May 22nd, '06, 11:38
Posts: 1936
Joined: May 22nd, '06, 11:28
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hop_goblin
Gongfu Cha - Kungfu Cha
Hi, am am new to tea and really would like to pic up Gongfu Cha or meditating. My question is, I see that their are two styles for the Ceremony; one with a bowl and one with a tray. I am wondering which of the two is the more correct. I understand that one washes the tea and aroma cups with a fair cup (after the water is poured into it from the teapot). while the other does not use the fair cup at all but dumps the first fusion water into a bowl or tray. Can anyone help me with this?
Well.... a few things
First, it's not really a ceremony -- the point is the tea, how it tastes, etc, and the whole process is geared towards that -- making good tea. For some it is somewhat meditative, but to lose focus and to concentrate on the form rather than the function is sort of missing the point. This is not like the Japanese ceremony.
I'm not sure what you mean by the bowl question. Do you mean the part where some people have the pot on the tray, and others have it in a bowl like thing? Both are fine. In fact, most people who put it in the bowl will have a tray underneath. The tray's only purpose is to hold water that's dumped and to get wet during the process. The bowl is regularly emptied during the entire process, and it helps retain heat by having the hot water stay around the pot, but is really entirely optional.
Unless, of course, you mean people dumping excess water into a big bowl like thing. That is basically the same use as a tray, and really... no difference. Whatever works best for you.
If you're using a yixing pot, you should pour the first wash into a container or some sort, warm the cups you'll drink with it, and then redump the water over the pot while you're brewing the first infusion (for drinking). This is for seasoning the pot's exterior.
First, it's not really a ceremony -- the point is the tea, how it tastes, etc, and the whole process is geared towards that -- making good tea. For some it is somewhat meditative, but to lose focus and to concentrate on the form rather than the function is sort of missing the point. This is not like the Japanese ceremony.
I'm not sure what you mean by the bowl question. Do you mean the part where some people have the pot on the tray, and others have it in a bowl like thing? Both are fine. In fact, most people who put it in the bowl will have a tray underneath. The tray's only purpose is to hold water that's dumped and to get wet during the process. The bowl is regularly emptied during the entire process, and it helps retain heat by having the hot water stay around the pot, but is really entirely optional.
Unless, of course, you mean people dumping excess water into a big bowl like thing. That is basically the same use as a tray, and really... no difference. Whatever works best for you.
If you're using a yixing pot, you should pour the first wash into a container or some sort, warm the cups you'll drink with it, and then redump the water over the pot while you're brewing the first infusion (for drinking). This is for seasoning the pot's exterior.
May 23rd, '06, 11:22
Posts: 1936
Joined: May 22nd, '06, 11:28
Location: Trapped inside a bamboo tong!
Contact:
hop_goblin
Thanks
Hi, thanks for the good information! And yes, tea is the reason for the season ( of a yixing tea pot that is) Ciao