We look for the right combination of amount of tea leave, water temperature, brewing time, etc. }. So with this as a starting point, experiment and get to know each tea and how you like to brew it! But this doesnt limit the amount of tea consumed. They will not be as important if you are just starting out. Most cups will be enough for 1-3 slurps, Re-steep the leaves. This is a necessary step to wake the unique aroma of the oolong tea. The most important brewing vessel is gaiwan or a lidded tea bowl. [4] The term literally means "making tea with skill". Enjoy it on your own or share it with friends. But it can help to wake up the leaves, especially if they are rolled or compressed. When brewing a bing or "cake", a tea pick is useful for separating the desired amount of leaves. Prepare all tools and teaware in front of you. The size encourages tea drinkers to focus on the depth and complexity of flavor in each sip. If using cha tou (tea nugget), please use three 10-15 second rinses.Warm your sharing pitcher by pouring the rinse water into it and then into the serving cups to warm them as well. Use the tea digger from the tea tool set to dig out the tea leaves. Step Three - First Brew. They do away with the traditional tea tray. The rinse round just to rinse tea, no drinking from this round. Pour the water over the leaves. By contrast, natural whole leaf teas will intensify in flavor. How to Make a Chinese Gong: 5 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow Slow finally picks up his cup of tea. 2021 All Rights Reserved. The Traditional Way Using The Gong Fu Cha Method. You may still try with the broken ones too. Breathe. Keep the kettle clean and always use fresh spring water. flex-basis: 100%; 2) You may choose to first warm your pot or gaiwan with hot water, pour it out and add the dry leaf into the warmed vessel. 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. margin: 20px auto; Measure the right amount of tea leaves. Notice the second pitcher in the brewing arrangement above. Remember, high temperature is the key to Kung Fu tea. A basic gong fu cha setup includes: The size of the brewing vessel is often the most jarring detail for those unfamiliar with gong fu cha. Instead, decant from the brewing vessel into the drinking cup. A Yixing teapot is an unglazed teapot made of red or purple clay that is intended to absorb flavor over time, so each yixing vessel is usually dedicated to only one type of tea. This is a nice little trick to begin the olfactory part of the session, as the warmed pot will cause the tea leaf to release some of its aroma. Here are the essentials: You will need a kettle to boil water. } As mentioned before, leaf quality can be checked by tasting many infusions. Not stackable with other promos. Step 3 - First brew. Fine strainer (optional, but recommended), Fresh, clean water (please do not use unfiltered tap, softened, distilled or reverse osmosis prepared water), Tea tray in order to catch excess water used in rinsing, preparation and serving of tea. Want totry some of the teas mentioned above? If you have sipped everything the leaves have to offer, but you dont wish to throw them in the trash, there are a variety of zero-waist ideas. Gong-Fu Cha - The Chinese Tea Shop The water has to be as hot as possible. It is believed that the gongfu tea preparation approach began only in around the 18th century. These accessories are not required, but they can help to brew with precision. [5] The approach often involves using smaller brewing vessels and a higher leaf-to-water ratio than in western-style brewing. It is certainly interesting to do if you have the time. How to brew tea Gong Fu style. Step by step instructions But while the process can look complex, it is not truly a formalized ceremony. For lightly fermented oolong tea, you should infuse the tea for around 40 seconds. Science and Civilization of China, V.6, P.V, od Science pp 561 Cambridge University Press, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gongfu_tea_ceremony&oldid=1156951184, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles containing traditional Chinese-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, 100C (212F) (boiling) for compressed teas, such as. However, you can. Gong fu tea brewing or gong fu cha is a Chinese way of brewing tea or a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, less known than the Japanese one, but widely practiced in China ans worldwide. Thus, this style of brewing is in no way standardized, and there are many variations on these basic steps. The leaves we brewed in the photos above are Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong Tea. 3-4 cups of about 1 oz each is fine, depending on the size of the teapot. Gong Fu Brewing - Quick Start Guide Tea and Talking This method is great for bud-shaped green tea leaves: As before, you can drink until one-third of the tea is left before refilling, and you can refill for a total of three times. padding: 15px; You may be surprised by the amount of flavor left in the leaf! Pour from the server into