Gong Fu Cha - The How

So far I've shared a little about gong fu cha, describing some skills involved and the tea set itself, but I haven't explained how to practice. Everything I've tried to write seems so complex and convoluted. So I called upon my friend Niraj for help. He's the man who introduced me to gong fu cha, so who better to help explain the process. What's better, he has a video so that you can watch making it easier to understand than reading my description.




Instead of using a gaiwan, Niraj steeps his tea using a Yixing tea pot in this video. Perhaps one day we'll work on a video showing a gaiwan!

Niraj usually posts here on the fourth Tuesday of the month so be sure to read his posts. He's moving his tea studio, so was unable to post this month, but happily helped me out today.

Cold Brewing Tea

You know about iced tea and must be pretty familiar with it. In fact as the mercury heads north, you must be guzzling gallons of it. But have you heard of cold brew tea, and have you tried to make some? Some kinds of tea will take you close to heaven on a cold brew.

The tradition of cold brewing tea is old. It is believed to have originated in Japan, where people poured cold water over tea in a pitcher that was left to sit for hours in the coolest part of the house. The resultant brew was cool, smooth, full of flavor with very little bitterness.

We have found out that Darjeeling first flush teas - the ones harvested during spring and which are slightly oxidized, with a crisp, grassy-floral character in the cup - make for some of the best cold brew teas. Because of its delicate character Darjeeling is hard to make iced tea out of - the ice greatly dilutes the tea, leaving very little flavor in the glass.

However, cold-brew Darjeeling is stunning. The taste and the aroma of the tea are exquisite, flowing over the palate with perfect clarity, every note clear and precise. The floral sweetness of a first flush perfectly complements the taste of a cold brew. The freshness of the tea also enhances the flavors.

The difference between a hot brew and cold brew tea can be pretty stark in case of say a Japanese green tea like Sencha. But what we like about cold brew Darjeeling is that the complexity of the flavor and aroma is retained. In that respect it is not a “lighter” brew than a hot cup of tea.

Instruction for cold brewing Darjeeling:

•         Use a level teaspoon of tea per cup.
•         Pour room temperature water over the tea.
•         Stir gently to make sure all the leaves are wet.
•         Leave it in the fridge for 6-8 hours.
•         Strain the leaves.
•         Your super delicious cold brew Darjeeling is now ready to be enjoyed!