My experience with Gong Fu

[hop_goblin]

Even when buying expensive stuff I let my experience tell me if it was worth the money, not my scales. Done out of 1.5 grams but had two mindblowing gong-fu sessions, who cares.

I have friends who insist on weighing other things bought by the gram, I've never really seen the point.

Looks about right? Had a good night? All is well.

Scales say yes? Night was rubbish? All is not well.

Again it's horses for courses some people just like measuring stuff and some don't. I don't even get the three breaths and whatnot, my breathing varies far more than my tea tastes.

Where's Tenuki? He's usually good for a scale rant.

For a minute I thought I was reading Dr. Suess. If you are indeed brewing decent tea with only using 1.5g you should let me know where you got it as this is a freaking miracle! Either 1. you you like it light and flimsy with no taste at all or you are brewing in a thumble. By the way, my scale doesn't inform me if a pu is good or not, it just reveals how much is going into my pot.

[Proinsias]

Sorry, badly worded. When saying 'done out of 1.5 grams' I meant getting 8.5g instead of 10g, for example.

I usually take my tea on the strong side. Espresso drinking friends have on occasion commented that my brews would 'take the face of you' to use a local phrase.

[hop_goblin]

Sorry, badly worded. When saying 'done out of 1.5 grams' I meant getting 8.5g instead of 10g, for example.

I usually take my tea on the strong side. Espresso drinking friends have on occasion commented that my brews would 'take the face of you' to use a local phrase.

I was getting confused only because I figured you to be a savvy tea drinker and when you mentioned 1.5g I was like . As for your taste, the face off type of liquors, awwh a man after my own heart! Indeed

[britt]

Until a few months ago, I've never heard of the gong fu method of brewing tea. I've just used on of those "tea balls" and didn't care about how to brew tea better. After discovering this forum and spending time reading about gong fu, as well as other webpages, I bought a gaiwan & cup set, as well as a small yixing pot online from China, wanting to try this method of brewing.

After I received my set and having done quite a few sessions, I can say that EVERYONE who likes drinking tea should try this. Even if you're not into super-obscure chinese teas, the gong fu method can brew almost any tea in a nearly perfect way. It also seems that you can do much less wrong in brewing the tea, since you brew it for such short periods and use little water. I think a scale is really helpful for finding out how much leaf to use, but any ordinary kitchen scale will do.. I use 5g in my 100mL gaiwan. I have tried green tea, oolong tea, black tea, flavored black tea and even rooibos, and it has all worked. Oolong seems even better when I do it in the yixing pot, and I will get another one for black tea as well.

Another nice experience with gong fu was that it got my little daughter who is 2 years into tea. Since the cups and the pitcher are really small, she can serve her own tea and it cools down fast enough for her to drink 3-4 of those small cups.

Now I can't seem to live without 1 or 2 gong fu sessions a day.. And my tea tray is on its way.

Very well stated! I had thought I was brewing gong-fu style but was laughed at by the local Chinese restaraunt owner when he found out what I was calling gong fu. He then explained how to do it correctly, gave me some guidlines to use as a starting point, and I've never gone back to my previous methods. They were okay, but real gong fu was quite a step up. It can also be very addictive, as you've found out. I think this is one of the better habits one can acquire.

I think it's great to get your daughter involved in tea at such a young age. Some may disagree, but tea has to be better than soft drinks, almost all of which are loaded with high fructose corn syrup and aspartame. She'll be a gong fu expert by the time she's five!

[britt]

you guys really think that some dude up there in the mountains of yunnan who has been drinking pu erh teas when you were still inside your mom's womb, that he is going to carefully weigh his teas, control his water temperature and other parameters when he drinks tea? i doubt it.

The dude on that mountain probably will control everything, but with feeling and experience instead of gadgets. He will also be more able to adapt to unexpected changes rather than be locked into a rigid procedure that may not be the best choice under all circumstances. I think his tea will taste better because it is brewed with spirit, not robotics.

yes, he goes by tuition, he knows after many many years of drinking tea. i know by eye now how much to use for certain cakes for such amount of water for such a length steeping time. i don't need a weighing scale. i don't need a wooden spoon made out of bamboo. just grab some teas, throw in the pot, pour water and steep and then sip the wonderful tea.

Using all of the available measuring and timing gadgets should produce consistent, good-tasting cups of tea, but through a very rigid and robotic process that I personally feel takes away from the spirit of tea. I think using these methods actually restricts one from further improvement. Such a regimented procedure would greatly diminish my enjoyment of tea and teaware, but this is certainly an individual choice and there isn't just one correct way.

[augie]

you guys really think that some dude up there in the mountains of yunnan who has been drinking pu erh teas when you were still inside your mom's womb, that he is going to carefully weigh his teas, control his water temperature and other parameters when he drinks tea?
peace.

I feel the same way HD. However, those are fightin' words fer some on this forum!!!

Shoot, tea parties w/my then 3 yr old dtr is what got me into this mess!

My 6 y.o. boy is becoming quite the "Oolong Bandit". He will not take his own cup, only drink from mine. He will drink the rest of my cup once it cools, and tell me I should fill it up. He will have 2-3 cups/wk. I have even brewed a weak "sacrificial" cup with a little honey and he has caught on and goes after my cup.

One of my co-workers brought her daughter to work 2 wks ago with a 20 oz. sunkist orange soda! For Breakfast!!! A few cups of tea is better than pop.

[Mary R]

Aw! Your oolong bandit sounds adorable! I've got a little brother who's quite the accomplished tea thief...but he's 15, so it's more exasperating than anything else. 15 and he's afraid of a little hot water! Pansy.

[heavydoom]

kudos to those who are exposing their young kids to the wonders of freshly brewed teas. we should not be drinking anything out of cans these days. the things we sacrifice in the name of convenience!!

down with laziness!