Gong Fu brew method

Gong Fu brew with a small clay pot or porcelain cup with a lid (gai wan). I like this method because it is a higher level of interaction with the tea, and teaware and it fully brings out the teas characteristics.

The main difference between gong fu brewing and western brew methods is going to be how much leaf you use vs how much water you are using. For tightly rolled oolong in a yi xing pot, I recommend starting with the small pot (roughly 120 - 180ml).

1. Start by heating the pot. Use boiling hot water and fill the pot - pour off into a decanter - this can be used to heat tea cups. Discard.
2. Add tea leaf - for our first time, lets add enough tea to lightly cover the floor of the pot. You can cover it lightly or cover it a little more robustly. It’s up to you. Take a mental picture of the amount of tea you used.
3. Add boiling water - add lid - immediately pour tea from the pot. Yes, immediately. Remove the lid. Contrary to popular belief, you can sip and enjoy this first infusion, especially if you got the tea from J-TEA! It will be light, but it will prepare your palate and get you ready for what is to come.
4. Add boiling water - let steep - anywhere from 30 to 50 seconds. Be sure to keep track of what you are doing because this will inform your process the next time you brew this tea in the gong fu method. Strain completely. Remove the lid - enjoy the brew.
5. Repeat step 4 for a total of up to ten times depending on your preference and how much time you have. Be sure to remove the lid as soon as each steep is done steeping. This will keep the tea tasting fresh.
6. Take a mental note on how much the leaf expanded. Is the leaf mass light and fluffy or is it densely packed? If it is super light, you may consider adding more leaf the next time you brew. If it is too densely packed, ease it back for the next brew session. Let the process inform you. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
7. Some notes: For tightly rolled oolongs from Taiwan, I use water right off the boil (as close to boiling as possible). I like my kettle very close to my pot. Steep times are usually between 30 seconds and 1 minute. You may have noticed that I over emphasize removing the lid between infusions. Doing so will keep your tea from “cooking” past the done time. You can enjoy each infusion as it is ready, to see how the tea changes, or you can combine several infusions for convenience. The power is in your hands.