How to brew Gongfu simply
The idea
a high leaf-to-water ratio and lots of quick brews,
to pull the fullest experience from the leaves.
You stay in control of the extraction,
and you enjoy the process
What you need
hot low-mineralisation water,
a gaiwan or teapot,
a gongdaobei (pitcher),
and cups.
A tea towel helps with spills
1. Prepare
set out your teaware and the leaves you want to brew
2. Warm the teaware
rinse everything with hot water, then discard it
3. Smell the warm leaf
leaves into the hot gaiwan or teapot, and enjoy their smell
4. Rinse the leaves
a quick rinse to open them up, then discard it
5. Quick brew
hot water in, pause a few seconds
6. Decant the tea
pour it out fully into the gongdaobei (pitcher)
7. Serve and drink
share the tea into individual cups and enjoy
8. Smell throughout
the leaves, the hot gaiwan lid, the empty cups and pitcher all carry aromas. Enjoy them across the whole session
Repeat steps 5-8
Repeat steps 5 to 8 until the tea feels too weak
9. Dead brew (optional)
one last, extra-long steep to squeeze out whatever flavour is left
Tips
- Use good water. We always recommend fresh spring or low-mineralisation water (20 to 50 TDS).
- Any Chinese tea works beautifully gongfu way. We like some green teas grandpa style brewing (simply in glass without decanting the leaves), but gongfu is great too.
- Play with the parameters (grams, temperature, steep time). If you're not sure where to start, you'll find suggestions on our tea packages.
- Rinsing is a debated point. We rinse ball-rolled, pressed or aged teas, and skip it for fresh green, white or yellow teas.
- Brewing alone? Feel free to skip the pitcher and pour straight into one big cup for yourself.