Nonetheless, there is a special trick we enjoy. Allow your next infusion to last a bit longer to bring out more flavor. Gongfu tea making is not a science like standard modern brewing. This method stems from traditional ceremonies of ancient China, dating back to the time of dynasties. We area tiny team offriends who share the passion for artisan tea its exquisite taste, richpaletteof fragrances and the healthy lifestyle that comes with it. Consequently, when we brew these leaves, they will release their flavors more quickly. Youre all set! It was also more fun to just dispose of the water on a whim! Any explanations, ideas and suggestions are much appreciated! However, in Chaozhou, tea drinkers prefer to stick to their roots. Gong Fu tea-making may seem daunting or mysterious, but this style of brewing, along with the equipment needed, is relatively simple and requires only an understanding of a few key concepts. Tilt the gaiwan and slowly rotate it two times for infusion. The Traditional Way Using The Gong Fu Cha Method. Heat all of the brewing tools. Shop fine Chinese teas at Golden Life Tea. However, once we brew this same tea a second time, well immediately notice that the advertised strawberries and cream aroma is all but lost, and the taste is bland. When performing the gong-fu Cha do you keep the temperature constant as your increasing each infusion time until you cannot taste it or do you increase the temp as well? Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection. It doesnt have as many steps as the gong fu brewing methods you are most likely acquainted with through videos, articles, and tea ceremonies. After your 10-20 second first steep, quickly separate the tea liquid from the leaves into your fairness pitcher. When going to a traditional Chinese tea house or buying Chinese teas we will usually be offered teas prepared in this manner. This way, you can also follow a 1:25 tea to water ratio (1 gram of tea to 25 ml of water). A primary tea vessel can be a gaiwan or a chahu (yixing clay teapot). Gong fu cha simply put, means "to brew tea with skill." I would add that mindfulness is also a component in our favorite way to brew tea as one needs to focus on the task at hand, which in this case, is making and sipping ones tea. Rinse the tea leaves*.Pour hot water onto the tea leaves. Whether you choose a gaiwan or yixing teapot is your preference. Sat, Jul 01, 2023, The Art of Silver Teapot Making You can start with smelling the lid, and then the leaves. This serves two purposes: first, it cleans your vessels, but it also warms everything up in preparation for your tea. In fact, the government and various organizations protect many of the ancient trees in China. Hello fellow tea drinkers. From field, to factory, an entireshipping network, and through us to its package, tea leaves are liable to pick up some stuff. If you want to use something stronger than boiling water, you can use melamine sponges (like these on Amazon), which are like the magic eraser. Waking Up Your Tea Vessels 2. A tea boat is just a way to catch all the water, and contain the mess! Wait about 10 seconds and then pour out your tea into teacups or your secondary tea vessel. Even organic teas benefit from a quick rinse. The gaiwan can be difficult to use, especially at the beginning. As we mentioned, Chaozhou strives to preserve its ancient tea drinking traditions. Obviously though, it is made for Chinese teas, like puerh, black, white, oolong, and even green teas. Steeping a white tea, darker oolong, black tea, or any pu'er? 5 Teas You Should Drink & Avoid on your Period. The same tea leaves are often steeped up to 10 times or more, depending on the tea. Their taste is brisk and refreshing, their aroma pleasant, grassy, and floral, their amino acid content high. Gong fu cha once referred explicitly to brewing tea the way they brew it in Chaozhou. Gong fu is translated as best-effort. You probably already know that gong fu cha lovers particularly prize high-mountain tea. Gong Fu cha is quite different from the western way of preparing tea. Perhaps even some twigs! Well, you can use a strainer before pouring your tea into your sharing pitcher or teacups to catch any small tea leaves that sneak through. Use a variable temp (temperature controlled) kettle for best results. Pour hot water over the tea, and quickly decant into the pitcher (or directly into tea cups). Required fields are marked *. Naturally, many cha enthusiasts opt for buying tea that farmers produce from ancient trees. Privacy Policy. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Its as simple as pouring hot water over everything you will use for that gong fu tea session. This might take a few passes depending on the tea stains and material. Simple Steps for Brewing Gong Fu Cha Here are some basic steps for brewing Gong Fu Cha. Tongs (Ch Ji) to pick up the cups without touching them. What Kind of kettles are used? Youll also want a clean one for when youre finished your gongfu cha session, to clean and dry everything. Lower the water temperature and make your steepings quick if the tea is too bitter or pungent. The buds are the youngest part of the plant, and naturally, they have yet to develop the properties of a mature leaf. Explained in a Funny Video:), How To Bring Water To The Right Temperature, The Difference Between Raw And Ripe Pu-erh, Read more: Chaozhou vs. Yixing Clay Teapots, Tea