Gong Fu brewing is a little different to making a regular cup of tea, it is experiential, experimental, a ritual, can really elevate teas, and the tea drinking experience.
What you need?
Basic set up is a gaiwan, a small jug and a tasting and sniffing cups.
- A more advanced set up would include a bamboo tray, a teapot, a strainer, several sets of cups and maybe even a tea pet.First warm your gaiwan with boiling water, swilling the water round the vessel before pouring away. (why? because putting the leaves in a warmed vessel, starts the process of warming them up and drawing out the flavour of the leaves.
- Add the leaves.
- Fill with water at the appropriate temperature.
- Steep for 30 seconds for the first steep.
- Pour first into the sniffing cup, and then into the tasting cup. Bring the sniffing cup to the nose, and inhale, then drink the tea from the tasting cup.
Repeat steps 2 to 5 extending the steep for five extra seconds each time.
Most teas will steep, three to eight times, some oolongs and pu erhs can steep into the twenty infusions, you know when leaves are spent, because the liquor will be bland with little or no body. At this point you swap the leaves or end the session.
Rough Guide:
White tea: ½ fill the gaiwan, cover with water at about 80 degrees, First steep for 30 seconds, extend each subsequent infusion by 5 seconds.
Green tea: ¼ fill the gaiwan, cover with water at about 80-85 degrees, First steep for 30 seconds, extend each subsequent infusion by 5 seconds.
Light Oolongs: ⅓ fill the gaiwan, cover with water at about 80-95 degrees, First steep for 30 seconds, extend each subsequent infusion by 5 seconds.
Darker Oolongs: ½ fill the gaiwan cover with water at about 85-95 degrees, First steep for 30 seconds, extend each subsequent infusion by 5 seconds.
Pu Erh: ⅓ fill the gaiwan rinse with boiling water and discard. Cover with boiling water, First steep for 30 seconds, extend each subsequent infusion by 5 seconds.
Black Tea: ¼-⅓ fill the gaiwan cover with water. Cover with boiling water, First steep for 30 seconds, extend each subsequent infusion by 5 seconds.
You can also use a yixing teapot which some people prefer for oolongs and pu erhs. This kind of pot should never be washed with soap and water, or it will lose this benefit and may even take on the flavor of the soap. Pots should be reserved for use with specific types of teas – one for light oolongs, one for dark oolongs, and one for pu erhs.The porous clay body absorbs the tea’s aroma, enhancing the flavor of subsequent brews.
Some people will always rinse their leaves with very hot water which is immediately discarded. In my experience it doesn’t make a noticeable difference.