Gong Fu Cha: The Art of Steeping Tea
Gong Fu Cha: The Art of Gong Fu Tea Brewing
Gong fu cha is a centuries-old style of brewing tea that originated in China, and emphasizes the precise control of water temperature, steeping time, and tea leaf quality. There is some debate about exactly when the tradition first emerged, although it is believed to have been during the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD), in the Guangdong Province near the South China Sea.
The term "gong fu" translates as "effort” or “skill”, while “cha” means tea, with the name reflecting the slow, meticulous actions of practitioners in the gong fu tea ceremony. The experience of gong fu can be meditative, relaxing, and illuminating. Join Peet's Tea Specialist Anni Pattee, as she takes us through the ancient art of gong fu cha.
Everything I’ve learned about gong fu cha has come from the pleasure of sitting and sharing tea with others, the way most traditions are passed on. I am often told that the tea tastes better when I prepare it, which leads me to believe I have truly internalized this practice.
-Anni Pattee, Tea Specialist
What is Gong Fu Cha?
Gong fu cha, sometimes called gongfu style, tea brewing (工夫茶) or kung fu (功夫茶) has various interpretations including "the art of tea," "tea with skill," or "the practice of tea.”
· "The Art of Tea" highlights the artistry of achieving a harmonious balance between the elements in gong fu tea brewing.
· "Tea with Skill" emphasizes the technical expertise needed to carefully control steeping times, adjust water temperature, and select the right tea leaves.
· “The Practice of Tea" focuses on the meditative ritual of preparing and drinking tea this way.
All of these interpretations honor the practitioner and recognize that tea drinking isn’t just functional—it's an experience to be savored.
What Kind of Tea Is Used in a Gong Fu Tea Ceremony?
Gong fu cha ceremonies are deeply rooted in the history of tea in China and typically showcase high-quality whole-leaf teas that retain their flavor through multiple infusions. Each short steep enhances the tea’s depth, revealing new layers of taste. Teas made primarily from tender buds tend to lose flavor faster than those crafted from mature leaves.
Historically, oolong tea and puerh have been the most common choices for Gongfu Cha. However, black and green teas have also gained popularity.
Longjing Dragonwell, sourced from the mountains near Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, is the most renowned of all Chinese green teas and an excellent choice for gong fu tea brewing. This pure green tea is carefully pan-fired, with its flat leaves pressed in a hot, steep-sided pan, in constant motion.
A light emerald cup with a naturally sweet, green flavor, Longjing Dragonwell offers a subtle aroma with a touch of green olive, new-season corn and pistachio nuts wafted in. It has a good body that gives way to a lingering, rich, and buttery finish.
The oolong Ti Kuan Yin is also well-suited for gong fu tea, with its cloud-shaped leaves rolled in an 18-step process so they unfurl gradually, revealing new depths of flavor over multiple infusions. This cultivar is from Fujian Province—neighboring both Guangdong and Zhejiang—and is China’s most famous oolong tea.
Deep yet delicate, this meditative tea envelops the palate with a refined fruitiness and a heady, floral aroma. Its complexity unfolds with notes of orchid, herbs, nuts, melon, and basil.
How to Prepare Gong Fu Cha
To prepare gong fu cha, one simply requires a gaiwan (a traditional Chinese bowl with lid designed for steeping tea), a small pitcher, teacups, water, tea, and the desire to explore and learn from experience.
When preparing tea in a gaiwan, you use a greater proportion of leaves to water than you would if you were making a large, piping-hot cuppa tea. With gong fu it is traditional to use 5 grams of leaves in a 150ml gaiwan. Instead of leaving the leaves to steep for 3-5 minutes for a single serving, the infusion is very short. Lasting only seconds, each gong fu infusion reveals a different character in the tea and the subtle nuances hidden within each leaf.
How to Brew Gongfu Tea: 5 Simple Steps
1. Warm the teaware. Heat freshly drawn water to 170°F (several minutes off a boil) and rinse/heat the gaiwan, decanter and teacups. Be sure to reserve enough water to rinse and then infuse the tea a number of times.
2. Rinse the leaves. Place the tea leaves in the gaiwan (5g/150ml). Pour the heated water over the leaves, replace the lid of the gaiwan and immediately discard the rinse water. This invigorates and begins unfurling the tea leaves.
3. Infuse the leaves. Add heated water to the rinsed leaves in the gaiwan. Replace the lid and decant the first infusion into the pitcher after 10 seconds.
4. Serve the tea. Fill each cup. Slurp loudly to aerate and spread over the palette.
5. Repeat infusions. Add 5 seconds each time.
