What is Gongfu Tea?

Guangdong Chaozhou and Shantou area prevails Gongfu tea. Drinking Gongfu tea is generally appropriate for three people, and the more sophisticated is to use a small ceramic pot and white porcelain glazed teacups produced in Yixing, the caliber of this teacup is only the size of a silver dollar, just like a small wine glass. The small ceramic pots (cans) are filled with oolong tea and water, and placed on a small charcoal stove or small alcohol stove to cook. Tea boiled after picking up the teapot in the arrangement of zigzag three ceramic cups for circular motion (locally known as "Guan Gong patrol") in turn filled each small cup, then you can pick up the aroma of the small teacups slowly hanging taste. Drinking tea can not be a cup full and then pour a cup, but according to the number of cups back and forth in turn order to pour. Therefore, in addition to the work of tea brewing kung fu, drinking tea also need to work hard.

The first and most important thing about the work tea is the tea utensils. The reason why it is different from other ways of drinking tea also lies in the tea utensils. It is said that Lu Yu made tea, where twenty-four things. Chaozhou work tea used in the tea utensils need at least ten. This is:

A, teapot

Chaosu native language is called "punch can", also called "Su can", because it is from Jiangsu Yixing, Yixing Zisha pots in the smallest one. Selection of teapots, good and bad standards have four words, day: "small, shallow, Qi, old." There are two-person pots, three-person pots, four-person pots, etc., respectively, with Mengchen, Iron Painting Xuan, Qiupu, Zunpu, Xiaoshan, Yuan Xisheng, etc., the most highly prized manufactured. There are many styles of pots, as small as oranges, as big as mandarin orange, melon, persimmon, rhombus, drum, plum blossom, hexagonal, chestnut ...... and so on, generally use the drum, take its upright and thick. The color of the pot also has a variety of, cinnabar, ancient iron, chestnut color, purple clay, stone yellow, azure ...... and so on, there is a pot body silver sand flashes, Zhu grain tired, commonly known as the pumping sand, the most precious. But no matter how the style, color and lustre, the most important thing is that "should be small, should not be big, should be shallow should not be deep", because the big is not "work". So with a large teapot, tea pots, tea drums, tea sieve, tea stalls ...... and so on rushed tea, even with a hundred dollars a couple of tea, can not be regarded as work tea. As for the depth of the relationship between the smell, shallow can brew flavor, can retain the fragrance, not water storage, so that the tea is not easy to become astringent. In addition to large, small, deep, shallow, the teapot is the most important thing: "three mountain Qi", which is the most important standard for assessing the good and bad pots. The way is: the teapot to cover the overlay on the table (preferably very flat on the glass), if the pot drip mouth, pot mouth, pot handle three pieces are flat, is "three mountains Qi". This is related to the level and quality of the pot, so the most careful. "Old" is mainly to see the pot into the "tea residue" more or less, in the previous has been said. Of course, the "old" word there are a lot of things to say, such as what dynasty production, ancient history, what master craftsmen made, after what masters have tasted ...... and so on. But that's not a question of using a normal teapot, but a question of playing with antiques.

Charge work tea in addition to the "punch can", sometimes more guests, can also use "cover ou". In chaozhou cuisine in every dish must come up after a round of work tea, that is with "cover ou" rushed, this is to apply to the number of occasions, once can have ten to twelve wai. But after all, gai ou mouth broad, can't keep the fragrance, the smell than using punch cans is much worse. However, as long as the tea people "work" good, with the cover Ou can also be rushed out of good work tea.

Two, tea cup

The choice of tea cup also has a four words: small, shallow, thin, white. Small is a sip; shallow water does not leave the bottom; color white as jade to set off the color of the tea; texture as thin as paper in order to enable it to start the fragrance. Tea drinkers in Chaozhou often white blue flowers, the bottom of the flat day wide, the bottom of the cup book "if the deep collection" of "if the deep forest" for precious, but has not been easy to get. Jiangxi Jingdezhen and Chaozhou Fengxi produced white porcelain cup, is also very good, commonly known as "white fruit cup".

As for some people also pay attention to what "spring is suitable for bull's-eye, summer is suitable for corn cup, autumn is suitable for lotus leaf cup, winter is suitable for hanging bells Huai", this has not seen to pay attention to too much. However, with the horn cup, buttermilk cup ...... these as the work of tea cups, are not very appropriate, there is a loss of "Sven" way.

