![gong fu cha](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Gong_fu_cha.jpg)
''Gongfu'' tea or ''kung fu'' tea ( or ), literally "making tea with skill", is a traditional
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...
preparation method sometimes called a "
tea ceremony
An East Asian tea ceremony, or ''Chádào'' (), or ''Dado'' ( ko, 다도 (茶道)), is a ceremonially ritualized form of making tea (茶 ''cha'') practiced in East Asia by the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans. The tea ceremony (), literally transl ...
". It is probably based on the tea preparation approaches originating in
Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...
and the
Chaoshan
Chaoshan or Teoswa (; peng'im: ''Dio5suan1'' i̯o˥˥꜖꜖.sũ̯ã˧˧ is a cultural-linguistic region in the east of Guangdong, China. It is the origin of the Min Nan Chaoshan dialect (). The region, also known as Chiushan in Cantonese, c ...
area of eastern
Guangdong
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
. The practice involves using smaller brewing vessels and a higher leaf-to-water ratio than in Western-style brewing. Today, the approach is used popularly by teashops carrying tea of Chinese or Taiwanese origin, and by aficionados and trained masters as a way to fully realize the taste of a tea selection, especially a finer one.
History
Attention to tea-making quality has been a classic Chinese tradition. All teas, loose tea, coarse tea, and powdered tea have long coexisted with the "imperially appointed compressed form". By the end of the 14th century, the more naturalistic "loose leaf" form had become a popular household product and by the
Ming era, loose tea was put to imperial use.
The related teaware that is the tea pot and later the ''
gaiwan
A (; ) or () is a Chinese lidded bowl without a handle, used for the infusion of tea leaves and the consumption of tea. It was invented during the Ming dynasty. It consists of a bowl, a lid, and a saucer.
History
Prior to the Ming dynasty ...
'' lidded cup were evolved. It is believed that the ''gongfu'' approach began around the AD 18th century. Some scholars think that it began in
Wuyi (Bohea) Mountains in Fujian, where the production of
oolong tea
Oolong (, ; (''wūlóngchá'', "dark dragon" tea)) is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea ('' Camellia sinensis)'' produced through a process including withering the plant under strong sun and oxidation before curling and twisting.Zhonggu ...
for export began; others believe that it was the people of Chaozhou in the Chaoshan area in Guangdong started this particular part of the tea culture.
Oral history from the 1940s still referred to ''gongfu'' tea as "Chaoshan ''gongfu'' tea".
It is likely that regardless of the earliest incidence of the approach, the place that first successfully integrated it into daily life was Chaoshan area. Chaozhou is recognized by some as the capital of ''gongfu'' tea.
Chemistry and physics
In essence, what is desired in ''gongfu'' tea is a brew that tastes good and is satisfying to the soul. Tea masters in China and other East Asian tea cultures study for years to perfect this method. However, method alone will not determine whether a great cup of tea will be produced. Essentially, two things have to be taken into consideration: chemistry and temperature.
Water chemistry
Water should be given careful consideration when performing ''gongfu'' tea. Water which tastes or smells bad will adversely affect the brewed tea. However, distilled or extremely soft water should never be used as this form of water lacks minerals, which will negatively affect the flavor of the tea and so can result in a "flat" brew. For these reasons, most tea masters will use a good clean local source of spring water. If this natural spring water is not available, bottled spring water will suffice. Yet high content mineral water also needs to be avoided. It is said that
hard water
Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of limestone, chalk or gypsum, which are largely made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbo ...
needs to be filtered although the mineral content of even very hard water is
solvated, and no amount of filtering will affect it.
Temperature
During the process of ''gongfu'' tea, the tea preparer will determine the appropriate temperature for the tea being used in order to extract the desired flavors and aromas. This temperature must be reached and maintained. The water temperature depends on the type of tea used.
Guidelines are as follows:
* for
green tea. is typical.
* for
white tea
White tea may refer to one of several styles of tea which generally feature young or minimally processed leaves of the ''Camellia sinensis'' plant.
Currently there is no generally accepted definition of white tea and very little internationa ...
. is typical.
* for
oolong tea. is typical.
* for
red
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
tea. is typical.
* for
dark
Darkness, the direct opposite of lightness, is defined as a lack of illumination, an absence of visible light, or a surface that absorbs light, such as black or brown.
Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low lu ...
tea. is typical.
* or near-boiling to fully-boiling for
pu'er, a subcategory of dark tea produced in
Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...
and considered independent of other fermented teas.
** is typical for young raw pu'er. Higher temperatures can provoke intense bitterness.
**, fully-boiling, is typical for aged raw pu'er and ripe pu'er.
Yixing teapots are an ideal choice for these teas since they retain heat better than porcelain.
