Gong Fu Tea Service with a Gaiwan

cainatea.com/gongfu-cha/
The Chinese Kung Fu Tea Ceremony, or Gongfu Cha, is an ancient Chinese functional art form. The exact origins of the Chinese Tea Ceremony are unknown, but the Chaoshan region is credited with making the ceremony a part of daily life (it's just how Xianna's people drink tea) and keeping the art form alive during the troubles of the Cultural Revolution. But to be clear, the correct term for this style of tea drinking is Gong Fu Cha, and there really is no ceremony to speak of. It's how Chaoshan and the neighboring regions drink tea on a daily basis.

[@matthewgreenwood9070]

That smile at the end made the whole video:))

[@eclectic9071]

I find these videos so relaxing thank you

[@pulpostr123]

I got a tea ceremony kit but I didn't know how to use it, thank you!

[@ShelleyLimegrover]

Tea tastes so much better prepared mindfully and in small quantities! :)

[@Jittoku]

I think this is one of the best Gaiwan / Gong Fu demo videos around. Your gentle, fluid movements are a pleasure to watch, and I love that leaf shaped presentation bowl being used. Where can I get one of those? I had a look on the Caina website, saw that bit about online shopping for teas & teaware, but there seem to be no links of any kind to get into the online store.

[@cainatea2829]

Jittoku Thank you for the comments. Xianna grew up in Chaoshan, where gongfu tea is a part of daily life. As for the website, we offer most of our teas online. You can find them in the main menu. We are currently traveling the USA to promote genuine tea culture, and the teaware proved to be too difficult to offer online. We have removed all but the teas. We're glad you appreciate the video.

[@jasonwilliams7834]

thank you. excellent video

[@RavenclawSeer]

This is very relaxing!

[@mrwatermelon3221]

Beautiful swirling .. :)

[@HelfyreTwilight]

Beautiful!

[@Makreads]

Great video !

[@christmanfamily]

Beautiful!!

[@artbybecka7601]

I would like t try some of this tea! It looks really good! :)

[@cathe7596]

Thanks.it s beautiful

[@ewilliamson488]

That was so cute.

[@M1LKBeats]

Hello! Thank you so much for the clear demonstration of how to properly brew green tea. I have some questions, I hope you can help me understand. First, the tray. I have never before seen a wooden tray like this, on which hot water is poured. Can you explain about it? Where does the hot water go? How is the tray maintained and taken care of? Does the hot water damage or warp the wood? Do you empty the tray of water after finishing the drinking of tea? Second question: You put something on top of one of the containers. It is not clear to me, what this thing is. Is it a strainer? Or, is it a funnel? I could not get a clear look at its inside.

[@cainatea2829]

The trays are made out of many different materials. They are typically required for gongfu tea service, as there can be a lot of waste water. There is a plastic tube at the base leading down to a wastewater bucket that needs to be emptied regularly. Gravity pulls all the water away and down. The material of the table isn't important, though clay and hardwoods are preferred. The more affordable ones are made of bamboo or a glue-pressed imitation bamboo. The circular tool placed over the fair cup (pitcher) is simply a silk screen to catch the extra tea leaf particles that may escape the crude lid-only filtration. That way you end up with a very clear liquid to drink. It's optional. In fact, a gongfu tea set is complete with only a brewing vessel (teapot or gaiwan) and three cups. Everything else is optional. The sets can get very intricate, but gongfu cha is not a dance or a ceremony, as it's often referred to as and performed for tourists in China. It's a way to brew the espresso equivalent for tea. No right or wrong way. Nothing mystical about it, except the perfect flavor you'll eventually learn to infuse.

[@MajorBluntz]

That was hardcore

[@zhubajie6940]

I like the color of the tea ware similar to duck egg shell blue color of Ru ware.

[@beromasden3705]

Hi, will you tell me the music playing please? I love it as much as the ceremony itself! Also this introduced me to a whole new appreciation for tea that I will always have now. Thank you! I did Western style for a long time now but I'm buying a gaiwan immediately. Do you have tips on what I should for when it comes to gaiwans?

