Gong Fu Cha

Gong Fu or Kung Fu may have connotations of martial arts and self-defense, but the words Gong Fu in Chinese mean skills attained through practice and effort.  Thus, Gong Fu Cha does not involve tea cup sparring and can be described as mindfully and effectively preparing tea to maximize the enjoyment of it. 

Gong Fu Cha originated in China, allegedly Guangdong province.  It is pragmatic and follows basic principles of brewing tea, such as good water and quality tea.   In addition to a pot and cups, Gong Fu Cha enhances tea drinking experience with accessories.

bamboo tea tray and gaiwan set

Gong Fu Cha must-haves:

• good water and a tea kettle
• quality loose tea leaves, traditionally, Oolong or Pu'er.  
• a small tea pot (e.g., Yixing) or a gaiwan (covered bowl)
• small tea cups
• a stone or wood tea tray with a reservoir or optionally a bowl to collect discarded water.

Nice-to-haves:

• fragrance cups
• a tea pitcher
• a tea tool set, including a tea needle, a tea scoop, tea tongs, a tea spoon, and a tea funnel.
• a tea strainer, a tea holder, tea coasters, etc.

use of fragrance cups and cups

tea tool set

Following are simplified steps of Gong Fu Cha:

1. Prepare water
2. Warm the tea pot and cups
3. Rinse tea leaves and discard first brew.
4. Infuse tea leaves (multiple infusions).
5. Serve the tea.

stone tea tray and yixing pot set

Manaslu Tippy Green

Tea plants do not grow on Manaslu, the 8th highest mountain in the world.  Manaslu or Mountain of Spirit is located in the central west part of Nepal.  Trekking is popular in the Manaslu region.   Along the many trails there are tea houses that serve meals and beverages, including Nepali spiced milk tea.

Nepali tea was first commercially planted in the Ilam district over a century ago and has since been cultivated in many other districts.  This tea comes from the foothills close to Manaslu and is designated as a green tea.  However, it can easily be mistaken for a first flush Darjeeling black tea.   The lovely floral and citrus flavors are as good or better than a Darjeeling's.   So call me Oolong maybe...

Manaslu Tippy Green

Type:  Green      Producing Country: Nepal   Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  These twisted dark green leaves are tippy, toasty and floral.
Wet Leaf:  The young buds and leaves are floral.
Liquor:      The orange-colored drink is clean, refreshing, sweet, citrusy and floral.  It is lengthy in the mouth and there is some astringency just like a good first flush Darjeeling.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Huang Shan Yun Wu

The well-known Lu Shan Yun Wu (Lu Mountain Cloud Mist) tea is from Jiangxi province, China.  This Yun Wu is grown in the foothills of Huang Shan or Yellow Mountain in Anhui province, China.

Huang Shan is renown for its majestic scenery and is a UNESCO world heritage site.  Its mountain range has some peeks towering over 1800 meters and shrouded in clouds. Huang Shan has always been a favorite subject in Chinese arts and literature.

Huang Shan Yun Wu lives up to its name; it is soft and heavenly.  It may contain more theanine as it is sweet and uplifting.  Everything about the tea is light.  It is a perfect Spring beverage.

Huang Shan Yun Wu

Type:  Green      Producing Country: China   Preparation:  85°C 2 Min

Dry Leaf:  The olive-green wiry leaves have a faint smell of hay.
Wet Leaf:  The tender young buds and leaves are soft and savory.
Liquor:      The tea color is pale-straw.  It is light, smooth and delicate.  Its sweetness is honey-like with a floral or cashew base note.   Almost no astringency is detected.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Portugal Green Tea

In addition to black tea, Portuguese Gorreana Tea Estate also produces green tea called Hysson using techniques passed down by Chinese tea experts from Macau over 100 years ago.  The Portuguese were able to establish a trading station in Macau in 1557 and likely had easy access to tea masters there.

This Hysson is not identical to Hyson (with one 's').   Hyson was popular in Europe in the 18th century.  Because its Chinese name sounded like that of a wealthy Londoner Phillip Hyson, it took on his moniker.  Hyson is one of the teas destroyed at the Boston Harbor in 1773.  Chun Mei is a type of Hyson.