Three, tea wash

Shaped like a large bowl, dark and light color samples, cooking tea must be three, a positive two vice, the wash is used to soak tea cups, vice wash one to soak rushing cans, one used to hold the wash cups of water and has been brewed tea.

Four, the tea plate

The tea plate is used to hold the tea cups, there are a variety of styles, crescent-shaped, checkerboard-shaped ...... and so on. But no matter what style, the most important is also four words: wide, flat, shallow, white. That is, the plate surface to be wide, so that the number of guests more or less, you can put more than a few wai; the bottom of the plate to be flat, so as not to make the teacups unstable, easy to shake; the side to be shallow, the color to be white, which is to set off the teacups, teapots, so that it is beautiful.

Five, tea mat

Smaller than the tea tray, is used to set the punch cans, there are various styles, but in short, we should note that the "shallow summer and winter". Winter deep because it is easy to pour cans when more boiling water, so that the tea is not easy to cold, tea cushion, but also on a layer of "mat felt", "mat felt" is a tea cushion with the shape of the size of the cut with the melon, so to use the melon and not with the cloth felt, in order not to give birth to a strange smell, mat felt The role is to protect the teapot, work tea in the sprinkling of tea, but also the teapot inverted over, so as not to accumulate water in the pot, a little bit of water, but also make the tea taste bitter, the reason is that the tannins are dissolved.

Six, water bottle and water bowl

role, are used to store water for tea. Water bottle, trim neck and shoulders, flat bottom, with handle, plain porcelain blue and white is the best. There is also a neck with a mouth, decorated with chi dragons, called chi dragon bottle is also good. (chi dragon, chiu chau vernacular called "money dragon", chiu chau vernacular is a double sound superimposed rhyme, money, chi is superimposed rhyme word, that is, gecko.)

Water bowl, is also used to store water for tea, the size of an ordinary flowerpot, there are many styles. The Ming Dynasty system of "red gold color", with hardware glaze, depicting goldfish two Kun in the bottom of the bowl, scooping water when the water moves, as if the goldfish also swim out, which is rare treasures, the general see more plain ceramic blue and white, placed on the tea bed, covered with vermilion wooden cover, scooping the water with coconut shells made of coconut ladle when the tea is not boiled, the master opened the lid to scoop the water, the "Gongfu Tea". "work tea" of work has not been drinking and convince people carry on.

Seven, dragon tank

Dragon tank similar to the garden planted lotus lotus tank, or smaller. Used to store large quantities of spring water, dense cover, under a wooden few, placed in a corner of the study, antique. Dragon jar is also mostly plain porcelain blue and white, Ming Xuande made, but it is difficult to see. Kangxi Qianlong years of products, has been extremely valuable. With modern products, as long as the color size and harmony, it is also very good.

Eight, red clay stove

"Green ants new roast wine, red clay stove. Late in the day want to snow, can drink a cup of no?" Visible to the ancients is a small fireplace with red clay to warm the wine, naturally, that is in the north. As for the "cold night guests tea as wine", this time whether the red mud stove to cook tea, cooked tea is like the current Chaozhou workers tea, like drinking tea, the poets did not specify. But I think it should be so, otherwise the cold night, a big bowl of tea, a big bowl of tea, will not make people urinate frequently, sitting and standing? The guest has long been pulling his legs and ran away, who can still sit down to talk. Therefore, I think this "cold night guests tea as wine" tea, should be equivalent to today's work tea is.

Red clay small stove, Chaoan, Chaoyang, Jieyang have production, style is very nice. The same has a variety of forms, characterized by a long shape, six, seven inches high, placed in the heart of the furnace charcoal deep and small, so that the fire is even, save charcoal, small stove has a cover and door, not when it is not used to put it a cover a closed, both savings, but also convenient. Small stove door is often a very elegant couplets, and added to tea. Small stove is placed on the top of the refined wooden frame, wooden frame like a tower, under the big on the small, the top of a grid to put the stove, just a stretch of the fan is the door. The middle compartment holds fans, chopsticks and other things. The lower compartment holds charcoal or marquee charcoal, or things to start the fire. "With such a setup, it is naturally convenient to make tea.

