Monday TeaDay 4/26/20 Gong fu and possible gender bias?

[aya_s]

It's funny that some folks mention not doing the gongfu style brewing because they're not morning people- I brew that way precisely because I'm not a morning person, either!

I find it very pleasant to blearily fill the little pot with oolong pearls, top it with hot water, and then stare numbly at the clay while the hot water on the outside steams away. It's a very gentle way to rise to full consciousness in the morning and this way I'm far less likely to wander off or fall asleep again and forget that my tea is brewing. (I do that a lot. I had to get a timer that beeps because I'd just forget hourglasses.)

[Skippyandjif]

I gong fu all of my black teas and pu-erhs, and I use a similar practice for greens and whites. It's a good way to make my favorite teas last a lot longer, which is good because I can only get tea when I go home for vacations...

On my second cup of pu-erh right now, to be followed by some longjing later tonight.

[geeber1]

Geeber I totally understand, I usually make a 16oz pot of black in the AM too, I don't have time, nor the presence of mind in the early AM for anything else

Plus, I want as much caffeine in my system as I can get in one fell swoop!

But could we still wave some signs?

As long as they say things like "TEA TEA TEA - YUM YUM YUM" and "Gong Fu it's for YOU!"

How about "Tea, Tea, It's for Me?"

[Chip]

... Maestro Pouchong ... semi gongfu style brewing ... served up in a Pink Shino Wan from our ChicagoPotter, Chris Chaney. These pieces are really more beautiful in person than in the photos. Well done Chris.

Still several pieces available as part of the TC TA SO #1! But not many.

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=12833

[artmom]

The Pink Shino piece arrived at my house today. Color more pleasing in person than it even was in the excellent photo! Nicely done, Chris!

[LauraW]

Geeber I totally understand, I usually make a 16oz pot of black in the AM too, I don't have time, nor the presence of mind in the early AM for anything else. I am NOT a morning person. But on the weekends it's nice, and at work, if there is quiet time.

Agreed, though I'm not inclined to do it at work, as I'm usually working with my hands in some respect. So... I'm with the others who've said "semi-gong fu" - it's nice when I have the time, but that's a rarity.

Started off the morning with some gunpowder (did 15secs on the steeps, that seemed to help the astringency), Caramel Delight in the afternoon, and Genmaicha with dinner! Still getting the hang of genmaicha... that and I forgot about it on the first steep, so it was pretty bitter.

[brad4419]

Male and I gong fu most of the time. At least what I call gong fu. I don't do the formal ceremony thing with turning the little cups around and stuff but I do use very small gaiwan/yixing of about 60ml packed with leaf and many short infusions. I've never brewed oolong or puerh any other way than gong fu. It just seems weird any other way.

More shan lin xi today.

[putibungsu]

I am female and gong fu oolongs and pu-erh.

Yuuki's Tenkei Tori matcha this morning and opened up sample of Shan Ling Xi Oolong from Tea from Taiwan at work. Planning on having pu-ehr shortly before going to bed.

[entropyembrace]

I´m female and brew semi-gongfu...I´m limited by my hardware...I have a 250ish ml glass pot that I brew everything in...but I really load it with leaf to get stronger and more infusions xD

someday I will buy a gaiwan...if these damn leaves stop taking all my money

[chittychat]

I am a male and brew gongfu depending on the type of tea.

[cinnabar]

Perhaps the mistake is being made in assuming that any tea brewed in lesser amounts with multiple small steeps as "gong fu." I think those of us who occassionally drink gyokuro steep this way, but would not call it gongfu brewing.

Thank you. The name of my blog (Gongfu Girl) reveals both my gender and preferred brewing method (although I didn't give the blog its name), but I would never define gong fu in such simple terms, as it is a specific set of practices that vary regionally based on which part of China they were developed in.

As you mentioned, the tea/water/time ratios for gyokuro (and high-grade sencha) are similar, but they are definitely not gong fu because the teas, tea wares and traditions are Japanese. Applying a specific Chinese term to a Japanese tea practice wouldn't make any sense. Depending on the accompanying tools and protocols the method would be a variation of sencha-do.

[entropyembrace]

But could we still wave some signs?

As long as they say things like "TEA TEA TEA - YUM YUM YUM" and "Gong Fu it's for YOU!"

Mine ish going to say "TEA is a drink NOT a name for nazis!"