An oolong tea variety is usually being used for the traditional tea ceremony and sometimes, more rarely, puerh can also be used. Many people think that kungfu tea or gong fu cha refers to the acrobatics and gimmicks performed by servers in restaurants when pouring tea from elaborate and longspouted tea. While chado tea room in little tokyo calls itself a japanese tea house and has a thick book of teas from around the world they put a heavy emphasis on their indian tea collection. Of course not many people know of this art especially in the west. Photos of tea bowls, teahouses and gardens reveal the exquisite artistry of the cult of tea. Gongfu brewing is a ritualized form of preparing tea that works well with oolongs and puers. While bowl tea is like a shamanic ritual that takes you on a journey with yourself. Amidst the loud tunes and vulgar colours of chinese celebrations, be it new year, weddings or birthday banquets, so there is the tranquility and modesty of tea, the constant reminder of the wisdom of life beyond the ceremonies, as the banality of tea itself takes the center stage, albeit a brief moment the most important things in life comes in. If you enjoyed this article on how to make china tea, you might also like. The gongfu tea ceremony, taipei chinese tea room, tea room. Read chinese tea set to determine capacity you need. Theyre a chain from taiwan and though they mostly specialize in boba tapioca teas, their san gabriel and chinatown locations have a section dedicated to the gongfu tea ceremony.
Sit back and enjoy the taste, aroma, and warmth of your efforts to replicate a gongfu tea ceremony using oolong tea. Remember to visit our complete gong fu brewing guide page for stepbystep instructions on serving tea gong fu style, and possibly even surprise friends and family with your own gong fu tea ceremony. Houston tea is an aromatic, sensory experience that is balancing for the body and mind. The process of drinking tea goes back hundreds of years and the gonfu style of observing taste is unique to each tea.
The traditional gongfu tea set includes a tea table, a teapot or gaiwan, three small tea cups, a set of tea tools to aid in serving, and a kettle. Im sure some of you, like me, were curious about the original chaoshan method of gongfu. I got a positive flashback, when i recently watched an episode of the tv game show, on. It is probably based on the tea preparation approaches originated in fujian and the chaoshan area of eastern guangdong. Before we go over the best 5 tea ceremony locations in kyoto, lets learn a little bit about. The ceremony that is practiced today originated from the ming dynasty of china, and is a ritualized process that involves a teapot, a brewing vessel, a tray, and tea. In china a tea ceremony is known as gongfu tea and is one of the most important traditions in the chinese tea culture. Tea cafe, asian kitchen, tea culture, tea tray, japanese pottery, chinese tea, tea ceremony. The gongfu tea ceremony, taipei chinese tea room, tea. This book describes the world and history of the way of tea, explains its utensils and etiquette, and shows why it is a spiritual buddhist discipline, promoting harmony, respect, purity, tranquility, imperfect beauty, and egoless unconditioned lovingkindness.
This post will summarize this research and provide a brief history of gongfu brewing. Chinese ceramic gongfu tea set service automatic handmade stonemill design porcelain tea pot w6 cups japanese kung fu tea gift for adults men women tea ceremony party home office decor collection. Gong fu teacha episode 1 what is gong fu cha tea house ghost. While many travelers think an old teahouse is an ideal place to have a tea ceremony, the fact is you can experience tea ceremony in english at only special venues. The gong fu tea online teahouse is your source for everything essential to the sublime art of tea. Chinesejapanese porcelain gongfu tea set, traditional tea ceremony set with tea can,teapots, teacups, bamboo tea tray and travel bagsred 4. The japanese tea ceremony is a fascinating exploration of one of japans greatest arts and details the importance of the tea ceremonys history and traditions, its historical tea masters and its physical manifestations. This is the first book i read about the tea ceremony, and im glad. Mar 20, 2020 while many travelers think an old teahouse is an ideal place to have a tea ceremony, the fact is you can experience tea ceremony in english at only special venues.
To entertain guests, or friend, our gongfu tea cups are must have. It is an aesthetic way of welcoming guests, in which everything is done according to an established order. China gong fu tea ceremonyhistorysteps to brew tea gong. This was such a success that tea quickly became an integral part of japanese life. Gongfu tea is a traditional way of preparing tea, characterised by multiple infusions of the same tea in a small teapot.
