Gongfu cha or Chinese tea ceremony

Category: The drinks

Kitchen: chinese

Ingredients
Oolong tea	3gr. for 1 person
Water	1.5-2 liters
Tea utensils

Cooking method

For me, a master class is not only a step-by-step instruction to do something, but also when someone shares their experience and knowledge. Therefore, while conceiving the Chinese cycle of recipes (not everything that was conceived, however, I succeeded / managed to do), I knew that I would end it with a Chinese tea ceremony - Gongfu cha.
But first, I'll tell you a little about tea.
The word tea in Russian comes from the Chinese - 茶 cha (in the pronunciation after Ch comes a subtle X, that is, not just cha, but cha).
There is also a word in Russian associated with tea, and came to us from Chinese - baikhovy. Now long tea with us means - friable, leafy, premium. But this word comes from the Chinese "bai hao", which translates as "white cilia / villi". Some expensive teas are made from unopened young buds covered with white hairs. The buds are carefully collected and dried so that the villi remain. When brewing such tea (most often it is white tea), the first brew is never drained, it is she who is the most valuable.
When our merchants went to trade with the Chinese, they saw how they carefully pour tea in a bag with their hands, offering to appreciate the beauty, saying with delight - "bai hao". The merchants realized that this meant something expensive, and when they returned home, they talked about tea - long tea.
In the European tradition, tea is divided into three main types - green, black, floral / herbal. Because Europeans divided tea according to the color of the dry leaf. And in China - by the color of the drink. Therefore, in the Chinese tradition, there are more types of tea - white, yellow, green, red, black, floral / herbal, and what is not translated into other languages - oolong. And in each type there are many varieties - there is loose / leaf tea, there is pressed, there are associated teas, there are twisted, there are naturally flavored ones (for example, jasmine tea can be dried together with jasmine, but jasmine flowers are not put into the tea itself), there are additives, etc. You cannot list everything.
But before, delivery by caravan or ship was not fast. Many thin varieties of tea (white, yellow) did not reach the destination, because they continued to ferment along the way or were damp due to improper storage.
According to legend, it was because of the long incorrect transportation in Europe that there was no green tea for a long time, although it was originally bought. The merchants could not afford to throw away the bags of expensive, albeit damp, product. And they decided to dry it, some in the air, and some on hot baking sheets. So, I don't know the process, they accidentally opened the production of red tea - water + drying (or even better, drying on hot metal). Red, in the Chinese understanding, since the color of such tea when brewed is dark red or brown. In the European understanding, it was immediately designated as black tea - by the color of the unbrewed leaf.
There is another beautiful legend about how a Chinese tea service through time and space turned into a European coffee service, but I'll tell you about this at the end.
***
And so, the Chinese tea ceremony is Gongfu cha.
Of course, she was not immediately in this form.
Firstly, because oolongs (and only with this type of tea they carry out the highest ceremony) definitely appeared later than ordinary green and pressed teas, later than the famous "Treatise on Tea", etc. Secondly, because in fact it is impossible to say with precision - who, when and how approved this order. The Chinese are great craftsmen at forging ancient things, baffling art critics.Well, for example, how to classify a 5th century forgery into a 3rd century work? In any case, these are antiques, but at the same time, in fact, a fake. And there are many legends about how tea appeared in general. Even if you briefly retell everything, it will be five pages of text.
Therefore, I will not say that this tea ceremony is 300 or 700 years old, no one knows how old it is. What I know for sure is that this tea ceremony is considered a Chinese value and art.
But let's get started!
***
Water
The ceremony begins with water.
The water must be clean, and at an extended ceremony, water is prepared on a fire in front of guests, and at a short one, a thermos is used.
Usually they take a glass transparent kettle and a gas burner, but I have an electric one, albeit a glass one. Waiting for the water to boil and contemplation develop patience and calmness.
At first, the water is silent, then what the Chinese call "The sound of the wind in the pines" appears, and in the water you can see small air bubbles called "fish eyes".

Then, the noise decreases, the air bubbles become larger and line up in a "pearl string". I was not able to take pictures, very blurry photos due to the lack of a fast shutter speed in the smartphone, so I drew them. The appearance of the filament corresponds to approximately 95 + -1 degrees.

