February 2023 brought Passport 2023 to China.
I was excited to share about the Chinese tea ceremony. I have gone to one class and I had Gong fu once in a shop- so I am not an expert by any means, I watched a bunch of YouTube videos. There was a lot of information out there. The research was super interesting.
Gong fu tea was originally drank by labors, blacksmiths. They lighted charcoal in a stove and had a clay pan on the stove to make the tea. It is now in every household.
Gong Fu- means tea with skill
Cha= tea
smaller vessels give you more control in making tea - at the end of the day, it's all about the taste
I went to Ohio Tea in Canton, Ohio and purchased 3 teas.
Kurt was super helpful on picking out teas that would be good for Gong fu. You don't want just any tea, you want a good quality tea- a tea that changes as you steep it. You want to taste the different notes and nuances.
When doing an eastern style tea, you won't want to pay any attention to the steeping and water temps on the box/canister.
Red Oolong has a medium roast giving it its chocolaty and fruity aroma and its sweet taste.
Red oolong is a variety unique to the southeastern county of Taitung, home to one of the youngest tea-making regions in Taiwan. Red Oolong is considered a "new tea" and its process was born in 2008 by the Tea Research and Extension Station and a small group of farmers in Taiwan. The group was focused on developing a unique, quality tea. Red Oolong's process, allows the tea to be more forgiving of fluctuations in the raw product and a more consistent flavor. Its defining characteristic is its oxidation time, the longest of any oolongs. Red Oolongs are oxidized to 65 to 75%. Just as important as the oxidation level is the roasting time which gives it its roasted chocolaty flavor.
Variatal: Four seasons
Hand-picked, natural farming methods
Elevation: 450 - 500m (1,476 - 1,640ft)
Ingredients:
Organic Compliant Red Oolong
Tie Guan Yin is sweet and thick with a hint of orchid aftertaste. The look of this brew is a subtle yellowish-green, and the first steeping unfurls the rolled tea leaf to reveal large, juicy green leaves. This oolong holds up to a surprising number of re-steepings, rewarding the palette with various incarnations of sweet, smooth, tangy, and lively flavors.
The name Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) came from a farmer named Mr. Wei. At the temple dedicated to Guan Yin he was asked what is the name of his special tea. It must be called Ti Kuan Yin in honor of the iron statue to Guan Yin he replied. As the name was a good one, it has never been changed.
Ingredients:
Tie Guan Yin oolong tea
Origin:
Imported Directly: Anxi, Fujian, China
2003 WangXia "Puerh Fang Cha" (Square Brick) 100g Puerh Sheng Cha Raw Tea
A hard pressed small cake with high ratio of young tea buds and tiny leaves according to blend recipe of the well known "92 Fang Zhuan" (92's Square Brick by Menghai tea factory).
Minor bitterness and astringency.
Mellow and smooth.
Spring water like returning sweetness.
Tea flavors well mixed into water.
Lingering aftertaste is refreshing and with a quite slight smoky flavor.
Well recommended for improving tea experience.
Guangzhou natural storage
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I am ready for everyone to come!!!
I showed the typical ceremony and then everyone was given a gaiwan cup to use. This way they would be able to taste the notes and experience the eastern tea style of drinking tea.
The Eastern Style of brewing tea- Gong Fu- is more about the tea itself. Where some say the Western style way of brewing is more about the sweets you have with the tea. You are getting more tannins and bitterness with this kind of tea.
You brew tea either in the small yixing tea pot or the Gaiwan Bowl (Gaiwan has the lid- you can use your lid to stir the leaves, then hault the steep time by decanting or pouring into the fairness pot then into the smaller cups)
Tea Process....
Pour water into the teapot and tea ware that you will be using, like over the cups, smelling cup, fairness pot, and tasting bowls- this is where the tray comes in handy. This gets the cups warm, also cleans them, and opens up the teas aroma
open the tea container, smell the tea, examine the tea
put tea in the tea infuser with the scoop
pour water into the fairness pot for a few seconds to rinse the tea
smell the first brew, we don't drink the first brew
pour over the cups and to the tea pet
2nd brew is what you drink
your tea leaves will be bloomed- add more water - steep for maybe 15- 20 seconds.
high quality tea does not take long to brew
put the filter on the pot and transfer the tea in there- it stops the steeping
pour the teas into the tea cups- you serve your guests with the tongs- handing the cup to them using the tongs.
You put your tea in the tall smelling cup and them pour it into the tasting bowl.
You smell the smelling cup first.
enjoy the taste- sip the tea (don't gulp) slurping loudly shows your appreciation
make the next brew...you can brew 3-5 times, it will vary, and then you start to loose the flavors
first brew is the lightest- it introduces your pallet to the tea
temp- darker the tea, the hotter the water.
Black tea- 212 degrees
green and white teas 170-185 degrees
Oolong 185-200 degrees
Pu-erh 212 degrees- if using a cake, try not to break the leaves, whole leaves usually gives higher quality infusions
the older the tea, the more valuable.
Each time you see the oolong leaves unfurl more and more.
Everyone had a Gaiwan tea set, plate for treats, a spoon to gather the loose leaf tea, a bowl to throw out the used tea, and a stamp for their passport.
The 9 am class was super fun and filled with lots of laughter!!! I had two mother daughter pairs. They had a lot of fun making and trying the tea.
We were taught to admire the leaves. That is what they were doing here...
Earl Grey hung out under the table for the 11 am class.
I had 7 for the 11 am class. They had fun too. It was great to see everyone get into the process and try everything.
I showed the Chinese Tea Ceremony and taught about the processes and traditions.
Again, for these classes I had two mother daughter pairs.
Come in March and learn about Chai.
Psalm 96:3
Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!
