapots in domestic kitchens.
'The billy spin is definitely an Aussie tea tradition. It's a motion that makes more sense to me in terms of settling the leaves. Plus,it's more theatrical. Interesting thought that turning the teapot might be a more kitchen-friendly version of this campfire tradition!' one said.
Many from the UK revealed that 'turning the teapot' was an essential step of making English tea.
'I didn't learn this until I moved to the UK,' an Australian said. 'A gentleman I worked with patiently explained how to make the perfect English tea (for client presentation as much as flavour),and it was eye-opening.
'Now I'm back in Australia,but when I have fancy guests around I always make a point to spin the teapot three times. I can never remember which direction,and nobody's ever picked me up on it.'
Another added,'I have no idea what settling the tea leaves does,but turning the tea pot three times in each direction is a must unless you want weak tea. You can easily see that if you steep then pour,the tea is weak. Turn it and it's strong. You especially have to do it with rubbish tea bag pots you get at cafes.'
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