As soon as the noise died down and a thread appeared, the fire was turned off, and the kettle was moved to an alcohol burner. At home, to maintain the temperature, you can pour it into a thermos.
Preparing dishes

For the tea ceremony, the following tools are needed: a tea board, a teapot, a chahe (a tea box), a chahai or also called a gundaobi (a jug that looks like a creamer), a strainer, tea pairs (a long cup and a bowl), a stand and tea tools. I'll tell you about each in more detail below.

Warming up the dishes goes through all the same stages as brewing tea. Therefore, first we pour hot water into the kettle. The teapot is a familiar item. In China, there is a huge variety of teapots, made of different clay, large or small, designer, etc.

Then the water is poured into a chahai - a jug resembling a creamer or milk jug. Chahai is translated as a sea of tea. The second name is gundaobey - the cup of justice. The fact is that tea is brewed very quickly, and if you pour it from the teapot right into the cups, the first cup will get less brewed tea than the last. Therefore, the cup of justice - in the jug, the first drop less brewed will mix with the last, more brewed one.

Water is poured from chahcha into a long cup - wensiabei - a cup for aroma.
Cover with a bowl - chabei - a cup for tea (taste).
And flip (more on that below)
It's time to talk about tea tools - there are many different pieces in the stand.

Tea tools from left to right - funnel to avoid spilling tea; a spatula to collect tea; needle if tea clogs the teapot spout); tongs so as not to burn yourself with hot dishes. And on top is a knife for pressed tea.

After the cups were turned over and the narrow aroma cup was lifted up, the water poured into the bowl. It needs to be poured out, but it is hot - we use tongs.

Pour the rest of the water onto the tea figurine - hotei. Figures are different, from funny (a pissing boy, for example) to traditional ones - a frog, a dragon, etc. Or, like mine, - Mi Le Fo - Laughing Buddha. A symbol of happiness and good luck.

Tea figurines are made of special porous clay, which absorbs hot water, and when the water cools down, gives it back. Therefore, the most popular figure is a pissing boy - after 20-30 minutes of drinking tea, he makes everyone laugh with this action. Other figurines do different things, depending on where the holes were made. After a while, mine will start to release many small bubbles from the mouth, which will burst and create the feeling that the figure is laughing.

Where does the water go? A tea board (chaban) always has a tray.
First brew
This porcelain piece is called chakhe - a tea box.
Using a scoop, we collect tea into it. I have a standard Taiwanese oolong Te Guanin.

Chakhe is passed in a circle so that all those present can see the tea, inhale its aroma. The Chinese call it - acquaintance with tea or the first awakening of tea. You need to inhale the aroma like this - first exhale into tea, and then inhale the aroma. This is not magic, just the warm breath makes the tea leaves slightly warm and smell stronger. In fact, while the box is being passed around to admire the tea, the host of the ceremony warms up the dishes. But if there are 1-2 people, then these two processes can be rearranged.

Using a funnel and a spatula, pour the tea into a preheated kettle.

The kettle is closed, wrapped in a towel and hit against the back of the hand. The tea leaves inside beat against the hot walls of the teapot, and this is their second awakening. If the tea is very expensive, then the kettle is once again passed around to inhale the aroma. After a hot breath, he was alone, and after a hot kettle and a couple of drops of water, the aroma changed.

Pour water into the kettle.
Chinese teapots are very comfortable. I have not yet met such that I had to think about where to put the lid. I just put it on the edge of the handle and hole.

Pour tea into chahai through a strainer. A strainer is used to prevent fine dust or tea leaves from getting into the drink. For white, fleecy teas, a strainer is not used, and, let me remind you that the first tea leaves are not poured out.

Again, about the convenience of the dishes - I do not hold a hot kettle in my hands, I just turn it over and it will not fall. But, you can hold it beautifully by stretching your index finger out onto the lid, creating the visual impression that the kettle is an extension of the hand (like a samurai's sword). Combined with the fluid motion, tea spilling can be a very beautiful process.

