Lughnasa \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Harvest Moon<\/p>\n
OK. \u00a0I have my yixing teapots made from the special clay of that region. \u00a0I have seasoned them both in the removing of the wax and boiling them in a pot full of the type of tea they will make.<\/p>\n
Finally this afternoon I felt I had the uninterrupted time to begin learning this ancient art. \u00a0It was the Chinese monks of Chan Buddhism who introduced cha or tea to visiting Japanese monks in the 12th century. \u00a0The tradition in China was old, very old, at that time. \u00a0The character for tea, thought to have originated in Burma, was simplified in the 8th century BC.<\/p>\n
The Chan monks practiced a Taoist influenced Buddhism that would translate itself in Japan into Zen Buddhism. \u00a0They used tea to help them stay awake in all night meditation settings.<\/p>\n
Here are the steps according to the guide I’m using right now. \u00a0 First, fill the teapot with boiling water of the right temperature. \u00a0This heats the pot. \u00a0Pour this water off. \u00a0Then, add the amount of tea appropriate for your teapot. \u00a0In my case three large Chinese tea scoops or approximately three Western tablespoons.<\/p>\n
Add boiling water to the pot, letting it run over the top until clear. \u00a0Then pour off the water immediately. \u00a0This is rinsing the leaves. \u00a0Tilt the lid on the pot so the heat does not cook the leaves. \u00a0Now add water again, again letting it run over the top. \u00a0Put the lid back on and count 6 seconds, pouring boiling water over the pot to equalibrate temperatures.<\/p>\n
At the end pour the tea into a small pitcher. \u00a0Serve.<\/p>\n
One of the aspects of gong fu cha that differs from all other tea making methods I know is that you reuse the tea leaves as many as six times. \u00a0The process repeats but the steeping times vary from pour to pour, going down for the second and then up slowly through the 5th or sixth.<\/p>\n
When I finished this process this afternoon, I couldn’t honestly tell whether all of that was helpful. \u00a0I have several different kinds of tea and many tea pots so I’ll try different teas in different pots with different methods. \u00a0I’ll eventually hit on a method that makes my palate happy.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lughnasa \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Harvest Moon OK. \u00a0I have my yixing teapots made from the special clay of that region. \u00a0I have seasoned them both in the removing … Continue reading Gong Fu Cha diary: 1st tea<\/span>