Generally, cooler water is best for less-oxidized varieties such as green teas and
Taiwan oolongs. Hotter water is suitable for more heavily-oxidized teas (e.g., red tea), as well as fermented teas like pu'er. Lower temperatures highlight sweetness and smoothness but may not extract the full potential of darker teas, while higher temperatures emphasize brightness and intensity but can "scald" light, delicate teas, leading to excessive
astringency and/or bitterness.
The temperature of the water can be determined by timing, as well as the size and the sizzling sound made by the air bubbles in the kettle.
* At , the bubbles formed are known as "crab eyes" and are about in diameter. They are accompanied by loud, rapid sizzling sounds.
* At , the bubbles, which are now around in diameter and accompanied by less frequent sizzling sounds and a lower sizzling pitch, are dubbed "fish eyes".
* When the water is boiling, neither the formation of air bubbles nor sizzling sounds occurs.
At high altitudes, water boils at lower temperatures, so the above temperature ranges should be adjusted.
Tools and equipment
Below is a list of the main items used in a ''gongfu'' tea ceremony in Taiwan, known there as ''laoren cha'' ().
# Brewing vessel such as a teapot () made from clay, porcelain, and glass such as a
Yixing teapot
Yixing clay teapots (), also called Zisha teapot (), are made from Yixing clay. This traditional style commonly used to brew tea originated in China, dating back to the 15th century, and are made from clay produced near Yixing in the eastern ...
, or a ''
gaiwan
A (; ) or () is a Chinese lidded bowl without a handle, used for the infusion of tea leaves and the consumption of tea. It was invented during the Ming dynasty. It consists of a bowl, a lid, and a saucer.
History
Prior to the Ming dynasty ...
''. Gongfu brewing vessels are almost always smaller than Western ones, often with a liquid capacity between 60 and 200 mL. The small size allows for a high ratio of tea to water and, thus, maximum control of flavor.
# Tea pitcher () or Fairness cup (), used to hold tea after brewing and prevent over-steeping (excess
tannin
Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.
The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'' ...
extraction). Decanting brewed tea into a pitcher first rather than directly into the cups, ensures that all guests receive tea of the same strength.
# Hot water Boiler (e.g., an electric kettle)
# Tea tray or tea boat (), a wooden tray or a flat bottom porcelain plate to hold spills (spills are common). Many gongfu brewing trays feature a water reservoir as a base and a slotted top; wastewater can be poured or spilled onto these trays and is caught/stored below.
# Tea towel, often dark-colored for concealing stains.
# Tea knife or needle for separating leaves from compressed tea cakes.
# Teapot needle for clearing the teapot spout.
# Tea cups (traditionally, three are used) of matching size, typically between 25 and 100 mL. Thin, white porcelain cups are popular since they diffuse excessive heat and display the color of tea liquor accurately. The low profile of thin porcelain also allows the drinker to focus on the consistency of the tea during sipping and aerate it easily.
# Tea strainer () to separate leaf sediment from the tea liquor to be served.
# Tea presentation vessel for weighing and dispensing dry leaves, and/or a wooden tea spoon () to measure the amount of tea leaves required.
# Tea basin or bowl used as a receptacle for spent tea leaves and wastewater.
# Optional: Scale for weighing tea leaves, preferably accurate to 0.1 grams or less.
# Optional: A timer, often used by beginners to track infusion times precisely. Experienced practitioners can gauge tea preparation parameters more intuitively and are able to brew many teas "by feel."
# Optional: Kitchen thermometer (in the absence of a temperature-controlled kettle).
# Optional: Aroma cup for appreciating the tea's scent ().
# Optional: A pair of tongs or tweezers for grasping tea leaves or handling small vessels with hot water safely. Known as ''chájiā'' ( zh,
茶夹, labels=no) or in the Minnan dialects of Chaozhou and elsewhere.
# Optional: A calligraphy-style brush to spread liquid evenly over the tea tray so that tea oils are spread evenly. These oils cause a wooden tray to develop an attractive patina with repeated use.
A
tea pet
Tea Pet or Tea Lover's Pet (), also known as Chachong, is a small clay figure which is kept by some tea drinkers for good luck. They are usually made of " zisha" or Yixing clay, from the region near Yixing in Jiangsu province, China. Just like Yix ...
, often made from the same clay as a Yixing teapot, adds aesthetic appeal to a tea session.
Traditionally, these "pets" are classical Chinese figurines, such as a dragon, lion, turtle, or toad, over which tea water is poured, usually to develop a patina.
Notable masters
*
Yu Hui Tseng
Yu Hui Tseng is a Chinese tea master. She is the only female master and among the ten most recognised today. She is also currently the only tea master active outside of China. She is the founder and owner of ''La Maison des Trois Thés'' tea salo ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gongfu Tea Ceremony
Chinese tea culture
Hokkien culture
Teochew culture