Welcome to the world of Kung Fu tea. It’s an exquisite way to share tea. As you sit at a table the conversation may be light or excited. The tea ceremony is one of preparation and skill. Tea is prepared for you whether sitting at a refined tea table or at the counter with a tabletop tea boat. No matter how you celebrate, one thing will happen. You will be served one of the best teas you have ever tasted. You will experience a ceremony that dates back thousands of years.
The History of Gung Fu Cha or Kung Fu Tea
The Chinese tea culture dates back more than three thousand years. As we know This all started in the Tang dynasty. The tea served was generally served to those in a more noble or royal position.
The Kung Fu Tea Ceremony is most commonly known as Gung Fu Cha. The term Gong Fu Cha means “best effort or with great skill”. The skill you will need in the ceremony of Kung Fu is a very thoughtful and purposeful one. The idea of the Kung Fu Tea Service is to put your best effort and skill into one complete session. Considering all that goes into the service. Make sure your outcome is the very best tasting tea that could be. Gung Fu Cha originated during the Song Dynasty. You may think the Kung Fu Tea started in China, it seems to have its roots in Japanese ruled Taiwan.
If you travel to Chaozhou today you will find a rich history and continuing use of the Kung Fu Tea Ceremony. The people continue to perform the tea ceremony the way it was by their ancestors. This preserves the culture and carries on the tradition.
The tea arts are also known as Cha yi. Cha yi is most associated with the modern-day gong fu tea ceremony and is first mentioned in Taiwan during the 1970s.
The exact ceremony we see today is the product of many cultures coming together. Refining the process and continuing on. The three areas below have had the most influence during the Kung fu tea ceremony.
China – Because Taiwan had a connection to the Chinese tea shops the gongfu tea ceremony began to migrate to China. Today you will find the practice of Kung fu cha all over China. This began to awaken a slowly dying Chinese practice, loose leaf tea. Opening it up to more cultural awareness and use. A divine combination of different traditions. The area where it first began is called Chaozhou.
Japan – Japan’s rule of Taiwan adds its culture to the Kung Fu tradition. While we may believe that a tea ceremony had its beginning in one area and continued to grow there, we are wrong. The fact that Chinese tea ceremony of Kung Fu had been established in Taiwan and migrated to China. The ceremony was then practiced. The culture was added and then handed back to China. It is now enjoyed culturally throughout the land.
Taiwan -The local people established tea houses called chayiguan. Chayiguan means “tea art house”. People would gather together in a peaceful atmosphere. Some were even connected to nature. The tea ceremony was to be a peaceful and quiet ceremony. The surroundings will reflect that as well as the tea utensils. Taiwan was under Japanese rule and they developed the new tea art. That tea art continues today and is what we know as our modern-day Gong fu cha. That tea ceremony incorporated both tea cultures.
Made of natural bamboo material with a smooth surface and not easy to crack. The tea tray is exquisitely crafted and has a rectangular shape, which is very suitable for Kung Fu tea.
Kung Fu Tea Table
Yes, there really is such a thing. Ranging in price from a few hundred to many thousands. While many of us, including myself, are very used to seeing small tabletop tables. The same tables are used to perform the tea ceremonies.
While researching I found a few sites that offered upright Gong fu tea tables. These tables are very similar to the tables we would buy for normal dinner service in our homes. Some are plain while others are elaborate. The shape and sizes vary as well.
There are a few differences in the tables, including what we commonly see in the tabletop variety. The tables include the drainage areas for the water and tea to be poured out. As well as the water and tea to be offered to our tea pet.
Of course, you have to consider all the same things you would with a dinner table.
Color: Always an important part of the furniture decision. Natural colors or stained.
Size: I could imagine a huge table for a big tea party. Reality says smaller is better and more intimate.
Seating: From wonderful high back to comfortable bench seating. Lots of choices and designs.. Mix and match is always an option.
Material: Most tables are made from wood. Some are made with lucite or a combination of traditional and modern.
Safety: Some tables won’t work in a home with small pets or children. Corners and design have to be considered to keep our small ones safe.
After you are tired or busy at work, make a cup of tea to give yourself a soothing and peaceful journey, releasing your body's stress and tension
Tea Table Manners
Before you attend your first Kung Fu Tea Ceremony it’s good to know more about the etiquette. In most Chinese homes you will find both a table to dine in and a table to enjoy tea. Focusing on that tea table, it may appear to be simple, just a cup of tea. But that part of your visit and dinner has been given a lot of thought.
