Chinese Gongfu Tea Ceremony

Many Americans are familiar with tea ceremony. Every major city has a Japanese tea garden, and we see the benefits of matcha touted on products from granola bars to hot dogs. Yet, very few Americans are familiar with the grandfather of all tea ceremony, the Chinese gongfu tea service. During the Song dynasty in China, Japan sent many monks to study Buddhism with the Chinese Chan or Zen school. This exchange resulted in a great cultural bridge, carrying elements of the Song dynasty back to Japan. One element was the tea ceremony.

At the time, tea was ground into a fine powder, boiled, and whisked into spring water in a kettle in accordance with the great tea sage Lu Yu's master work: The Book of Tea. After the Song dynasty, tea was found to be more flavorful and fragrant when the original leaves were preserved and tea was steeped rather than whisked into water. Modern gongfu service reflects this change while Japanese ceremony preserves the tradition of the Song.

In China today, gongfu ceremony can be done with oolong or black tea, while Japanese ceremony is always done with matcha, a high-grade green tea ground into powder. Because there are so many different kinds of oolong and black tea, an important part of the Chinese ceremony is to admire the leaves, smell the tea and have a conversation about its taste. This is a way that the ceremony reinforces the idea of appreciating beauty in the little things.

Verdant Tea has put together a video in two parts on Chinese tea ceremony, explaining the tools used and giving step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the tea. Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z92bCfoBtn4

For a true, in-depth experience with Chinese tea, consider a six-week course, meeting once a week in the evenings. Check ot the side bar to your right for more info.