In the same order as we warmed it, first pour it into a long cup for aroma, cover with a bowl and turn it over.
We raise a long cup - tea in a bowl.
And we pour out the first tea leaves, I pour it over the hotei, because I want him to laugh at the end.
How to flip?
Here I will step aside a little to tell you how to turn the cups. There are two ways.
In the first method, only one hand is used (attracted mom for shooting)
Clamp the bowl between your middle and ring fingers.
Turn the brush and place your index and thumb on the small bowl, pressing the bowl down.
And flip the cups by placing the bowl on a table or stand.
The second method requires the participation of two hands.
Squeeze the high cup between your index and middle fingers.
Press on the bottom of the bowl with your thumb.
Turn over.
Pick up with your other hand.
Place on a table or stand.
Raise the tall cup.
Tea drinking
It's time to drink tea. Pour water into the kettle, immediately pour it into the chahai, and pour it into tall cups.
The cups with the first tea (which we will drink) are turned over by the host of the ceremony.
Put it on small coasters and give it to your guests.

The guest raises a narrow cup, and without turning it over (so as not to lose the aroma), brings it to his face. The stick remains on the stand. And he begins to breathe in the scent of beautiful oolong. If you rub the narrow cup with your fingers while sniffing, the cup heats up and smells even stronger.

After enjoying the aroma, the guest puts a narrow cup on a stand, takes a bowl and drinks tea.
Why are the cups small?
Because the Chinese know a lot about pleasure. If you brew tea many times, each cup will taste differently. The taste unfolds on the rise, and then dies down. Drinking tea from small cups, brewing many times is simply delicious. In addition, it fits well into the Chinese philosophy that every moment of life is different, the next second life can change irrevocably.
In the late nineties, fate abandoned me to work at the Tea Culture Club. Then it was the only tea club in the country, it was located in the Hermitage garden. The end of the nineties was a difficult time, different people came to the club. There were those who tensed a lot when they were told that every cup, like every moment of life, is different. Indeed, in the nineties there was a huge flow of various information, including garbage.A wave of all psychedelic turbidity has already passed, the charge of water through the TV, and people feared that this was not a tea club, but some kind of sect.
If I saw that people were tense, I would tell an anecdote:
Two alcoholics meet.
- Vasya, will you drink?
- No, I don’t want to.
- And now?
For some reason, alcoholic Zen about different things was now understood at once, everyone laughed, and no longer strained about the different taste in each next teacup.
Why two cups?
Because oolong tea is a kind of tea that has different aromas and tastes. The aroma can be sweet and the taste can be tart. The aroma and taste are especially noticeable in highly fermented North Fudjian oolongs. The aroma can be honey, and the taste of currant. The Chinese would not be Chinese if they missed the opportunity to get twice as much pleasure.
But also, they would not be Chinese if they did not come up with many beautiful stories to explain the two cups.
As you know, the Chinese perception of the world is duality - the world consists of yin and yang, heaven and earth. Their history of the origin of the world - at first there was emptiness (in the good sense of the word, and not that empty space, it is rather immortality), then a unit appeared from emptiness (one, you know this famous icon - a circle of black and white drops, inside which is a point of a different color), and then it split into Heaven (yin) and Earth (yang). And most of their philosophies, teachings, practices, etc., are aimed at ensuring that if immortality is not achieved, then at least try to unite yin and yang within yourself. Or in simple words - to accept the world as it is.
Therefore, the long cup is sometimes called the heavenly cup, and the bowl is called the earthly cup. And the ceremony itself is a meditation, where you try to combine this in yourself through cognition of aroma (heavenly) and taste (earthly).
However, do not think that they are all confused there. The Chinese are big bastards, they do not care about following traditions to the letter. Remember the episode in "Office Romance", when the secretary teaches the boss of fashionable life: "The club jacket is in the Palace of Culture, or what?" "Well ... you can go there too." This “you can go there too” is their favorite phrase.
But back to the tea party.
When the guest wants the next cup, he pushes his stand with cups to the host.
And then it just repeats 7-13 times. We brew, pour into chahai, pour into cups.

Everyone is sitting, slowly drinking tea, watering the hotei. From the first to the fourth brewing, tea is poured into chahai right there. Starting from the fifth, the brewing time in the teapot is slightly increased. Good tea withstands up to 15 infusions, and medium 7 + -. The ceremony can last about an hour. An hour of leisurely conversation with friends or family is a great pastime.