While enjoying your tea with your hosts remember these customs
There will be an introduction of the tea. Hopefully, they will ask you about your love of tea and your preferences.
Your cup will be warmed because serving tea in a cold cup is a no-no. Pouring warm water over and into your cup warms the cup and prepares it for the tea.
Teapots will not be pointed at the guests. This implies that the host wants you to leave.
Again, to not imply that the guests want you to leave. They will not fill your cups full, but instead, offer you several fillings. The appropriate amount is about 70% to keep the guests from the heat of the tea inside.
I learned this at a tea festival a few years ago. It is respectful to hand something to someone with both hands and a slight head bow. With tea, use both hands but make sure that fingers do not touch the top of the cup.
Cup pouring has an order, it should go from the eldest first to the youngest.
I love this custom. When the host is serving tea for themselves as a guest you should:
- Clench your right hand
- Point your index and middle fingers
- Slightly buckle them three times on the top of the table
This is a way of showing thanks to the host.
Kung Fu Tea Sets
The Kung Fu tea set is more than a cup and teapot! It’s also much more than a tea set. A Kung Fu Tea Set embraces the service it represents. One of grace and honor.
There are two styles of Gongfu Cha
- Modest – where the tea is served directly into the cups from the tea kettle
- Ritualistic – The use of the fairness cup is employed here
The following are the necessary parts of the Kung Fu / Gung Fu ceremony.
Hot water vessel – Kept at the perfect temperature for the tea being served.
Yixing clay teapot – An unglazed teapot that is made with clay that is from the region of Yixing. Hence the name. The teapot is cleansed with hot water and warmed. The teapot is always warmed before tea leaves are added. The
Tea scoop – Used to add leaves to the teapot
Funnel – This is used as a weight to keep the tea leaves soaked in the water
Tea strainer – Can be used to pour the tea through to capture the leaves
Nosing cup – This cup is used to give the guests to smell the tea aroma
Fairness cup – The idea of the fairness cup is for fairness in sharing the tea
Wastewater bowl – this is a bowl that is used to collect the wastewater from the teacups
Tongs – Can be used to pick up the hot nosing and tasting cups
Tea cloth – This is kept and folded to be used for wiping or holding teaware
Tasting cup – Of course the best part of the ceremony, is the time to taste the tea
Serving tray – a personal choice of the host as with all the teaware. A tray to serve the cups
Tea Boat – This is the tray you will see with drainage available
Teaspoon – used to clean the leaves out of the teapot
And last but never least.
Tea pet – This is a fun and important part of the tea ceremony. Tea water and tea are poured over the tea pet as an offering. This part of the ceremony is thought to bring good luck to the ceremony. The tea pet is a choice of the personality of the host but is made of the same material as the teapot.
Traditional Chinese design style - durable green color porcelain surface, raised lovely koi fish design, exquisite craft, easy to carry.
The Kung Fu Tea Preparation
To perform the ceremony of Kung Fu Tea takes great skill and precision. Did you know that most often it is a woman that performs the ceremony? With graceful hand movements and perfect timing of brewing a Kung Fu ceremony. It’s as much a science as an art. The atmosphere should be relaxing and calming.
The tea post that’s made from the Yixing clay will retain the aroma of the tea so should be used for only that type of tea.
The Tea preparation or ceremony is a thoughtful, artful show. The process is thought out and purposeful. Once the tea ceremony was used to serve a slow brewing lower quality tea. The idea was to show your talent in making a lower-quality tea taste amazing. Today the quality of tea can be that of luxury or lower quality. The choice of the host.
Water
The water you choose for your ceremony is always an important choice. I know at my home I’d never serve water from my tap. Our water is extremely hard and would make the tea I served with it have a hard more bitter taste. I always use filtered and purified water that still contains some mineral content. Water and tea are huge topic to be discussed later. For now, we know that natural spring water, filtered water, or bottled spring water at the very least.
Tea
The tea you choose is a personal choice. Lower grades will require more knowledge and art to prepare. A higher grade of tea will need less knowledge and skill and still produce an amazing cup of tea. What tea will you choose to share?
- Green
- Oolong
- Black
- White
- Yellow
The process of Kung Fu Cha / Gung Fu Cha
Heat your choice of water to the perfect temperature for the tea you are serving.
