Tea Ceremony is not just found in Japan, but many Asian countries have their own version and meaning of the tea ceremony. China, Japan, and Korea are best known for their traditional ceremonies and countries like India, Russia and others have specific tea rituals around events and gatherings. For this post, we will focus on some of the explanations of what is a Chinese tea ceremony versus Chinese Gong Fu Tea.
In China there is a traditional way to serve tea, called Gong fu tea (Kungfu Tea) which involves many steps in the brewing process to make the most stellar cup of tea. These steps are NOT the same thing as a tea ceremony itself. The steps in this brewing style are primarily meant to prepare the tea and the vessel for brewing. Many people use this type of brewing in daily life, especially in China. This same traditional way has also evolved to produce many more styles of Gong fu brewing.
But for TEA CERMONY, elements of Gong Fu Tea, combined with other aesthetic and detailed brewing elements have been used to create ceremonial styles. It's a relatively newer creation compared to the ancient art of tea brewing. Every few years in China, a new version of these ceremonies and brewing styles seem to emerge.
The Gong Fu Tea brewing style involves a smaller type of pot and cups. Although they look cute to the uninitiated, the size is really the key component to brewing up a deeper flavored tea. Here are a few facts about Gong fu Tea that you should know:
1. There are a vast amount of tea ware styles and varieties made primarily of clay, ceramic, and glass. Gong Fu pots are generally smaller, with smaller sizes around 100 ml or so.
2.With smaller pots, the heat can be maintained in the vessel longer, resulting in a more complex taste.
3. With the Gong Fu Tea brewing, there is less water to the amount of tea, which means we have to steep the tea for much less time to avoid bitterness. This in turn means you get lots more steeps from your tea serving and a new flavor experience in each steep.
The meaning of "ceremony" is more loose in the English translation. Often people use the term Chinese Tea Ceremony to mean Gong Fu Tea, but the main difference lies in the artistry.
Gong Fu Tea brewing can be a daily occurrence for one, or it can be used to taste tea in a social setting, where every one is chatting and enjoying the different types of tea and their exquisite flavors. For Ceremony, the brewing steps are nearly the same, but with an added touch of an aesthetic and beautiful atmosphere, graceful movements and the cultural naming of each step -the Gong Fu brewing can be elevated to a ceremony. As mentioned before, there are many versions of the Chinese tea ceremony. And unlike the Japanese Tea Ceremony, which is even more detailed and can last for quite some time, Chinese Tea Ceremony usually takes 7 to 10 minutes or so.
Whether you experience the tea ceremony or have Gong Fu Tea tasting, both elevate the tea tasting experience and it would be well worth it to try them out.