And here hotei began to "laugh" - to blow bubbles that burst ridiculously.
***
Of course, such a ceremony is not that long, but time must be allocated. The Chinese like to drink tea like this, they like to go to a tea house or arrange a ceremony at home in honor of some date. But they don't spend it very often, not every day for sure, and not every week.
In 90% of cases, they drink tea quite simply - they poured boiling water over a glass jar with a lid, got on a bicycle and drove off, poured boiling water somewhere along the way. No small cups for you, no different tastes. But in a conversation with a foreigner, they can lie that this is the only way they drink tea at home. Because they are proud of their tea culture.
***
I also promised to talk about how the Chinese tea service turned into a European coffee service. This is a funny tea legend.
European merchants reaching China were fascinated not only by tea or silk, but also by utensils, including tea. I hope for a successful trade, we bought a lot of tea utensils and sailed home on ships.
But at home, microscopic dishes did not go. Firstly, the merchants were unable to deliver green tea, turning it into black. And no such different tastes were heard in each cup of red tea. Secondly, it was inconvenient to sit, brew like this for hours and drink. After all, tea was expensive, only the rich could afford, who were not used to brewing for themselves. And if the servant sits nearby and brews, then you don't gossip too much.In short, some inconvenience. And if teapots, especially large ones, somehow sold out, the rest was perceived as some kind of doll set.
After some time, coffee appeared in Europe. About the fact that tea or coffee used to be a lot of controversy. There is a fact of tea drinking in the royal palace in 1517. Tea has been mentioned in Venetian medical journals since 1560. But they began to drink tea in large quantities after 80 + -. The famous English treaty of 1669, allowing the British to bring tea from Guangzhou, among other things, established an uninterrupted English supply of tea, which, incidentally, shook the Dutch economy.
But coffee was first brought by Venetian merchants in 1617. But in the early years it was a forbidden drink. The priests urged not to drink it, calling coffee "the black blood of the Turks", considering it the influence of Islam on Christians. But slowly, coffee gained popularity. The first coffee house in England opened in 1652. The popularization of both drinks in different countries went in different ways. Therefore, all the same, tea and coffee + - they began to drink equally in Europe.
This is not to say that coffee is a sweet drink. You won't drink much. At the beginning, I didn't like coffee either. And the merchants were smart. They began to advertise the stale tea set as coffee. It was then that the trade started.
A small teapot, small cups, coasters turned into saucers, the chahai turned into a creamer, the chahe turned into a sugar bowl. Such a legend.
Enjoy your tea!

The dish is designed for

For a company from 2 people

Time for preparing:

1-1.5 hours

Note

Perhaps there will be different questions about tea.
I am ready to slowly answer any

OlgaGera

Miranda, very interesting. Thank you very much.

Miranda

OlgaGera, Thank you

OlgaGera

Long ago we went to the Museum of the East, on Kurskaya. But children are not interested in this, we were interested in dolls, umbrellas.
And now something has surfaced from childhood ...

ang-kay

Miranda, very interesting and informative. Thank you very much)

Miranda

ang-kay, Thank you so much!

Miranda, Thank you! Very exciting! As if he was present, and he himself drank tea))))). I first heard about the laughing Hoteya, very cool!

Miranda

L, Thank you!
something even a little tired while everything is loaded

Tumanchik

Miranda, many thanks for MK! It's so informative. For now, I just ran my eyes. Later I will sit down (under a cup of tea) and read it in detail and sensibly.

francevna

Miranda, how informative and colorfully everything is described.! It was very interesting to read, thanks.

Miranda

Tumanchik, francevna, Thank you!

Masha Ivanova

Miranda, Miranda! Your recipes, as well as your posts in different topics, are always very interesting and sensible. They stand out from the crowd. It will be a shame if your Chinese recipes are over. I would like to continue. And thank you for these recipes!

Miranda

Masha Ivanova, Thank you!
As I will do something Chinese for myself, I will definitely document it. There will be more recipes!