Nine, sand jump

"Sand jump", Chaoan Fengxi do the most famous, commonly known as "tea pot", is made of sand and mud, very light, the water is open, the small lid will automatically lift, a burst of sound. The water is just right for brewing tea. As for the use of steel pots, aluminum pots to boil water for tea, although not impossible, but metal things, to boil water for tea after all, not counting the work.

Ten, feather fan and steel chopsticks

Feather fan is used to fan the fire, fanning the fire must not only use force, but also can not be stoked over the stove door or so, so as to maintain a certain level of fire, but also to show respect for the guests. Therefore, the special feather fan is not only conducive to the "work" of the show, and a branch with a white goose plume braided into a fan, not too big over the palm of the bamboo handle silk spikes of the elegant, against the red, green, white ...... various colors of the tea utensils, coupled with the gold and purple strong tea, naturally interesting. Steel chopsticks are not only to clamp charcoal, picking fire, but also can make the owner's hands to keep clean.

The above, although not enough to Lu Yu's specifications of the twenty-four tea set, but also has been a great view. If you want to say more, then twenty-four is not too much, for example, the tin canister for tea, made in Chaoshan for the best. There are also tea towels, specializing in cleaning tea sets. Tea table, used to set up the tea. Tea stretcher, you can store tea, spring and autumn, hiking and floating water, the stream rinse stone, forest villa deep secluded, sitting on the ground, cooking and sipping tea, naturally, is a joy of life.

Kung Fu tea is a unique style, if the cooking tea is not kung fu, it can not be called kung fu tea. Therefore, the kung fu tea of the collection of power in the cooking tea, tea brewing method.

To drink Kung Fu tea, there must first be a set of qualified tea utensils. Teapot (Chaozhou people called "punch can") is made of ceramic, purple sand for the best. The pot is flat round drum-shaped, long mouth and long handle, very elegant, there are two cups, three cups, four cups of pots. The pot will be placed upside down on the table, its mouth, mouth, handle uniformly on the ground, the center into a straight line, for the superior teapot. Excellent if placed in the water, smooth and unsinkable. Delicate chic, white as jade small tea cups, diameter but 5 cm, 2 cm high, divided into two models of summer and cold. Cold cup mouth slightly closed, to take its thermal insulation, summer cup mouth slightly flap, easy to dissipate heat. Holding cups, pots of tea tray called "tea boat", concave cover with a leak, can save about half a liter of waste tea. The whole set of tea itself is a handicraft. Tea cups, tea boat with glaze or underglaze color painting. Teapot is the most valuable, an old and valuable teapot, is a piece of antiques can be appreciated, some inlaid with a layer of beautifully engraved silver or gold floral motifs, it has become a rare family heirloom. Teapot tea rust can not be washed away, the more the more precious, can keep the flavor of tea

Specific tea brewing method is as follows:

First: the ruler ruler includes: start the fire, pull out the fire, fan furnace, cleaner, waiting for the water, dripping cups and other six actions. Like playing taijiquan in the "taiji start", is a preparatory stage. The first four things need not be said, this "waiting for water", "shower cup" are the first try. About ten minutes after starting the fire, there is a sound in the pan, when the sound will suddenly be small, that is the fish-eye water will be accomplished, should immediately lift the pan, pouring cans and cups, and then put the pan on the stove. This is when the second thing begins.

Second: Nacha Open the tea leaves, pour it on a piece of white paper, separate the coarse and fine, put the coarsest at the bottom of the canister and drip mouth, then put the fine in the middle, and then put the coarse leaves on the top, Nacha's kung fu is completed. So do this, because the fine end is the strongest, more tea is easy to be bitter, but also easy to plug the mouth, respectively, put the coarse and fine, you can make the tea evenly, tea flavor gradually play. Nacha, each bubble of tea, about the teapot shall prevail, put seventy percent of the tea leaves in the inside is very enough. If too much, not only out of the tea is too strong, bitter flavor, and good tea leaves are mostly young buds tightly rolled, a bubble to open water, stretching out, become very large, too much tea, even the water can not be rushed in. But too little also can not, no flavor. Na Cha is the first step in brewing Kung Fu tea. It is the first step in the process of brewing Kung Fu Tea, and it is the first step in the process of making the tea.