the cups to ensure everyone at the table has an even brew. Its used for pouring the tea from the gaiwan or a teapot. Gongfucha originates in China and Taiwan, but a casual rendition (simply referred to as "gongfu") is more popular with . Modern interpretations of gong fu cha simplify the setup. Using tongs to handle the serving cups adds a nice flair and also keeps everything sanitary. Voicemail or Text: 479-259-1677 Preparing The Tea and Teaware. The set includes all essential accessories for Gong Fu Cha method, respecting Chinese tradition in a simple way : 1 teapot, 1 reserve pot, 2 smelling cups and 2 tasting cups. Pouring Other than washing the tea leaves, the rinse round allows the teapot to heat up before the brewing starts. How to Brew Organic Pu-erh Tea: Gong Fu Cha in Gaiwan Its unlikely you will often find a 100 ml cup in a gongfu tea ceremony. We use a scale when we are first getting to know a new tea just to keep things uniform for tasting sessions.It is recommended that you really observe your dry leaf and enjoy how it looks and smells before the brewing process. Kung Fu Chais the Chinese tea brewing process that has a little bit of ALL these meanings you will find out why when you go through the whole process yourself. This is optional and you can replace it with any platter or a sheet. Japan, China, India, Sri Lanka, Africa and so many more! Traditional gong fu cha involves quite a bit of excess water, used to rinse and warm the teaware. Prepare boiling water. The Chinese tea ceremony is very practical and the objective of the tea-making ceremony is to consistently make the tea taste as good as possible. Tea from round 2 is distributed. Explore over 150 different loose leaf teas from around the world in the Simple Loose Leaf tea shop. With the water at the temperature at which you will brew the tea (195 degrees for oolong, full boil for puer), pour it over the tea leaves and let it sit for 10-15 seconds. Use the tea needle to pick the spout. Use one hand to hold the saucer and the thumb and forefinger of your other hand to place the cup on the saucer. The first step in the brewing process is typically to rinse your brewing tools with hot water, including the gaiwan, the pitcher, a metal strainer, and any cups for you and your guests. Big pot Kung Fu Tea follows the same steps except that you use a bigger teapot. ForKung Fu, you might be familiar with one of its more popular meanings Chinese martial arts. They should get better and better through at least the second or third brew. The Ultimate Guide to Making Gong Fu Cha Chinese Tea Okay, now for the fun part. Aerate the tea as if tasting wine to pick up the fullest flavor. The correct amount of steeping time varies based on the type of tea used. A Chinese tea strainer. Gongfu Cha Method For Tea - Steps 1. These are easy to strain with the features of a traditional brewing vessel. The Chinese white tea( bi ch)is lighter than the green tea with very minimal to no oxidation, giving it a signature mellow flavor. Your first infusion may be anywhere from 10-20 seconds. Its not intended to replace medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. By contrast, western brewing methods create something more like a big pot of coffee. The aroma will change as the leaf cools. 2. On your mark ready. Besides, having a special spoon for tea will reduce the risk of any dirt or moisture coming into your tea. Gong fu translates as right effort. 2 tricks are used: General Gwan Patrols City pour tea in a circular motion into all the teacups at the same time. Or until you are satisfied. Attention to tea-making quality has been a classic Chinese tradition. Let water stay for a few seconds before pouring it out. max-width:100%; In our store we tend to use a glazed porcelain gaiwan (pictured above) due to the incredible versatility it has in brewing different types of tea, how easy it is to use, and how easy it is to clean. Check out our easy step-by-step guide to brewing gongfu tea. The wait for round 2 is over, but we have some slow drinkers on board. You will find foam floating on top. Try another 15 second infusion then a 20 second, 25 second, 30 second, 40 second, 45 second, a minute and so on it will depend on the tea as far as how many infusions you will get before you feel the leaf is exhausted. This is the most common technique in brewing Chinese green tea and can be used for most types of green tea leaves. Tea Tools (optional) in the tool set, there are tea shuffle, funnel, tongs, digger, tea needle. Procedures are dead. Special thanks to Kelly for lending me her hands in the following demo. This is true of all Taiwanese loose-leaf Oolong Teas. There is no better way to enjoy tea than a gong fu tea ceremony. Dont forget to smell them as they will have a much more intense scent. Free on-the-go bundle in all purchases over $50 with code SIPNSAVE + FREE Shipping at $49. In brewing the Chinese oolong tea, wed recommend using the gaiwan with the following steps: You can use a glass/porcelain teapot if you dont have the gaiwan and follow the same steps.