Gongfu Tea Set
1. The history of gongfu tea
The so-called gongfu tea is not the name of a type of tea. It’s a way of making tea. The reason why it is called gongfu tea is that the way of brewing tea is very particular. This gongfu is the knowledge of brewing and drinking tea. Gongfu tea originated in the Song Dynasty and was most popular in Chaozhou of Guangdong and Zhangzhou of Fujian. At that time, Raoping, located at the junction of Fujian and Guangdong, was very active in the tea trade. Business people use a small cup to taste the tea and identify its quality, and then we developed the Chinese gongfu tea ceremony.
2. Classification of Gongfu tea
1) porcelain gongfu tea sets
1))white porcelain gongfu tea sets
White porcelain is fired at high temperature and has the characteristics of high density, low water absorption, and easy cleaning. It is a treasure in tea utensils.
2)) celadon
Ge Kiln produces the most famous celadon gongfu tea sets in Longquan, Zhejiang. Celadon has the advantages of porcelain-like high density and low water absorption, and because the tea sets’ color is green, it can make a better green tea.
3)) Black porcelain
The representative product of black porcelain is Jianzhan Tenmoku in Jianyang, famous for the tea contest in the Song Dynasty. In addition, the exquisite patterns on the inner liner of the teacup make many tea lovers fascinated by it.
4)) Color porcelain
The most famous color porcelain is blue and white porcelain, which has low output due to the complex firing process and scarcity of materials. Good blue and white porcelain are costly, So few people make tea with it.
2) Metal gongfu tea sets
The materials of metal gongfu tea sets are mainly gold, silver, iron, etc. Gold and silver have solid flexibility, corrosion resistance, beautiful color and luster, and high value. Now, few people use gold and silver tea sets, but someone like tea sets with silver liners, such as Enamel Lotus Gongfu Tea Sets With Inner Silver, which is also unique.
3. What are the primary utensils included in the gongfu tea sets?
One of the most critical features of Teochew Gongfu tea is that it can be complicated or simple, which is why Chaozhou Gongfu tea has been passed down for so long. Only one teapot or gaiwan, three teacups, one fair cup, and one strainer are needed to brew gongfu tea now. We will introduce what utensils are mainly included in the simple gongfu tea sets below.
1) Teapot
There are many types of teapots. According to the material, they can be divided into porcelain pots, pottery pots, gold and silver pots, and glass pots. Zisha pots are suitable for making oolong tea, dark tea, etc.
2) Gaiwan
Gaiwan is a tea set with a cover, a saucer on the bottom, and a bowl. When used for green tea, it is a bowl for one person; when used for black tea and oolong tea, it is used as a tea set.
3) Fair Cup
The fair cup is also called Chahai. After the tea in the teapot is brewed, it can be poured into the fair cup. The fair cup is used for tea division.
4) Strainer
The strainer is also called Chalou, and when the brewed tea is poured into the fair cup, it is placed on the lip of the fair cup. The strainer can filter the tea leaves and impurities mixed in the tea, so the tea taste is smooth and the color is bright.
5) Tea cup
There are generally six tea cups, which are the same size and shape.
4. How to use gongfu tea sets, the simplified steps
1) Preparation
Before brewing tea, we can use a pot of boiling water to scald the cup to increase the tea set’s temperature and clean them. Then add an appropriate amount of tea to the teapot, depending on your preference, green tea, oolong tea, pu-er tea, etc.
2) Wash the tea
The tea, for the first time in brewing, is not drinkable. Such as Pu’er, there will be some ash, paper scraps, and other sundries in the Pu’er, so the tea needs to be washed. Pour boiling water into the teapot with tea, close the lid, shake the teapot for 10 to 15 seconds, and then pour out the tea. The tea washing step is complete.
3) Brewing tea
Boil the water in the kettle again, and then quickly pour it into the pot along the edge of the teapot, which will be more conducive to the diffusion of the tea aroma. When the teapot is filled with boiling water, wait for 30 seconds to brew the tea leaves fully.
4) Pour the tea into the fair cup
After the tea is brewed, put the strainer on the lip of the fair cup, and then pour the tea into the fair cup with the strainer for filtering, making the tea taste better
5) Tea division and tasting tea
Pour the tea in the fair cup into the previously washed tea cup. When tasting tea, take a small sip slowly to taste the aroma of the tea.
5. Top product
In this collection, we will bring you a variety of gongfu tea sets, such as Jianzhan Tenmoku tea sets, Zisha tea sets, and porcelain tea sets. They all have beautiful appearance and good quality. We recommend one of our best-selling products, Glacier Gongfu Tea Sets, which includes: 6 Tea Cups, 1 Fair Cup, 1 Gaiwan, and 1 Tea Strainer. It is a boutique in Jianzhan Tenmoku Gongfu Tea Sets and can bring you a good Tea drinking experience.