Gongfu tea
Gongfu tea means brewing with skill: a small pot, lots of leaf, many short steeps.
Run your first session
Heat everything
Pour boiling water through the pot, pitcher and cups, then empty them. Warm ware lifts the tea's aroma.
Fill with leaf
Use 5 to 7 grams for a 100 ml (3 oz) pot. It looks like too much, and that is normal. Rinse once.
Pour off completely
Steep 10 to 20 seconds, then drain every drop so the leaves stop brewing. Add a few seconds each round.
In Chaozhou, tradition says three cups, however many guests sit down.
Good to know
What is gongfu tea?
Gongfu tea is a Chinese way of brewing with a small pot, a high ratio of leaf to water and many short steeps. It grew up around Chaoshan in Guangdong and southern Fujian.
Is gongfu the same as kung fu?
No, but the words are close. Both mean skill earned through time and effort. The tea is usually written 工夫 and the martial art 功夫, though people mix them.
How is gongfu tea different from Western brewing?
Gongfu uses far more leaf and steeps for seconds instead of minutes. You get many small cups, and the flavor changes round by round.
