Learning Column

Gongfu Tea-Everybody was Gongfu Tasting….
The word "Gongfu" not only signifies martial arts or physical discipline in Chinese, but it also activates the properties of ones own self mastery.
There are many styles of enjoying tea at its fulliest and Gongfu offers a unique take on enjoying tea with small sips of this fine beverage in an engaging and refined manner.
Where is the teapot?
To fully enjoy tea in its subtle and delicate form we use a miniature size teapot to enhance our senses and allow ourselves to focus on polished taste. Similar to fine wines Gongfu offers us a manner which centers us the following areas:

Taste - Aroma -Color –
Our pursuit for perfection and enhanced enjoyment is expressed in the preparation and service of the Gungfu Ceremony.

How to Brew and Serve Gongfu Tea-A Gungfu set includes a miniature teapot, a tea pitcher and a tea bowl to hold the teapot. Plus two sets of aroma cups and teacups on the serving plates. A tea tray or decorative mat are options to add to the service. They serve as a function of to holding all the wares and tea utensils.
1. Bring several quarts of fresh-drawn water to a full boil, then let it sit for 30 seconds.
2. Warm up the teapot by rinsing it with the hot boiled water and drain the water into the tea bowl.
3. Select your choice of leaves. measure the tea leaves with the tea scoop. Pass the tea among guests so they can enjoy the beauty of the tea's appearance before it's brewed. Fill one-third of the teapot with loose tea leaves.
4 Fill the teapot half-full with hot water. Cover with the lid for a few seconds, then pour the water out immediately. Leave the soaked leaves in the teapot. (This step helps make the tea leaves unfurl more easily).
5. Now we will begin the first brew: Fill up the teapot with hot water to its rim. Keep the lid covered and pour additional hot water over the teapot to keep it warm while the tea steeps.
6. In the meantime, warm up the teacups and aroma cups by rinsing them with hot water.
7. After steeping the tea for 30 seconds, pour all of the tea into the pitcher.
8. Pour the tea from the pitcher into the aroma cups.
9. Serve each guest a plate with an aroma cup of tea and an empty teacup.
10. Ask guests to pour the tea from the aroma cup to the teacup. Then focus on smelling the residual aroma in the aroma cup.
11 Sip the tea from the teacup and enjoy its bountiful flavor and taste.
12 For a second infusion, repeat the procedure starting from Step 7, but add 13 extra seconds to the steeping time.
13 Multiple infusions can be made from the same tea leaves. Increase the steeping time by 15 seconds for each additional steeping.