Third: waiting for the soup Su Dongpo tea poems: "crab eyes have been fish eyes raw", which means that the best tea with this boiling water. Tea said" cloud: "soup tea of the Secretary, see its boiling like fish eyes, slightly sound, is three boiling. The edge of the choshi surging like a pearl, is the second boil. Tengbo bulging waves, is three boiling. A boil is too young, known as the baby boiling; three boil too old, known as the Hundred Life Soup; if the water surface floating beads, sound like the pine waves, is the second boil, just the right wait, "Daguan tea theory" also said: "Where the soup with fisheye and crab eye even the front into the degree of leaping."

Fourth: brewing tea When the water is boiling, you can bring up the choshi to brew tea. The fireplace and the teapot were placed about seven steps away from each other. After weeding seven steps, open the lid of the teapot, the rolling soup ring pot mouth, edge of the pot into the edge, do not rush straight to the center of the pot (such as cover ou, rushing a corner, and then rushed to the corners of the same avoid straight to the center of the pot). Choshi should be high, the so-called "high punch low sprinkle" is also. High punch to make the water powerful impact on the tea leaves, so that the tea flavor faster evaporation, by the rapid volatilization of tea essence, tannin is too late to dissolve, so the tea will not have astringent stagnation. As for the seven steps and then rushed, the purpose is to roll the water a little cooler, so as not to destroy vitamin C.

Fifth: scrape the foam Brewing must be full, whether the teapot is "three mountain Qi", the level of how to see the effectiveness of this time, a good teapot full of tea froth floats, and never overflowing (flushing water is too much, overflowing the pot surface is another matter), lifting the lid of the pot! The tea is not a good idea.

Sixth: pouring pot Cover the pot, and then pour boiling water on the pot. It's called a drenching jar. Drenching can have a role: one is to make the heat inside and outside the attack, forcing the tea flavor quickly evaporate, additional heat; two is a small stop for a moment, the can body water is dry, that is, the tea is ripe; three is to wash away the pot outside the tea froth.

Seventh: hot cup Chaozhou native language said is "burning cup hot pot", is the punch Kung Fu tea in the kung fu points. There is a tea expert, the old man traveled all over the east and west, north and south, everywhere to summarize the experience of drinking tea, after he drank kung fu tea, kung fu tea is characterized by a "hot" word. From boiling soup to punch **** drinking tea are inseparable from this word, which can be said to get its three flavors. Hot cup, after the shower cans, with boiling water shower cups, shower cups should pay attention to, boiling water to the center of the cup. After boiling the cups, add cold water to the pan with a long handle, place it on the stove, and turn around to "wash the cups". Washing cups is the most artistic form of action, veterans can wash two cups with two hands at the same time, with rapid movements, resonant tones and wonderful gestures. There is a foreign friend, is also a tea fan, heard the name of kung fu tea, not far from thousands of miles, by all means, to China must drink a kung fu *** with him to see the action of washing tea cups, can not help but admire again and again, said it is more than the acrobatic troupe's kung fu is also high. Indeed, will not wash the cup of people, a touch of the cup will give hot to death, do not break the cup has been fortunate, not to mention the "gesture wonderful". Cup washed, the cup, the tray of water poured into the tea to wash, at this time, the outside of the teapot of the water has just been evaporated, it is the time of tea cooked. Veteran in this, not the slightest difference, you can sprinkle tea to honor the guests. Eighth: Sprinkle tea After several times of work, the last hand is sprinkle tea. Sprinkle tea also has four words: low, fast, even, exhaustive. "Low" is the "low" of "high punch low pour" as mentioned earlier. Sprinkle tea should not be high, high is the loss of flavor, foam, the guests are extremely disrespectful. "Fast" is also to make the flavor is not lost, and can maintain the heat of the tea. "Uniform" is to sprinkle tea must be like a wheel turning, cups and cups in turn sprinkled evenly, gear can be sprinkled a cup before sprinkling a cup, because the tea at the beginning of the outstanding light, and then out, the color is thick. The word "even" is important. "End" is wang to let the remaining water to stay in the pot. The first punch to stay a little, two or three punch cut not. After the sprinkle, you can also put the teapot upside down, overlay on the caustic cushion, so that the water in the pot completely dripping out, this is because as long as there is no water in the tannins can not be dissolved, the tea will not be bitter.