It's All About Tea — brewing instructions
Gong Fu Cha – A Complete Guide to the Chinese Art of Tea
Posted by Angelina Kurganska on
Gong Fu Cha (工夫茶), or Gongfu Tea, is a Chinese way of brewing tea with a small vessel, a generous amount of leaves, and many short infusions. Instead of making one large pot, you brew the same leaves again and again, watching the flavor change from one steep to the next.
The name is often translated as “tea made with skill” or “making tea with effort.” In practice, it means paying attention to teaware, the water, the timing, the changes in tea, and how the tea makes you feel.
Compared with Western-style brewing, Gong Fu Cha uses more leaf and less water. A session may begin with a 5–10 second infusion, then continue for many rounds. This method is useful for loose-leaf teas that can reveal different layers over time.
You do not need a large or expensive setup to begin. A gaiwan or small teapot, a sharing pitcher, a few cups, and good tea are enough. The rest can come later. (Read more)
Japanese Green Teas And Water Quality
Posted by Angelina Kurganska on
Unlike many Chinese teas that can generally withstand harsher conditions, Japanese teas are well known for their fine qualities. Using water that is too hot can ruin the entire brew. Many people don't take into account how the quality of the water itself can also harshen the final taste of Japanese tea. (Read more)
The Complete Guide To Japanese Cold-Brew And Iced Tea
Posted by Angelina Kurganska on
As much as we love our daily gong fu tea, the summer days are only getting hotter. We know sometimes as much as you’d like to enjoy a quiet moment with your tea pet, brewing up pot after pot of delicious loose leaf tea, the heat can make the practice unbearable. At times like this, we switch to our favorite summer-time tea brewing method — cold brewed tea! (Read more)
The Top 5 Tea Brewing Methods: How To Brew Different Types of Tea
Posted by Angelina Kurganska on
There are many ways of making a delicious cup of quality loose leaf tea. Luckily for us, the methods required to brew the perfect cup have been meticulously studied over the past centuries. Listed are the 5 main methods of brewing loose leaf teas. (Read more)
How To Brew Loose Leaf Tea: Tea Rinse Or No Tea Rinse?
Posted by Angelina Kurganska on
There is one thing that almost everyone learns first when getting into the world of loose leaf teas — dump out the first brew! This is when we pour hot water over the tea leaves we are about to brew, and immediately pour it out before getting to drink it. It can also be referred to as “rinsing” your tea, “washing,” or “blanching” it. (Read more)