Gong Fu Cha - What is Gong Fu Cha and how is it compared to western brewing?

Today, we will talk about all about Gong Fu Cha, learn more about what it is, the history of it and finally the reasoning behind why it is defined as one of the best ways to brew and make tea.

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To begin with, let's talk about what Gong Fu Cha actually is, for those who do not know Gong Fu Cha is a popular kind of way involving a ritual to prepare, brew and make tea. The term Gong Fu Cha translates to “making tea with skill” quite literally and It’s commonly a method for brewing tea in China for tea ceremonies and is used for many reasons which we will dive deeper in today.

Gong Fu Cha not only is a ritual and method of brewing tea, but specifically is used for many reasons, the most important one of which is to maximise the flavour of tea when brewing. It’s commonly used by many tea connoisseurs around the world due to its ancient history and methodology of brewing tea with skill, and with this comes many benefits other than just taste. Brewing tea in Gong Fu style is one of the best ways to make tea as not only are you getting a better taste from the tea you are drinking but you are also getting all of the benefits of tea more effectively than traditional brewing methods such as Western brewing styles/methods.

These catechins, flavour compounds and antioxidants found naturally within tea are being released when you brew the tea, and increased substantially by brewing the tea in Gong Fu style.

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Now let's talk more about what the difference actually is when brewing in Gong Fu style compared to Western Brewing methods.

In Gong Fu Cha, you will find that the equipment you use will impact heavily on the way to brew and make tea, to begin with, you will need a teapot around the capacity of 200ml or less, a tea pitcher, some teacups, a strainer most likely, a tea tray, a tea towel and of course your kettle. Now some do prefer to go to the extreme and highest levels when making tea in Gong Fu style by having a scale to measure the precise amount of tea to use depending on the type, a thermometer to measure the temperature actually of the liquor or water, a scent cup to smell the aroma of the dry tea leaves and finally a brush to disperse the spilled tea over any of the equipment so that it doesn’t stain.

All of this equipment is the key for making the tea a ritual in itself and to get the best flavour possible. To begin with, you will need to use the right temperature water depending on the type of tea, below is a guide chart to what types of tea commonly will need the right temperature water to be brewed with:

-Green teas - 65°- 75° Celsius

-White teas - 75° - 85° Celsius

-Oolong teas - 85° - 100° Celsius

-Black teas/Puerh teas - 100° Celsius

-Herbal teas - 100° Celsius

The temperature is key for making the tea as it will definitely affect the taste and overall compounds released from the tea. Furthermore using the best quality water you can get will also massively impact and change the taste of the tea that you are drinking. It is preferred to get a good clean local source of spring water or otherwise bottled spring water.

Now onto how much tea to use depending on the type, below is a guide chart made by Mei Leaf which is very handy to use for when you are making teas and are unsure of how much to use. They use a number of grams per 100ml in that ratio. So if your teapot is 200ml, you would of course double the amount needed etc. On the guide below is also how many grams of tea to use for western brewing as well as of course Gong Fu brewing.

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Now that you know about Gong Fu Cha, what it is, how it is different to other tea brewing methods around the world and why it is the best way to brew and make tea, lets finally dive a bit into the history of Gong Fu Cha and how it originated and learn more about some interesting facts about it.

To begin with, it is roughly estimated that Gong Fu Cha originally began back in the 18th century at which point some scholars around the world think that it began in Wuyi in Fujian. There is much misconception however though of when Gong Fu Cha started, and specifically where it began, but most nowadays regardless of where it began believe that in the history of Gong Fu Cha, it was hugely integrated into the daily life of people in the city of Chaozhou, most recall it nowadays as the “Capital” of gongfu tea.

Most people nowadays use Gong Fu Cha as a method of brewing tea due to the fact that it has become more popular over the years and has spread around the world rather than just in China. Gong Fu Cha has turned into such a big style around the world and is treated nowadays as one of the best ways to showcase how professional someone is in brewing tea.

On top of this, brewing tea in Gong Fu Cha in a style also has turned into such a ritual that it became an art form of brewing and making tea. You can find tons of online tea shops selling the equipment made by handmade teapot/teaware artists and has become a major industry within the tea business that is growing year by year.

Finally, It is a common trend to use “tea pets” when brewing tea in Gong Fu style to “rinse” the tea leaves and pour the first rinse over the tea pets as a way to not only open up the leaves for a better quality tasting but also is used as a cute way of starting up a tea ceremony.

Now you know all about Gong Fu Cha! I hope you enjoyed this blog article, and are now more interested in Gong Fu Cha just as much as I am!

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