[@cainatea2829]

Can't remember. Try googling: famous guzheng songs

[@cainatea2829]

Good to know! Go porcelain so you can infuse any type of tea, because terracotta soaks in flavor. Don't bother brewing any famous Western branded teas in gongfu style because they weren't designed for it. Find a supplier of fresh Chinese teas, and you'll know if it's fresh because gaiwan brewing takes only a few seconds for 5-8 grams of leaves. And remember that gongfu cha is not a "tea ceremony". Don't bother with any elaborate hand movements. Simply brew your leaves to a concentrated, yet short, perfect flavor. And re-steep the leaves many times, a few seconds longer each time until the flavor is gone. Get some little porcelain gongfu cups too. Go cheap until you get the hang of it.

[@beromasden3705]

@@cainatea2829 Wow a speedy reply too! Thank you so much for everything. And thank you, I'll look up the songs. That's good enough. I just liked the vibe that they provided. And thanks for all the tips. It's all so helpful and I'll keep it all in mind.

[@noobsandwich4598]

It's interesting to compare this to a Japanese ceremony. The Chinese method seems so much more... Free? I guess I would use to describe it...

[@cainatea2829]

Noob Sandwich There really is no "Chinese tea ceremony", at least not in the sense of the Japanese tea ceremony. The Japanese style is highly ceremonial for ceremony's sake. It's difficult to imagine something like that developing outside an isolated island culture. Chinese tend to save extreme reverence for religion, though gongfu cha is certainly a way to pay respect to tea.

[@DNS-FRANK09]

I like that gaiwan

[@user-hm9mj1hc3j]

you are so cutee 可愛！

[@TheNickBasso]

So when to use Gaiwan and when to use another kind of teapot? :)

[@cainatea2829]

Nicolò Basso They serve the same function. So as long as the teapot is not made from unglazed clay, it is your choice. Gaiwans required more careful handling and are always made from stronger porcelain. Therefore they won't absorb any tea flavor into the vessel. They are also a more simple, ancient style of pottery.

[@TheNickBasso]

Caina Tea thanks for the answer 🙂 well they look beautiful and even more interesting, but yeah they surely require more skill!

[@cainatea2829]

Nicolò Basso You're welcome! Enjoy drinking tea however you like, but if you can learn the gongfu cha style, it opens up a whole new world of flavor.

[@HelfyreTwilight]

@@cainatea2829 when/with what tea would you recommend using an unglazed tea pot?

[@skyoutofraindrops]

@@HelfyreTwilight for chinese tea, unglazed pots are used for brewing the one type of tea, because the unglazed clay will absorb flavour over time. E.g. if you discover you love tieguanyin tea, you might get an unglazed teapot specifically for tieguanyin tea. Traditionally you wouldn't then use this same teapot for another tea like green tea.

[@rodneygardner1503]

Why are u pouring the tea or water out on the board?

[@sophiali8772]

It is to clean the equipment. Most Chinese use the hot water to clean the cups. They also pour the tea out the first time to clean the tea leaves and dust that was like collected on the dried tea leave . Usually if you don’t pour it out the first time it will be the most bitter but as you keep steeping the tea the taste will be more lighter and not as strong .

[@peggyt5409]

Ignorant American here... I love watching tea ceremonies! What is the purpose of the first rinse?

[@cainatea2829]

Peggy Tomko Ignorance is necessary to learn. No need to single yourself out! In Chaoshan, China they consider dry teas to be dormant, for lack of a better word. Rinsing "wakes up" the leaves before actually tasting. And when not using a silk screen, it doubles as a way to wash out extra tea dust from leaves that rubbed together during transportation.

[@Chemicalkinetics]

First rinse is common for black, red, and blue (Oolong) tea. First rinse is uncommon for white and green tea.

[@TheVigilantStewards]

Oh thanks, I just started GongFu. I didn't know you weren't to rinse green and white teas.@@Chemicalkinetics

[@Chemicalkinetics]

@@TheVigilantStewards Hi. Maybe I should have said that it is not required to rinse the green tea. I have seen people rinse green tea anyway, but they do it very quick, like in-and-out. 1 second.

[@TheVigilantStewards]

Oh ok, thanks@@Chemicalkinetics

[@aramisaram3544]

I think it needs at least 2min for tea extraction! It's too fast! Like just warm water!