The entire tea ceremony needs to be done in a calm and relaxed manner to truly create a peaceful and unique chinese tea ceremony. During the subsequent ming dynasty gongfu tea became popular and spread to many areas in china, especially in fujian, guangdong and taiwan. The chinese tea ceremony, or gongfu cha is often thought of as being an ancient ceremony, performed throughout china and then passed on to the west relatively recently. Your yixing tea pot is halfsubmerged in this sea during the gongfu tea ceremony. The chinese new year is almost upon us, as well as one of the oldest rituals that comes with it. This way of brewing is originated from chaozhou during the song dynasty, which is why its also often referred to as chaozhou gongfu cha. How to make china tea tea answers know your tea and drink. Explore the unique japanese tradition of sharing tea asian arts and crafts for creative kids. The truth is that it originated in the chinese southeastern province, chaozhou, and it was relatively unknown outside this area even in the 1950s. We are a purveyor of fine teas and quality teaware, as well as a rich source for education on everything from the history of tea to the wonderful health benefits of tea.
A brief stepbystep description of how to prepare and serve tea gong fu style using the proper tools and teaware. The traditional gongfu tea set includes a tea table, a teapot or gaiwan, three small tea cups, a. Includes a complete, narrated performance and slide shows on. This method is very popular within the gongfu circles where tea is also used in special ceremonial rites. The tea ceremony by seno tanaka goodreads share book. Portable travel tea set chinesejapanese porcelain gongfu tea set, traditional tea ceremony set with tea can,teapots, teacups, bamboo tea tray and travel bagsred 4. Includes a complete, narrated performance and slide shows on tea ceremony history and a stepbystep tutorial.
On track with the kung fu tea ceremony teabooksketches. The ceremony begins by choosing a tea through sent and color as we learn about its history and preparation. This will take you through the special gongfu style of brewing the leaves, where youll learn about when to let it breathe, for how long and offer tasting notes for when you actually get a. I brew western style tea with 3 grams of tea to 6 ounces of water, while the rough guideline for gongfu style brewing is 1 gram of tea per ounce, about double the amount. Tea ceremony, timehonored institution in japan, rooted in the principles of zen buddhism and founded upon the reverence of the beautiful in the daily routine of life. He had written several books on tea, and he had a literary collection about tea and the history of tea. This weekend will be a full immersion into the daoist arts of qigong, meditation, daoist philosophy, and tea ceremony. From the wikipedia page 1 taiwanese tea culture, include tea arts, tea ceremony, and a very social way of enjoying tea. While i was in hong kong, i was able to attend a gongfu session at the museum of teaware that ran through the modified and traditional gongfu ceremony. Nov 24, 2015 gongfu brewing is a ritualized form of preparing tea that works well with oolongs and puers. In this article we mainly discuss the principles of traditional chinese gongfu brewing. Guide to chinese tea ceremonies in hong kong tripsavvy. Of course i have a cup of tea to sip while writing this and while reading it i am on steep number four of some da hong pao and getting a bit tea drunk.
Exploring the history and method of brewing and serving tea chinese gong fu style, using both traditional and new gong fu tools and teaware. Unlike the other types of tea ceremony, gongfustyle of tea drinking requires that the drinkers enjoy the aroma to the fullest before gulping down the ritual brews. Tea scholar didi liu demonstrating chinese gong fu tea. Though there are differences in application when compared with a japanese, vietnamese or korean tea ceremony, many principles still remain the same. The only way to truly taste tea is through a traditional chinese tea ceremony. In the tea ceremony known as gong fu, the implication is that time, dedication and effort will produce an ultimate tea experience. A wwii epic of escape, survival, and adventure by david howarth 2001, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. The gongfu brewing chinese tea ceremony process is also very different from the western and japanese styles i. For gongfu tea, you need something to hold the sea of tea. A traditional gongfu tea ceremony shouldnt be confused with chinese wedding tea ceremonies though. The gongfu tea ceremony or kung fu tea ceremony chinese. The vietnamese tea ceremony, also influenced by its chinese counterpart, is only performed during weddings and other religious rituals.