Experience: The Benefits of Silver Teapot, The Art and Craft of Chinese Silver Teapot and Silver Teaware. We can taste how it transforms throughout multiple brews when we make tea gong fu style. Heating water with no thermometer? Recently, after seeing how someone in a very fine tea house made his Gong Fu session, I saw that he used an induction plate along with a cast iron kettle. You might need some extra water for this step to get them all out. Discard this water, but pay attention to the aroma being released from the leaves. Leftover steam can collect and cook / continue extracting your tea leaves. Once youre finished with your gongfu cha session, you need to clean everything. Dont know what the difference is between each tea!? There are quite a few extra tea accessories that you can use for gong fu tea steeping . Quantities are limited. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. To compare, lets take an artificially flavored tea or a cheap big-brand black tea. 1. Thus, a tea ritual with buds and leaves, or just leaves, can last through many infusions on end. A tea boat is what you can place your teacup and teapot on. Enjoy it on your own or share it with friends. The nearly boiling water should be used to rinse the tea wares to ensure that each item, gaiwan, tea cups and gong dao bei are at least of a similar temperature. Begin by warming your teapot or gaiwan with boiling water. Benefits of Switching From Coffee to Tea. This is a simple guide to begin brewing Gong Fu tea, created by our partners at Golden Life Tea. Fill one-third of the gaiwan with hot water (80C to 90C). Shop today! It's sometimes thought of as a ceremony; fundamentally it's just a tea making technique. Gong Fu Cha, which again means right way tea, is a concept that is closely related to Kung Fu in China. Aged Raw Puer: 95-100 C / 203-212 F It is our best effort that we put into a tea session to gain the purest, most delicious, most aromatic brew we can get. Furthermore, the process requires you to brew large amounts of leaves in a small brewing vessel. In this post were going to reveal the history of Gong Fu tea and discuss the tools and methods that unveil the full flavor, aroma and body in your tea. Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection. Warm your . Because its about multiple short infusions (with a lot of tea) you can really see how the tea changes over steeps from the taste, smell, to look of the leaves and liquor. Three cups form the Chinese character for taste. After discarding the water from the pot, add tea leaves using a bamboo scoop or any other way to the warmed teapot. The leading kettle in the market is the Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Kettle (see it on Amazon here). And again, you also dont need one. Ripe Puer: 95-100 C / 203-212 F How To Create The Perfect Tea Space: A Comprehensive Guide, Cha Xi: the evolution of beauty in tea space. But, you can also just use any cup that you have at home. Before adding it to your teapot, look at the dry leaves and take notes on how they look and smell. The gongfu ceremony that we know today may have a few minor alterations here and there. Unlike wine drinkers who learn about vines and vintages, the tea-maker must make what they drink, which requires not just knowledge but skill in selecting and using their tools. White Tea: 85 C / 185 F Brewing at the correct temperature per type of tea will benefit the aroma and flavor, creating a better brew. Tea is best when brewed when your water is at the right temperature for that type of tea, otherwise you risk burning the leaves which leaves your tea tasting quite bitter (read more about the types of tea here). Once its warmed up, pour the hot water into your secondary tea vessel. Shrimp Eyes = 70-75 C / 158-167 F Tightly rolled oolongs or light green teas are usually not preferred. Once there are no more tea leaves, add hot water to your teapot. Gong Fu Cha Making Sure Your Tea Doesnt Lose Flavor, Benefits of Switching From Coffee to Tea. This is your secondary vessel. For the above-mentioned experience, we recommend sticking with teas that have a higher ratio of mature leaves. Our best advice to you when brewing your favorite tea according to gong fu cha's ways is to stay present and stay in the moment. If you pourdirectly into teacups, the first cup will hold a lighter steeping, while the last a heavier. 123 Share 7.9K views 4 years ago Follow our step by step instructions to learn the basics of the Gong Fu Cha - the Chinese way of brewing tea through multiple infusions.. Having an infusion-enduring tea means that the tea leaves are very rich in natural oils and other properties responsible for the brews overall taste and aroma. Subsequent infusions will take longer and longer, depending upon taste. Some teas benefit from 2-3 rinses (shou pu'er, some black teas). I am learning more about tea day by day, tea house by tea house. It doesn't have as many steps as the gong fu brewing methods you are most likely acquainted with through videos, articles, and tea ceremonies. What traditional methods (other than cast iron) are there only for heating the water? You might have noticed that the tea is placed directly in the water in the gaiwan or Yixing teapot. This subreddit is for discussion of beverages made from soaking camellia sinensis leaves (or twigs) in water, and, to a lesser extent, herbal infusions, yerba mate, and other tisanes.