- Green – 167-176 degrees
- Oolong – 176-186 degrees
- Black – 210 degrees
- White – 149-158 degrees
- Yellow – 158-167 degrees
Place your teacups and all your utensils out
- Preheat your pot and cups with the hot water in the teapot using a circular motion
- You can use the fairness cup to pour the hot water in a circular motion into your nosing and drinking cups
- Empty all of the water out. Fill the teapot or gaiwan with tea leaves and awaken the tea leaves with hot water from the teapot
- The water should be poured from a height above the teapot
- Place the lid onto the teapot in a circular motion as well
- This tea’s used to share in the nosing cup, drinking cups, and as an offering to the tea pet. It’s a rinse step and not to be drunk
- At this point, the leaves are opening or open. Perfect
- Pour more water into the teapot over the leaves, use a weight to hold the tea leaves down if you choose to do that. Attaching the lid in the same manner. Pour more water over the pot to clean it and heat up the pot again
- Take the tongs and use them to pour out the liquid in the nosing and drinking cup. Then pour out the fairness cup as well
- The teapot is dried using the tea towel is used this tea is poured into the fairness cup
- Take the fairness cup and pour it into the nosing cups (each guest has their own cup) in a back and forth motion. Filling about 70% full. Never filled the entire way.
- The host then places the drinking or tasting cup over the nosing cup and swashes the water between the two. This allows the tea to be put into the tasting cup
- The host holds the nosing cup over the tasting cup and offers it to the guest
- The guest then takes that cup with both hands and lifts it to their nose, smells, and comments on the scent of the tea
- By this time the 2nd infusion of tea has begun and the ceremony repeats itself until the tea has lost its flavor
The traditional Chinese knot design can drain excess water through the gap and store the waste water in the lower tank.Chinese tea tray
Five senses of tea that should be observed
Sight
There are many different forms of tea. Tea for the Gongfu ceremony should be leaf tea. The tea should not be in a bag or infuser. The tea leaves should flow freely inside the teapot. Avoid using fannings (dust) or CTC (cut, tear, curl) teas. These will leave small particles of tea floating in the water and very hard to filter out. Also, these teas will be way too strong.
A full leaf tea that unfurls in the water is one of the most beautiful things in the tea community. So many slow-motion images of the leaves are meditative to watch. Beyond that, as the leaves unfurl a slow process of the scent of the tea is released.
Feel
We’ve decided that full tea leaves should be used. How those tea leaves feel is just as important. Tea leaves should not be so brittle they crumble in your hands. A tea leaf should be dried, yet sturdy and smooth. Of course, it should be the whole leaf curled. Once brewed a tea leaf will resemble a whole tea leaf and be smooth with a slippery feel.
Smell
Trying to smell a dry tea leaf is not a sign of how your tea will taste brewed. However, you can smell if there is mold or other contaminants in a dry tea. Use this sense to make sure the tea you are serving is fresh and pure. It should smell somewhat earthy and green. Once steeped, your tea leaves will unleash their fragrance. You should be able to smell it even while being brewed by your host.
Taste
You will know you are in the presence of an amazing tea. Remember that a sharp and talented tea brewer can make even a poor-quality tea taste amazing. Tea once brewed will have a fresh fragrance. Notes will vary depending on the tea you are drinking.
Hear
This sense is almost always left out of the ceremony. Remember that your tea ceremony is to be peaceful and meditative. The sound of the instruments. The water poured into the cups all plays into the overall mood of the Kungfu ceremony.
The classic round tea tray can both brew tea and store it. The design of round outside and square inside shows the product's seemingly sleek, but actually sturdy and durable qualities.
What is the Chaozhou Gong Fu
The Chaozhou Gongfu ceremony is less ceremonial than the tea ceremonies you would sit at today. The tea used would be local and the utensils would be simple household tools. This ceremony in words along means brewing a good-tasting tea.
Chaozhou gongfu is simple and basic. One may think it is how the tea is served amongst the family in an everyday setting. The tea from this type of service is strong and bitter. People that are used to this type of tea preparation find that Kung Fu tea ceremony tea is too weak to enjoy.
Conclusion
I have had the personal experience of a Kung Fu tea ceremony and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences. Very peaceful. Your first ceremony will be more of a learning experience. Pay attention as you watch the host prepare your tea. Know that they are offering you the best that can be offered. You feel like royalty as a cup is handed to you with two hands. As you accept that cup, first breathe in the aroma and then take that first sip.
Your whole body and all the senses smiled.
