Thread: Tea anyone ??!!

OK, now a serious question. I profess utter ignorance; it's been decades since I paid close attention to tea. Is there a reason for tiny teapots? Do you get a different sort of brew inside a smaller vessel? Are there particular pairings of tea and vessel?

Respectfully curious.

only tea for me yesterday was some iced tea with fresh picked mint brewed with it. then you add the lemon and sugar, mmmm gallons dont last long in my house that way.

Originally Posted by razorguy

It looks like a Gong Fu Teapot. Do you like making Gong Fu tea?

Yes I really like the gong fu tea. I drink every day.

Originally Posted by roughkype

OK, now a serious question. I profess utter ignorance; it's been decades since I paid close attention to tea. Is there a reason for tiny teapots? Do you get a different sort of brew inside a smaller vessel? Are there particular pairings of tea and vessel?

Yes, it makes a big difference. Over the centuries Gong Fu tea became a sort of "ceremony", however different from the more formal Japanese "Cha No yu" (which however takes its origin from Chinese tea ceremony, not from Gonf Fu tea, though. As a matter of fact, tea was introduced in Japan by two monks after a journey in China).
Gong Fu tea is not however small teapots only and not all the tea is suitable for Gong Fu tea making. Not only the way you brew tea, but also the way you drink tea. Small teapots and very small teacups, a little bigger than a thimble.
Compared to "regular" tea brewing, in Gonf Fu tea, you usually use a greater quantity of leaves therefore making a very strong and intense beverage. This is also the reason for the tiny cups.
Gong Fu tea making has however pros and cons. This technique reveals some characteristics of tea whereas others cannot develop at all, on the contrary, the same can be said for "regular" tea brewing. That's why not all the teas are suited for Gong Fu tea making.

Originally Posted by fonthunter

Yes I really like the gong fu tea. I drink every day.

Great! What tea do you usually use for Gong Fu?

Greetings from Italy! I am having a Huang Di Pu Erh in this very moment....

Originally Posted by razorguy

Great! What tea do you usually use for Gong Fu?

Greetings from Hungary, my friend!
I brewing kung fu tea from various green, oolong, red and (especially) ripe Pu Erh teas.
Do you have any ideas on which is especially suitable for Kung Fu Tea?

Cheers,
Béla

Originally Posted by fonthunter

Do you have any ideas on which is especially suitable for Kung Fu Tea?

Pu Erh and Wu Long are the teas mainly used for Gong Fu. Also green tea can be good, provided you use good quality tea with a pretty good aroma, such as Long Jing, for example.
Among Wu Long, you could try Dong Ding and Da Hong Bao. Some also use Hong Cha, including Bai Lin (what we westerners call black tea) but in my opinion it is not the best tea for Gong Fu.

Cheers and enjoy tea!

Thank you Razorguy!
I have a 2011 Organic Taiwan JimXuan Milk Dong Ding Oolong Tea and I love the aroma.

Originally Posted by fonthunter

Thank you Razorguy!

You're welcome!

Originally Posted by fonthunter

I have a 2011 Organic Taiwan JimXuan Milk Dong Ding Oolong Tea and I love the aroma.

Jin Xuan, you know it is a relatively recent tea: I am sure you know it is the result of a recent varietal selection and breeding made in Taiwan. It is a lightly roasted tea giving the leaves its characteristic "Nai Xiang" aroma and texture, that is "milk fragrance" (Nai = milk, Xiang = fragrance).
It should be said this variety was created in order to have a tea resistant to the common tea tree diseases and it can produce a huge yield of buds and leaves, like to say, it is a "technological modern tea", result of many researches and study (technically speaking, this tea is also known as "Taiwan number 12"). However, when properly cultivated and pruned, it gives a pleasing tea.

Do you use Jin Xuan Nai Xiang for Gong Fu?

Originally Posted by razorguy

Do you use Jin Xuan Nai Xiang for Gong Fu?

Unfortunately, I do not know this, but I found a merchant in Debrecen (Hungary) and I'll try it.