 Cha
Dao: The Way of Tea
Oolong Tea Preparation, Gong Fu Style
By Eric Schanke, LAc, Brenton Harvey, LAc, CH, and Hong Ji
There is an ever-increasing awareness of the healthful properties of
tea. Modern science continues to elucidate the specific chemical compounds
that appear to be the active ingredients in tea. However, what of the
tea drinking ritual itself? Is it possible that spending some time every
day preparing the tea, according to time-honored traditions, might also
be beneficial? One gets a break from the stresses of the day, an appreciation
of the aroma of a fine-grade, single-leaf tea, and hopefully, good conversation
with friends. Perhaps traditional methods of brewing also release some
as yet undiscovered constituent of the tea leaf.
So many things in Chinese culture, and especially in traditional Chinese
medicine, have appeared at first to be no more than folklore and superstition,
and have later had their merit proven by modern science. Perhaps it might
be prudent to stay with the traditional methods until we are sure there
is a better way. It is in this spirit that the present article is written.
It is meant to be an introduction to the enchanting world of Chinese tea
- particularly to the methods and equipment of tea brewing.
Methods of brewing tea are as varied as the regions of China itself.
However, there is some common ground and common equipment. First, let's
look at the various components of the tea aficionado's equipage, then
look at one style of using them. Also bear in mind that many of the accouterments
are chosen not only for their practical value, but for their esthetics.
In addition, many of the pieces are used only during more formal services,
not for the daily preparation of one's tea (although they could be).
Tea Equipment
The teapot. This is the heart and soul of any tea brewing. There
are two main types, clay and porcelain. The finest clay pots are thought
to come from the city of Yi Xing in Jiang Su province. In the world of
tea, you will constantly hear about Yi Xing (or Yixing) teapots, cups,
etc. The high iron content and beauty of this city's clay makes it famous;
it can range in color naturally from yellow to orange, purple and brown.
The porosity of the clay also allows it to absorb the essence of the tea
that is brewed in it slowly. Over time, the matured pot can actually improve
the taste of the tea in which it is brewed. Many devout tea drinkers will
have separate teapots, with each one used exclusively for a particular
type of tea. This also provides a great excuse for the hobby of collecting
teapots!
The care of the teapot also is specific, but is based more on conscious
neglect than sanitary diligence. Because the Yi Xing pot should absorb
the various components of the tea, it is imperative that it is never washed
with soap and water. All that is necessary for the maintenance of the
pot is to remove any old tea leaves, give it a good rinsing with boiling
water, then let it dry naturally. Porcelain pots, in contrast, do not
absorb any of the tea. This can be handy if you do not want to have a
separate teapot for each type of tea. In addition, they can be washed
normally with soap and water.
The tea tray. When brewing tea, many styles will "season" the
pot: After the pot is filled with water and capped, the whole of the pot
is doused with boiling water. During this process, the effluent water
must go somewhere - that's the purpose of the tea tray. Its design and
construction allow the ware to flow beneath the surface of the tray, preventing
water from puddling upon its surface. The tea tray can be composed of
various materials, with bamboo, wood and stainless steel the most popular.
The pitcher/decanter. When using high-grade teas, the infusion
time becomes critical. A 10-second difference can literally make or break
many teas. If serving tea to a group, the time it takes to pour the tea
from the first person's cup to the sixth person's cup may take 20 or 30
seconds. This would result in completely different infusion times for
the different guests. Who would risk insulting the palate of a tea guest,
or of showing a prized tea in a bad light? So, when the proper infusion
time has been reached, the tea must be poured out immediately. By pouring
the tea into the pitcher, separating the infusion from the tea leaf, the
infusion is stopped and one can fill the individual tea cups from the
pitcher at one's leisure.
The strainer. When filling the pitcher, many will choose to filter
the infusion with a strainer to remove any small or loose pieces of leaf
that may have made their way out of the teapot.
Snifter cups. These are used to appreciate the aroma of the brewed
tea. During a formal tea brewing, the infusion is poured from the pitcher
into the snifter cups, then the teacup proper is placed upside-down on
the snifter cup. With a deft movement of the hand, the snifter/teacup
combo is inverted, transferring the infusion to the teacup (hopefully
without too much spillage of the infusion!). The empty snifter cup is
then used to appreciate the aroma of the infusion by holding it up to
the nose or actually inserting one's nose into the snifter cup. With high-grade
teas, the aroma will go through a delightful transformation over the 30
seconds or more that the snifter cup is smelled. All of this increases
the sensory appreciation of the infusion and prepares the palate for the
drinking of the actual tea.
