Gong Fu (工夫) can be translated as "Time and Effort". We wish to emphasize just that. While there are specific steps typically followed during a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, they are by no means the only correct way of brewing tea. It is indeed about your own effort, your own way of honoring the tea.
What Is Gong Fu Cha?
Gong fu cha is the traditional Chinese tea ceremony. A large amount of tea leaves is brewed in small vessels for a short amount of time. The same tea leaves are then re-steeped many times, depending on the tea.
When visiting a traditional Chinese tea house or purchasing Chinese teas, we are usually offered teas prepared in this manner. It takes time to master, but the basics of Gong Fu Cha are easy to learn. Once you have the right teaware, it can easily be enjoyed in the comfort of your home, at work, or even outdoors!
When brewing tea Gong Fu style, we allow for it to show itself gradually, step by step. No cup of tea is the same. With each brew, we experience new tastes and aromas. Gong Fu Cha is a slow journey filled with discovery and tranquility.
Gong Fu Tea Ceremony Steps
-
Prepare the space for Gong Fu Cha.
Ensure it is free of clutter and relatively flat to prevent tea from spilling.
For everyone, this will be their own tea spot.
Perhaps it is a low-standing coffee table in the living room, your kitchen counter, or even in your garden. Gong Fu Cha can be enjoyed anywhere.
-
Prepare everything you will need for gong fu cha:
- Your Gong Fu tea set — a teapot or gaiwan, a cha hai, and teacups.
- A Cha Pan (tea tray), or a deep bowl, and a tea cloth for catching excess water.
- Cha Dao, a set of tea utensils.
- The tea leaves.
- A kettle or thermos filled with hot water.
- A Tea Pet (optional).
-
Use the tea scoop (Cha Shao) to place the tea leaves into a special vessel (Cha He).
This is often a ceramic bowl, or sometimes a hollowed-out piece of bamboo. The Cha He is used for keeping the tea leaves before brewing. Since it is open, participants can easily get acquainted with the tea.
Allow the Cha He to circulate among the participants, with everyone taking their time to inhale the aroma of the tea and become acquainted with the leaves. Take time to note its subtleties.
-
Pre-warm the brewing vessel using hot water.
Discard the water.
-
Fill the teapot/gaiwan with the tea leaves.
The amount needed will depend on the tea. If you are not yet experienced, it is convenient to keep a small kitchen scale on hand to get the right amount of tea leaves. With time, you will have a sense of how much is enough.
-
Rinse the tea leaves (optional).
Fill the teapot until it is slightly overflowing. Tea spills are common and welcomed during the tea ceremony. Discard the first rinse. Rinsing is recommended for compressed teas like Pu-erh or tightly rolled Oolongs to help them unfurl. However, you should generally skip this step for delicate Green Teas or White Teas, as rinsing will wash away their most aromatic and nutrient-rich trichomes (tea hair. Use the rinse to wash the Cha Hai, teacups, and tea pet.
-
Fill the teapot up with water.
Fill the teapot until it is overflowing, like before. Place the tea lid on, and once again pour hot water over the outside of the teapot. This will ensure proper heat retention. Refrain from overpouring if using a Gaiwan.
-
Pour the tea into the Cha Hai.
After a few seconds (the time will vary depending on the tea), pour the brew into the cha hai, ensuring the teapot is emptied to the last drop. Optionally, use a strainer to catch small bits of tea leaves.
Emptying the teapot completely ensures that the tea leaves won’t continue steeping.
Also known as the “fairness cup”, a Cha Hai ensures that every participant gets the same cup of tea.
-
Pour the tea into each individual cup.
Slowly, ensuring that everyone receives the same amount of tea. -
Enjoy the tea.
Gong fu cha can often last up to 15 rounds, sometimes even more. Each cup will taste and smell different. Take time to observe these subtleties. Certain types of tea tend to vary substantially in aroma and taste across servings. Drinking tea gong fu style allows for the tea leaves to open up gradually, layer by layer. -
Repeat the previous steps, each time increasing the steeping time slightly.
Repeat until you feel that the tea is finished. Or until you are satisfied. There is nothing wrong with storing used tea leaves in the fridge for future rounds of gong fu cha, or even using them to make some cold-brewed tea. The perfect way to not waste tea leaves! -
Smell your cup.
After you have finished drinking your tea, take the time to smell your teacup. The aroma will often differ markedly from that of the tea itself. Offer to exchange teacups with other participants. Typically, each cup has its own scent. It is a way of peaking into the other person’s tea experience. -
Give thanks.
Take time to thank the guests for attending the tea ceremony, sharing these warm tea moments together.
How Many People Can Participate In Gong Fu Cha?
Most gong fu cha tea sets are made for 2-4 people, although some are made for 6.
Because gong fu teapots and gaiwan are relatively small, the number of participants is limited. Although it is always up to the tea master himself to determine how many people will join. It can be a solo ceremony or a ceremony for more than 6 people.
What To Do With Spent Tea Leaves?
If you have sipped everything the leaves have to offer, but you don’t wish to discard them, there are a variety of zero-waste ideas. Check out our blog post for more information.