Gongfu Infusion/ Chapter 1: The Basics

for more of your tea

Making tea in the gongfu style is NOT a tea ceremony. It is a way to maximize the taste and health benefits of a tea selection, especially a finer one. The teaware employed may look different to some people, but they are just tea’s equivalent to such specialized ware as the espresso pots or wine glass. The process may seem complicated to some people, but they are as instrumental to a finely made cup of tea as the attention needed in poaching an egg, or making a salad.

In another word, this is just a more skilful way to enjoy tea.

the fundamental steps: a slide show

Since we have been using the analogy, the skill levels in gongfu tea infusion approach can be understood as the skill difference between making a cup of distilled coffee and a fine cup of espresso. However, tea is a little different because the difference in the great varieties of tea is much larger than that in different types of coffee beans; working out the difference requires some experiments and understanding. It is not as difficult as becoming a Michelin star chef though, most people can achieve great results with some practices.

There is a great advantage in gongfu tea making other than the taste. It takes much less time to enjoy the first cup than the standard 5 or 6 minutes to make a pot of tea, usually less than a minute. Some teas, such as bouquet style Phoenix oolongs, actually delivers better of their health properties when infused in the gongfu method. Strong character teas, such as Puers, are also more malleable this way. Fine green teas, when given a skillful infusion, can attain taste profiles unachievable in conventional method.

However, let’s begin by learning some important basics in this chapter.

What you’ll need

Basic Tea Ware for Gongfu Infusion

1. A tea selection which you want to explore (post-fermented teas, gongfu black teas, and oolongs have more room for exploration)
2. A Yixing teapot, porcelain teapot, or a gaiwan. It may be easier for beginners to use one between 160 to 180 ml capacity (when completely filled). Migrate to either lower or higher capacity when you have better control over the tools and the tea.
3. A hot water source, e.g. an electric kettle etc
4. An infusion table, or a deep, flat bottom porcelain plate to hold spills (there will be spills)
5. A dark colour tea towel
6. Matching size tea cups
7. A timer
8. A scale
9. optional: a kitchen thermometer
10. optional: A chahai, or any matching size decanting vessel
11. optional: A strainer
12. optional: tea picks for clearing the teapot spout, and clearing tealeaves etc
13. optional: tea leaf holder for weighing and dispensing
14. optional: A bowl as the receptacle for used tealeaves and refuse water

The basic steps are presented in the slide show. Try it until you get results that satisfy yourself. Then we’ll go on to the next level in the next chapter.

For details of tea to water ratio, temperature requirements for water, and timing for gongfu infusion, click <here>.

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