Gorreana Hysson brews an amber cup of green tea.  Its leaves and flavors do not resemble Chinese Hyson.  It is uniquely Portugal green tea.

Portugal Green

Type:  Green      Producing Country: Portugal   Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  These olive green leaves are herbaceous and peppery.  Some stems are mixed in with the cut leaves.
Wet Leaf:  There is a faint herbaceous note to the leaves.
Liquor:      It is an amber-colored green tea with sediments.  It has some astringency and has a flavor similar to cooked Chinese cabbage.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Portugal Black Tea

Father Jasper de Cruz of Portugal was the first European to encounter and write about tea in 1560.  Later the Portuguese developed a trade route to China and shipped tea back. When Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza married King Charles II of England in 1662, she brought with her a chest of tea as part of her dowry and was credited for making this beverage fashionable in Britain.

Tea growing in Portugal began in the 19th century in the Azores, the volcanic islands in the mid-Atlantic Ocean.  Today Gorreana is the only remaining tea plantation there.

This Gorreana black tea is made from younger leaves grown in Sao Miguel.  It is full-bodied with an impressively rich flavor.

Portugal Black 

Type:  Black      Producing Country: Portugal   Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The dark and broken pieces of leaves are herbaceous, spicy and raisiny.
Wet Leaf: The wet leaves are also herbaceous and spicy, with hints of wicker, cocoa and prunes.
Liquor:      The color of the tea is coppery brown and bright.  It is full-bodied with mid-astringency.  It is cinnamon-spicy and floral.  It is nice with milk.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Red Rhythm Black Tea

Red Rhythm (Hong Yun or TRES #21), Taiwan Assam #8 (TRES #8), and Red Jade (Hong Yu or TRES #18) are some of the tea cultivars and teas developed by the Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES) in Taiwan.  Prior to 2003, TRES was known as Taiwan Tea Experiment Station or TTES.

Red Rhythm is a relatively new tea variety, named by TRES in 2008 as #21 and Hong Yun (meaning red rhythm).  It is a cross between Chinese Keemun and Indian Kyang.   Although the leaf appearance is large resembling Assam, the brew is flavorful like Keemun.

This tea is farmed in Yuchi, Nantou.  It is a wonderful black tea to be appreciated for its exquisite flavors without sugar, milk or lemon.

Hong Yun

Type:  Black      Producing Country: Taiwan   Preparation:  95°C 5 Min

Dry Leaf:  The leaves are long, dark and wiry, and their aroma is deliciously biscuity.
Wet Leaf:  The large wet leaves are very fragrant, reminiscent of roses, orange blossoms and red currants.
Liquor:      It is a bright coppery tea.  It is medium-bodied and smooth.  The interesting flavor profile includes sweetness, fading roses, citrus and berries.

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Sochi Black Tea

Russia has a rich tea history as well as tea culture, symbolized by the samovar.  The first attempt to grow tea started around 1883 from Chinese tea seeds in the southern Caucasus.   Through many trials and tribulations, today commercial tea plantations have established themselves in Georgia (part of the former Soviet Union) and Sochi.

Sochi, Russia, is the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics.  The Sochi region is located along the shores of the Black Sea and enjoys a subtropical climate.  With warm summers and mild winters, the hardy Sochi variety tea plants thrive around here.

This black tea is cultivated and produced by Matsesta Tea Company, one of the six major tea growers in the Sochi area.   The 180 hectares tea plantation is in the Matsesta valley, at an altitude of 400 meters, in the Krasnodar region, and it processes tea utilizing Japanese know-how.  This most northern grown Sochi tea has a bright aroma and has adequate briskness to take milk, honey, sugar or jam.  Comparing it to Georgia black tea, the Sochi black is stronger.

Snowshoeing tea bag

Sochi variety tea plant and tea

Sochi black tea

Type:  Black            Producing Country: Russia           Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The nose of the short twisted dark leaves is a potpourri of raisins, hay and cocoa nibs.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are brownish and have a weak scent of wicker and dried fruits.
Liquor:      The color of the black tea is mahogany.  It has some interesting flavors: sweet, chocolaty, spicy and floral.  Its astringency is medium-light.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5