[@childrenofscarlet6164]

In gongfu cha, the tea is usually brewed pretty fast because the tea is meant to be brewed multiple times (it can vary from 6 times to 15 times depending the type of tea). This way, the color and flavor of the tea will develop every consecutive brew until the leaves are spent.

[@JeYDiDeTT0]

nimminmuuuul

[@hughwood947]

I see that you steep tea a few seconds after the first rinse; is this correct way? I enjoy this. What type of tea?

[@cainatea2829]

Good question! There really is no right or wrong way to drink tea or even to perform gongfu cha. Typically in Xianna's hometown they use larger quantities of tea when brewing, which means you only need a short time to get a strong flavor. So even after you wash/awaken the dry leaves, a short steep is all that's required. But this means leaves are resteeped many times to get all the flavor out of the leaves.

[@hughwood947]

+Caina Tea Thank you - ......have been preparing quality teas for only about 2 years, there is so much to learn. This video and your comment is very helpful.

[@cainatea2829]

You're welcome. Remember that every single batch of tea you purchase requires trial and error when brewing. Even the exact same tea, bought (and picked) at a different time, will require a different steeping style. Directions on the bags are only a very rough guide that is not tailored to your sense of taste. Many people overdo new teas and create a bad first impression. We always recommend less tea, cooler water, and a shorter steep for the first taste of any new tea. Wade and don't dive off the deep end. Err on the side of caution, then increase quantity, temperature, and time. Also, the way you like to brew one tea will not likely apply to any others.

[@lenoretalon9958]

hugh wood yes. That tea is for your enemies. Lol

[@lepetitchat123]

@@cainatea2829 " resteeped many times" how many times exactly in this video?

[@ssidorchik]

It could be so relaxing unless not the fast movements

[@tysongames2750]

Why??????

[@cainatea2829]

Tyson Games Elaborate, if you can.

[@Blue_Lugia]

This is very different from how we drink tea in the west. Intresting to see! 😊

[@cainatea2829]

Blue_Lugia The way tea is consumed in the West is a good indication of the quality that's readily available. Had Westerners been drinking quality Chinese teas from the start, a very different style of consumption may have developed.

[@korinakorinakorina]

+Caina Tea There are so many beverages labeled "tea" here in the west.. sold in cans, bottles and loaded with sugars and syrups... and they're mostly cold. It's really gross most of the time. I like sweet beverages now and then too, but real tea can't be beaten.

[@Makreads]

I don't like all the iced/bottled tea. Though tea here in the UK is still going to be different from the quality the lady uses in her videos (hers being the better tea lol).

[@Xclub40X]

If you was my wife, we would be making each other the tea, followed by plenty of meditation, and tai-chi . . . . For a peaceful life ❤❤❤

[@Zharlega]

pretentious af

[@cainatea2829]

Tino A. That it?

[@Zharlega]

Caina Tea That's exactly what I thought when I saw the result for all that was just a regular cup of tea!

[@cainatea2829]

Tino A. I don't know how limited your life experiences have been, but gongfu tea is genuine Chaoshan culture. Get offline and take a trip. As you can see, Xianna does not include any fancy hand waiving or unnecessary movements. It's an informative video to demonstrate the way she grew up infusing tea. There are 14,000,000 people there, serving tea in this manner ever day. We use it to inform our many customers how to use their tea sets. If you purposefully searched for something you could attack, then you should slow down and self reflect. If you find the background guzheng music pretentious, then, again, it's genuine culture. Those who visit a Chinese tea "ceremony" outside Chaoshan you will likely see a pretentious display designed to impress tourists. This video is a far cry from such displays. If, in your quest for entertainment, you're searching for culture that's arguably gone too far, I recommend searching "Japanese tea ceremony" and then trolling whomever uploaded the video.

[@YU_ZU98]

Tino A. GET SCHOOLED, SON

[@SuperJourneyer]

Amir They didn't get schooled. They got a straw man argument from an arrogant fool. It is pretentious and 2/3rd's of it is wasteful and pointless.

[@bevomcbevenstein]

Very wasteful.

[@visinclair3766]

lol