The japanese tea ceremony was soon perfected with the help of cha ching the tea book, written by chinese scholar lu yu. The art of chinese tea the tea ceremony the tea house. Much confusion arises due to the western connotations of kung fu. Though the area that gongfu tea originated is the subject of some debate with different areas wanting to claim that they are the originators, its origins do trace back to the song dynasty. The gongfu tea ceremony originated in the song dynasty and by the ming dynasty had become more widespread, used especially in fujian and guandong. Gong fu is a formal chinese tea ceremony, albeit less so than japanese chanoyu. When tea was first used centuries ago for medicinal purposes, monks began to drink tea and to use it to teach the principles of calmness, nature, and humility. If the tea tastes bitter, the water may have been too hot or the steeping time was too long. This will take you through the special gongfu style of brewing the leaves, where youll learn about when to let it breathe, for how long and offer tasting notes for when you actually get a mouthful. Tea scholar didi liu demonstrating chinese gong fu tea ceremony. The phrase is also spelled as kung fu, kung fucha or gong fucha. Down the history, chinese have been able to meet different types of tea e. See more ideas about tea cups, tea and drinking tea. Unlike the other types of tea ceremony, gongfu style of tea drinking requires that the drinkers enjoy the aroma to the fullest before gulping down the ritual brews.
The story of tea opens with a brief history of tea. Also for those who are not particularly interested in the japanese tea ceremony, these books will give those who have a general interest in the japanese culture lots of fascinating eyeopeners with lots of information on the japanese culture. The traditional chinese tea ceremony part i rivertea blog. Tea leaps to europe through trade tea reaches europe during the 1600s, with credit being claimed by both the portuguese and the dutch. Chinese gongfu tea ceremony cha dao tools set utensils six. The following books are the most popular among beginning and advanced students of the tea ceremony. So almost every thursday afternoon we will gather for a gong fu tea ceremony with amazing teas and immerse into the world of subtelties, harnesing our awareness and sensiivity to tea and to ourselves. While the most common teas are oolongs especially taiwanese oolongs such as iron goddess and alpine oolong.
The japanese tea ceremony is better known, and was influenced by the chinese tea culture during ancient and medieval times, starting in the 9th century when tea was first introduced to japan from china. Global tea hut archive october 20 issue gongfu tea. The original term gongfu cha literally means making tea with efforts. Many of the classical arts can be seen in the tea culture, examples.
Chinese tea room perfect cup of tea joinery details kitchen benches tea tray space interiors brewing tea party plates tea ceremony. Mar 14, 2018 the chinese tea ceremony, or gongfu cha is often thought of as being an ancient ceremony, performed throughout china and then passed on to the west relatively recently. The ability that will help enormously in our own life. Gongfu tea ceremony was founded on the need to make classical teas with excellent taste and aromas. A tea ceremony is a ritualized form of making tea practiced in asian culture by the chinese, koreans, japanese, indians, vietnamese and taiwanese. Amidst the loud tunes and vulgar colours of chinese celebrations, be it new year, weddings or birthday banquets, so there is the tranquility and modesty of tea, the constant reminder of the wisdom of life beyond the ceremonies, as the banality of tea itself takes the center stage, albeit a brief moment. The gongfu tea ceremony or kungfu tea ceremony chinese. Educational and informative this dvd is a wealth of informaton on the chinese gongfu tea ceremony.
The process of drinking tea goes back hundreds of years and the gonfu style of. Its a topic that could probably fill several thick volumes, but the authors put forth a nice summary in a mere 28 pages. For gongfu tea, they are very small and come in pairs. Gongfu tea study in a tea class settingwhen i was still running retail outlets, tea classes were conducted for users to learn about the nature of tea through infusion studies. According to zhang, contemporary gongfu brewing developed in 1970s taiwan, though its origins are in an 18th century brewing style local to the chaozhou region of china bordering fujian and guangdong. The gongfu style of infusion is most popular because the relationship one can develop through it with a tea can be very intimate. Gongfu tea ceremony the chinese tea ceremony, or gongfu cha is an ancient style of carefully, methodically drinking tea with a traditional chinese tea set. The tea ceremony, literally translated as way of tea in japanese, etiquette for tea or tea rite in korean, and art of tea in chinese citation needed, is a cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of tea. It is a period when the chinese residents look forward to celebrating and enjoying the best aromas of their ritual brew. When we drink tea we often unintentionally throw a bag of tea in some boiling water to quickly drink the tea with our breakfast or so. The best way to slow down, appreciate the moment and savour a nice cup of tea is to do it through a tea ceremony. Tanakasan begins by walking you through both the history and evolution of the tea ceremony, which gives the reader a way better understanding of why the ceremony exists at all.
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