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Gongfu Tea - A Special Brew

There are many legends surrounding the genesis of that mythical first brewing of what we all now know as tea. Some say it was a divine gift created by the Chinese God of agriculture, while others contend that tea was first discovered serendipitously either by the “Tea Saint” Lu Yu or the ancient Emperor Shen Nong. The latter myth is the more widely known story and is said to have occurred thousands of years ago. The account says a boiling pot of water was left near a small perennial shrub unattended and the wind blew some stray leaves into the water. The shrub of course was a tea plant and it has been enjoyed by people of all classes since.

Using science to demystify and classify, tea or “茶” (cha) is the liquor derived by the brewing of the leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant or one of its many varietals. Connoisseurs insist that there is a distinct difference between simply drinking and really understanding tea. To drink tea or “喝茶” (he cha) could be perhaps for simply quenching thirst while the appreciation of tea or “品茶” (pin cha) is reserved for those that enjoy the finer nuisances or the art of tea preparation. During the Tang Dynasty, Lu Yu developed and perfected what is presently known as the Tea Ceremony or “功夫茶” (Gong Fu Cha); more commonly known as GongFu Tea. GongFu Tea is preformed using a variety of different tools to try to get the best possible steeping and flavor from the tea.

The first requirement for a really good session of GongFu Tea is time. Some have been known to spend hours in a quiet tea house or in their own living rooms over one brewing of some high grade tea. Tea drinkers consider GongFu Tea as the zenith of tea preparation techniques and only use graded, loose leaf Oolong or black tea; no teabags can be found here!

Rules and Tools

While the quality of the tea that is being drunk is relatively important, the essential element that will make or break your experience is the water. When possible, natural, flowing spring water should be used to prepare tea because the mineral content of the water will enhance the sweetness and flavor of the tea. Stagnant well water or fast moving river water has less of the minerals conducive to a good brewing and will often leave the tea tasting flat; like a bottle of soda that has been opened too long. Using purified water is what most people resort to while tap or distilled water should only be used as a last option. The Chinese tea set (茶具; Cha Ju) at its bare minimum consists of some small cups, pots, and a place to collect waste water. The more elaborate sets can have as many as 20 or 30 different pieces to it or can appear more ornamental like having a jade inlaid tea tray or golden cups. These tools can be purchased at any tea shop but the buyer should be cautious in their selection. For instance, some special pots made from a special clay called zi sha (紫砂; a purple clay from the Jiangsu province) could retail for as little as 30RMB upwards into the hundreds of dollars range. The small cups and pots are used to try and control for the different variables that could impact the flavor of the tea; the three most basic variables are tea amount, water temperature, brewing time.

A good, functional tea set should include the following: a tea tray for catching waste water, a small zi sha tea pot, several cups, a small pitcher or container to pour the extra brewed tea into, some type of apparatus to heat water to a boil, and a set of small tools used to manage the loose tea leaves. The small set of wooden tools can be bought all-in-one and include small spoons and scrapers used to clean your pots.

Doing Your Own Gongfu Tea Ceremony

To brew your tea Gongfu style, you should first select your brewing vessel, be it a pot or a lidded cup called a gai wan ( 盖碗). The vessel should be heated with boiling water to clean it and also prepare it to be used. Similarly, all the cups and other instruments should be sterilized in the boiling water to remove any residual scents or flavors from the last brewing. After the cleaning, the correct amount of tea should be placed into your pot and it then should be filled with water. This first washing is only to clean the tea of any possible bacteria or dirty elements such as pesticides and should not be drunk. This steep should be used to clean the cups a second time to infuse the cups with the fragrance of the tea.

Then, you fill the vessel with water again and wait the appropriate amount of time depending on which tea you are drinking. This steeping is crucial because if you wait too long, the flavor could be overpowering and bitter or if the amount of time is too short, the flavor could be too light to taste. While brewing, arrange your cups so that everyone that is drinking has one and then pour them some tea using the pot. The other option to pouring to your guests directly from the pot is pouring to your small pitcher and then serving guests. Most people use a small filter to catch all of the small grains of the tea but this is also optional. Your subsequent steeps should be longer in time as you brew. Some people claim to have such excellent tea that it can be brewed upwards to 10 or 15 times! Continue serving your guests until the tea has no flavor.

What to Look For in a Good Cup of Tea

Several aspects of the tea should be considered besides taste before you decide whether the tea is superior or not:

Appearance

Does the brewing have a clean and clear aspect to its color or is it cloudy or dirty? Is the color bright and pleasing or dull? The shape of the tea leaves should also be viewed. This varies depending on which type of tea you are drinking, but generally, are the leaves torn at the edges or complete? Are the leaves reddish brown or a fresh green?

Scent

The tea’s odor should be fragrant, sweet and match its flavor.

Flavor

Most serious tea drinkers are more concerned with a residual aftertaste than the initial flavor. Especially with better Chinese teas, the aftertaste should be strong and remain in your mouth after you finish the session. Higher grades of tea also coat your throat with sweetness and leave your mouth feeling comfortable.

All things considered…

the most important question is if you actually like the tea. Each person has their own individual taste and preference when it comes to what they drink and eat. Some people prefer their teas stronger whilst others like a light flavor in their brew. There are flowery flavored teas and other teas that have nutty tones. Some teas can be considered grassy or astringent while others can be mild. Whatever the case, there are thousands of different of choices and flavors when it comes to which tea you like best. So before you decide that you dislike the Chinese tea you had with your Dim Sum, remember that most people consider that grade of tea as simply floor sweepings!