Masha Ivanova

Miranda, Miranda! Very glad, honestly!

lira3003

Miranda, thank you very much! I really liked it! Informative
I thought I know everything ... but still I found a gap in my knowledge: oops: It turned out to be hottei. I still could not understand why it was watered But it turned out so simple ...
The story about coffee services, or rather about enterprising merchants, is interesting!

lappl1

Miranda, I sit and mleu from the abundance of information ... I learned a lot for myself! Conquered the style of presentation. Well this is a pleasure, not MK !!!!
I read it 2 times! But I feel that I will come back here many times. It's like "now" ... Now - one perception, there will be others.
Thank you so much for MK! He is a balm for my tea soul!
Good luck with the competition, Miranda!

Vei

Miranda, thanks for this article and the ceremony, mentally I took part in it. And by the way, at one time I often visited this tea house in the Hermitage and talked for a long time with Bronislav Vinogrodsky, there were such long, interesting and unhurried evenings ... thanks for thanks to you, I remembered about them and remembered those feelings.

And my husband and I still drink magic tea, just not from tea pairs and not on a blackboard)) At one time I unsuccessfully tried to find all these items for a tea ceremony in Taipei in Taiwan, but all that I managed to buy there was oolong and that's it))

PS recently, my daughter broke some wildly expensive chahai, my husband was very upset, now we will look for a new one.

nila

What a job! How much information !!!

Vei

nooo, this is not work, this is love and passion for tea! Miranda,

nila

Vika, this is work for me. And we drink tea in a simple way, with a teapot. I don't know all these subtleties and tea traditions at all.
I am a layman, but I read it with pleasure

marlanca

Miranda,
Miranda, thank you for such a magical MK ..... ..... for your story ..... .... you have an amazing style of presentation, so addictive and enchanting ....., as if you are immersed in this "tea world ".... it seemed to me at some point that I really felt this subtle taste of your tea, everything is described so deeply and with such love ...

liliya72

Miranda, thanks for the master class!
While in China, I discovered a lot of new things, but the tea ceremony unexpectedly became one of the most vivid memories.

Miranda

lappl1, Vei, nila, marlanca, liliya72thank you girls

***

Quote: lira3003

The story about coffee services, or rather about enterprising merchants, is interesting!

I like her too.
Even if it's a legend (quite plausible), it's still beautiful

***

Quote: Vei

by the way, at one time I often visited this tea house in the Hermitage and talked with Bronislav Vinogrodsky for a long time, there were such long, interesting and unhurried evenings ...

Yes, from opening to moving to Kurskaya it was great there

***

Quote: nila

And we drink tea in a simple way, with a teapot.

Usually, like the Chinese, I don’t bother
My everyday tea is pu-erh tea in a cup and I pour it.
***

Quote: marlanca

it seemed to me at some point that I really felt this subtle taste of your tea

I wanted it, thanks

***

Quote: liliya72

While in China, I discovered a lot of new things, but the tea ceremony unexpectedly became one of the most vivid memories.

And I miss food more and more

marina-mm

Miranda, very interesting, thank you, enjoyed it!

kubanochka

Miranda, so interesting. Marina is right, I enjoyed it. But I have a special interest now. Especially the one in the background ... What's his name? And what is he for?

I have his (or her) relative, but I don't know who he is))))

liliya72

Impressions from the food were expected, that is, I was sure that I would not be disappointed, but acquaintance with the world of tea (both traditions, and history with legends, and tastes) was a discovery.

Bridge

Miranda, a very interesting master class. I tried to read carefully if possible, but, of course, it is better to read, having all the utensils for the ritual.
The question arose: was this ceremony originally conceived for green and semi-fermented teas? White tea must be too delicate and red tea too rude for her?

Kokoschka

Miranda, very exciting!
Thank you very much for such an interesting story. it remains to arrange a tea ceremony.

Tatka1

Miranda, such a fascinating journey into the world of tea drinking! Thank you very much! Very interesting!

Miranda

marina-mm, kubanochka, Bridge, Kokoschka, Tatka1, Thank you

Quote: Bridge

The question arose: was this ceremony originally conceived for green and semi-fermented teas? White tea must be too delicate and red tea too rude for her?

Tea ceremony for Oolong tea only.
Here, on the second board from the left, there are several inverted cups and a larger kettle for the rest of the teas.

That is, in fact, the same thing:
teapot - chahai - in cups. But from single cups, no flip. Since the rest of the teas do not have such a different aroma and taste. If it smells like currant, then currant taste.

