It's All About Tea — gong fu cha

If you are on the path of brewing loose-leaf teas and learning Gong Fu Cha, you have undoubtedly heard of yixing clay teapots. You start browsing the subject and find bits and pieces of information full of marketing hype, often conflicting, leaving you even more confused.

We hope this article will help you better understand yixing clay, figure out which type of yixing teapot you need, why you need it, and what to pay attention to when shopping for one. (Read more)

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)

Many Gong Fu tea brewers divide into two categories: the ones who prefer to only use gaiwan; and the ones who stick with the trusty dusty teapot. Of course, there's also a third category — those who use both. We see ourselves as the third category. 

When using the gaiwan some things which may be intimidating are the hot water temperature and the unusual way of gripping this tea vessel. Sure, using a teapot will usually ensure that your fingers don't get burned. However, if you follow the steps to properly using a gaiwan, the chances of burning yourself are just as minimal as with a teapot! (Read more)

The Chinese Tea Ceremony. Gong Fu Cha. In the West, we have all developed certain connotations behind these phrases, and for most of all, the image we get when we hear Chinese tea ceremony is the same. A gaiwan or yixing teapot filled to the brim with tea leaves, some small teacups, a tea table with some tea utensils, and a tea pet. Indeed, the vast majority of us will get the same image in our minds when we hear Gong Fu Cha. The Chinese tea ceremony is almost comparable to Chinese food in the US. Is American Chinese food the same food you will find being served in China? No. It is the same with the Chinese tea ceremony. Not everyone in China practices what we nowadays refer to by this term. Furthermore, modern day Gong Fu Cha is not purely Chinese. (Read more) 

Chaozhou in Guangdong province is an enticing area of China holding mountains of tea traditions, literally. The city of Chaozhou is near Phoenix Mountain, the birthplace of aromatic Dan Cong Oolongs. There, the tea bushes grow semi-wild on high elevations amid fragrant fruit gardens.

Gong Fu Cha is a Chinese tea brewing practice that emerged in Chaozhou during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). It emphasizes small brewing vessels, a high leaf-to-water ratio, and several brief infusions using the same tea leaves. 

In other parts of China, you may find plenty of people practicing various tea brewing methods, like grandpa-style tea or western brewing. However, in Chaozhou, tea drinkers prefer to stick to their roots. Even today, the province’s tea traditions are highly treasured and preserved, playing an integral part in the community's social life. If you happen to be in a locals' presence for long enough, they are likely to treat you to Gongfu style tea. (Read more)