# Gongfu style brewing



## RolandG (Jul 25, 2010)

I'm a big fan of the Chinese method of tea brewing, sometimes called gongfu style (no idea why!). The basic difference to the western style, is that you use a lot of leaf to a small amount of water, and then infuse quickly. The leaves are usually able to support several or even many infusions this way, since you are extracting a small amount of flavour from a lot of leaves, rather than lots of flavour from a few leaves.

My experience of it has been that it really highlights how a tea can change as it goes through multiple infusions, and highlights the different characteristics of each stage.

Anyone else using this kind of brewing?


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

I love the concept but isn't it a bit laborious? Jan and I went to a tea ceremony in Guilin where we were given lots of small cups.. the tea was ok but the event was hilariously boring tbh! Maybe the fact that it was all in Chinese didn't help. It might have been good to know the different health benefits of each tea.


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

I must admit to not knowing much about teas myself other than what I have picked up from my wife and her family. They often use this method of brewing, usually with Oolong. I rather like puer which is a black tea and is apparently traditionally drunk after eating fatty foods. It is reputed to break down fat and aid digestion.


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## RolandG (Jul 25, 2010)

I've been reading a bit more about gongfu style brewing. I was aware of the meaning of the name as it is often adopted for Chinese martial arts - it means something roughly like "skill achieved through prolonged effort". It appears the name as used to refer to tea brewing is the same meaning (this often isn't true of Chinese words translated into English - frequently two different Chinese words will be translated as the same thing in English, but have different meaning or nuance in the original language). So gongfu brewing broadly just means being a tea geek


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## RolandG (Jul 25, 2010)

jimbow said:


> I rather like puer which is a black tea and is apparently traditionally drunk after eating fatty foods. It is reputed to break down fat and aid digestion.


I must admit, pu'erh is the only tea type I've never quite clicked with! It's not the same as what the British call a black tea - a British black tea is a red tea in china







pu'erh is a different class because it involves a different processing, ,where it is compacted into blocks and allowed to age.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Jing do a Gong-Fu set, really nice kit. First saw it in the Fat Duck in Bray, had to buy one!

We use it for all teas, and now Cascara


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## Earlepap (Jan 8, 2012)

What was Fat Duck like?


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Expensive but mind blowingly good. It was a while back before they put the prices even higher, about 350 quid for the two of us having the tasting menu with a few drinks. Loved everything except the 'sound of the sea' course, it was a bit too gritty and salty for me, although I cant deny it was very ''beachy'' in smell and taste.

I have a few allergies which actually worked in my favour , I got to choose off the a la Carte for one of my main courses and also a dessert - bigger portions & nicer dishes than the tasting menu! Laura was jealous but we shared in the end.


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## xtermn9 (Mar 26, 2012)

MikeHag said:


> I love the concept but isn't it a bit laborious? Jan and I went to a tea ceremony in Guilin where we were given lots of small cups.. the tea was ok but the event was hilariously boring tbh! Maybe the fact that it was all in Chinese didn't help. It might have been good to know the different health benefits of each tea.


the ceremonies are quite laborious. the tradition is nice but not needed take a peek here for explanation of the infusions and basic process . cheers


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## Suraj (May 29, 2012)

Roland: I use this method when brewing a green or Oolong tea. Oolong tea can really benefit from it, as the first brewing is usually not drunk, and is used to take the astringency away from the tea. Good Oolongs can be brewed up to 13 times! Of course, the flavour gets mellower and more complex the more you brew it.

Green tea also benefits from this, as you never want to steep a green tea in water for too long anyway. So this multiple steepings, whilst decreasing the steep time and water temperature each time benefits it too.


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## RolandG (Jul 25, 2010)

Definitely agree







I predominantly us my yixing teapot for oolongs, and my gaiwan for greens, yellows, whites and pu'erh. I tend to use an infuser for most of my black teas. Some of the oolongs in particular have been revelatory as they develop through multiple infusions.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre3 using Forums


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## Charlie B (Jan 10, 2013)

garydyke1 said:


> Jing do a Gong-Fu set, really nice kit. First saw it in the Fat Duck in Bray, had to buy one!
> 
> We use it for all teas, and now Cascara


Thanks for that suggestion, got one myself now and very happy


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## Anthorn (Sep 14, 2013)

The major utensils for brewing gong-fu style is a teapot, jug and cups. Basically do your first infusing and then pour it into the jug. That stops the leaves over-extracting and becoming bitter and then you can do more infusions in the same way. An alternative is the Gaiwan which is actually a cup where the tea is drunk straight from it. The more modern way is the Piao Yi which works in much the same way as a teapot and jug.

btw careful with teapots if you want Chinese: There are some on offer with a large bamboo handle which are passed off as Chinese but these are Japanese.

Also if you're using traditional unglazed Yixing teapots you need one for each tea you drink because it absorbs flavours from the tea.


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## chrisah1 (Nov 21, 2013)

I do this with oolong, white then green in descinding order of re-brews.

and by green I don't mean genmaicha, but something a bit heartier.

However, I'm frightfully low tech - I just use a pre-heated pyrex measuring jug. 6g per 300ml. I'm sure I should use more tea, but never mind!

Went to marriages freres in paris and tried one of their special line teas that are brewed in this way - was ridiculously slimy and cool. :'(


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## PotterZhang (Jun 20, 2014)

RolandG said:


> I'm a big fan of the Chinese method of tea brewing, sometimes called gongfu style (no idea why!). The basic difference to the western style, is that you use a lot of leaf to a small amount of water, and then infuse quickly. The leaves are usually able to support several or even many infusions this way, since you are extracting a small amount of flavour from a lot of leaves, rather than lots of flavour from a few leaves.
> 
> My experience of it has been that it really highlights how a tea can change as it goes through multiple infusions, and highlights the different characteristics of each stage.
> 
> Anyone else using this kind of brewing?


Gongfu 工夫 ( pronounced the same as 功夫"kung fu", which means fighting skills







)

have different meaning in china,such as exquisite, meticulous, thorough, considerate, polite, craftsmanship takes effort,skill,time etc.


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