***

Quote: kubanochka

I have his (or her) relative, but I don't know who he is))))

I just have an owl. Well I think so it's an owl
Decorated with ornaments, probably some kind of legend or fairy tale, but maybe just an owl. They love to bungle something, especially a fake for the ancient.

I loved bargaining at the flea market when I lived there. Half an hour of language practice and for a little yuan you have a cool thing. I did not buy more than 10-15 yuan (1-2 cu) There was a lot, but I also gave away a lot. I love the owl

And my profile is different. Although, from the same forest

I think you have a different, but no less magical bird for beauty, joy and good luck
PS I was told once, but I forgot.
I will ask my friends or google it.

Zhannptica

Delight!!

Miranda

Zhannptica, Thank you

I'll get myself together, but I'll edit the mistakes, there will be absolutely beauty.

Zhannptica

Miranda, only you can see them)) for us, teapots, and so very good

Miranda

Zhannptica, no-no, grammatical everyone can see

Zhannptica

Miranda, nope, we are still pronouncing Chinese names in our brains, the next word must be pronounced, so the norms
Such a huge work)))) respect !! And very informative)))

Miranda

Zhannptica, Thank you
It is always nice to be praised for the work done.

Vei

in fact, a lot of work has been done, so many photos, text, information! Thank you!

Rada-dms

Miranda, excellent, necessary and very original master class! Delighted!

Miranda

Vei, Thank you
the longest was to take a picture of the bubbles at the hotei, the camera in the phone could not keep up with them

Rada-dms, Thank you!

Tyngysohka

How interesting! Thanks for the information and the master class. I also really like your recipes. Everything is very detailed and detailed. Thanks again!

Nagira

Thank you for the pleasure presented, Miranda!
I learned that I drank oolong wrongly without two cups ... we are urgently correcting ourselves, how can we miss the pleasure of the difference in taste and aroma ...
So many interesting nuances have opened for me ... I'm delighted!

Shyrshunchik

Miranda, thank you very much, it is very interesting to read and more than once.

Gala

Very cool and interesting!
Miranda, Thank you!

Miranda

Tyngysohka, Nagira, Shyrshunchik, Gala, Thank you!

Quote: Nagira

I learned that I drank the wrong oolong

Not wrong, just different
I tell you, the Chinese don't care. Well, except that expensive collectible tea will not just drink from a cup, then yes. And there are a lot of oolongs and there are not expensive ones, with them they can definitely drink from a large cup

***

Quote: kubanochka

I have his (or her) relative, but I don't know who he is))))

I didn't write yesterday, I wanted to clarify.
As I thought - the Bronze Age, the Shang dynasty (1600 BC - 1027 BC). Naturally fake

Google - owl Shang Dynasty - and search by images
There are many relatives of our birds. Or simply bronze Shang Dynasty. There are more pictures in the foreign picture internet.

***
For me, these are all beauties, but what really fascinates is this bronze guy about 3 meters high and about 3 thousand years old, dug out in 1986. Why does he have such hands, why is his face like that? How did they have such casting?

This is, in principle, a fascinating story about those excavations. They dug up a lot, and this guy, and the items are different, excellent safety. There, and the period is unclear and mysterious, but these finds completely puzzled everyone. The masks are so strange, for some reason the pictures from the children's book about Oorfene Chzhusa are always remembered.

In history and in museums, these under the name - Sanxingdui.
You can also look at the pictures on Google - San Xing Dui.

Well, or here to read 🔗

Well, the Chinese would not be Chinese, if they did not begin to monetize this riddle. A couple of months ago, it was signed and announced that Arnold Schwarzenegger will play the main role in the expensive Chinese film "Guest of Sanxidui". The plot is not revealed, either about the excavations, or about this part of the Bronze Age. Filming will begin this March, and on screens in 2019. I'm really looking forward to it!

lettohka ttt

Miranda, Thank you! Very interesting !

Miranda

lettohka ttt, Thank you

Olga VB

Miranda, I read it with great interest! As if again at the tea ceremony attended

And I have a couple of pissing boys and a tea "toy" service with tiny cups, which really looks more like a coffee. The service (porcelain) is interesting - it changes color depending on the temperature of the water. Only I didn't get it all for 10 years ...
And so they lie idle.

Miranda

Olga VB, Thank you

Quote: Olga VB