Teacups. The vessel from which one drinks the tea. These are
much smaller than their Western counterparts, generally holding just an
ounce or two.
 The
tool kit. These items are generally kept together in a vase-like utensil.
Some of them are not used often, but think of how impressive your knowledge
of tea will be!
A scoop. This is used so that a standard amount of tea leaf can
be measured for your infusion. Depending on the type of tea leaf, the
scoop usually holds between 3 grams and 9 grams of tea leaf.
A pusher stick. This can be used in conjunction with the scoop
to gently push the tea leaf out of the scoop and into the teapot. It can
also be used to remove spent tea leaves from the pot when cleaning, and
it looks better than using your finger in front of your guests! It's not
used very often, though.
A pick. This can be used if the leaves become lodged in the teapot's
spout. It can also be used to unplug the drain hole on the tea tray. Like
the pusher stick, it is not used often.
Tongs. Tongs are used during the warming process to handle the
hot cups while pouring out the hot water.
A funnel. A funnel facilitates filling the teapot with leaves,
because most of the teapots are so diminutive that filling them with your
prized oolong tea can be challenging.
Gong Fu Style Tea Preparation
There are numerous ways to brew tea. This is an introduction to one style
referred to as Gong Fu. This style is commonly used for brewing
oolong tea. Bear in mind that three critical factors affect the taste
and strength of the tea infusion:
· Water temperature. The hotter the water, the more quickly the tea infuses.
Just off the boil is appropriate for oolong, but it can negatively affect
the brewing of more delicate teas, such as green teas (and especially
white teas).
· Infusion time. The longer the infusion time, the stronger the resulting
tea. If you use a large quantity of leaf, a shorter brewing time is appropriate.
In general, green teas, because of the lower water temperature, require
a longer brewing time. Also, the infusion time for oolong is often critical.
When using a sizable quantity of leaf, the first pot might only be infused
for 30 to 40 seconds, the second pot for 40 to 50 seconds, and the third
pot for 50 to 60 seconds. These times are approximate and left to individual
tastes and preferences.
· Amount of tea leaf. The more tea leaf that is used, the shorter the
infusion time. Bear in mind that using a large quantity of leaf is in
no way wasteful. Due to the nature of high-quality oolong, the same pot
of tea leaf can be brewed repeatedly. In fact, the third infusion is considered
by some to be the best - and high-quality oolong often holds its flavor
for eight infusions or more! This means the same pot could be used all
day by just increasing the infusion time slightly with each successive
brewing.
Step One: Warming
Lay out the service ware on the tea tray for the number of guests you
are serving. This includes teacups, snifter cups, the pitcher and the
teapot. With boiling water, fill all of the cups, the pitcher and the
teapot. Usually, they are filled to overflowing: This is done to warm
everything up to the proper brewing temperature. When using Yi Xing clay
articles, this step often serves to wash the tea wares. After a minute
or two, when the teapot is fully warmed, empty the teapot to prepare for
step two. The hot water is kept in the cups and pitcher until the tea
is ready to be poured.
Step Two: Infusing
After the warmed teapot is emptied of the hot water, use the funnel and
scoop to add the tea leaf to the pot. Between six and eight (or more)
grams are usually added to an eight-to 12-ounce pot. In general, when
the tea leaf has unfurled after two or so pots of tea, they should just
about fill the pot. Remove the funnel and cover the leaf with hot water,
and immediately pour out the water. This serves to rinse the leaf of any
dust, etc. Now fill the pot completely with hot water. While the tea is
infusing, empty the other vessels (teacups, snifter cups and pitcher)
of the hot water. Use the tongs to empty the hot cups.
Step Three: Decanting and Drinking
After the tea has infused the proper amount of time, immediately pour
it out into the pitcher. From the pitcher, fill everyone's snifter cup;
then, have each person place their teacup upside-down on the snifter cup.
With a deft movement, pick them both up and invert them. Set them down
and remove the snifter cup with a twisting movement. You will immediately
smell the fragrance of the tea as it slowly transforms over the next 30
seconds to minutes. Rotating the snifter cup as you smell enhances the
aroma. You are now primed and ready to taste the tea!
Eric Schanke, LAc
Oroville, California
Mr. Schanke is the tea buyer and educator for Far East Summit.
Brenton Harvey, LAc, CH
Hong Ji Denver, Colorado
www.chineseteaimports.com
Brenton Harvey, LAc, CH, and Hong Ji travel to China annually, and
are importers of more than 25 varieties of Chinese tea. Ms. Ji has been
a tai chi and qigong practitioner for more than 25 years.
For more information, call (303) 355-5257, or visit the Web site listed
above.
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