Brewing Chinese Oolong Tea (乌龙茶道 - wū lóng chá dào, also called 功夫茶 - gōngfu chá)
These instructions are my translation of a fine Chinese tea house's study manual for its employees which is still used today. This is a script for describing the preparation of tie guan yin, one of the finest of the Chinese oolong teas.
Greetings friends and guests! In the etiquette of the ancient Chinese culture, the honored tradition of offering tea to our guests is considered a great virtue. Tea has been part of our cultural heritage for more than 5,000 years. It is said of the Chinese culture that there are seven necessities of life: wood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea. Tea is inseparable from our way of life. Therefore, when we brew tea, we pay strict attention to the guiding principles of the tea art. Today, we will demonstrate for you, our honored guests, the practice of brewing our Tie Guan Yin tea, which comes from Anqi in the Fujian province.
First, I will introduce you all to the Chinese tea set:
This is the 茶托 (chá tuō), a kind of saucer for the teacup and the snifter.
The 净手毛巾 (jǐng shòu máojīn), a tea towel used for cleaning the bottoms of the teacups and teapots and for absorbing excess water and tea.
The 茶荷 (chá hé), a special dish for appreciating the scent and appearance of fine tea.
The 茶道组 (chá dào zǔ), a set of utensils used for measuring out the tea leaves, comprised of seven purple sandalwood utensils.
The 公道杯 (gōng dào bēi), a kind of pitcher used for serving the tea.
The 滤网 (lǜ wǎng), a filtered funnel used to filter the dregs from the tea.
The 紫砂壶 (zǐ shā hú), a teapot made from the famous Jiangsu yíxīng purple clay, sometimes also called 孟臣 (mèng chén) or 大彬 (dà bīn), this special teapot absorbs the flavors it holds.
The 闻香杯 (wén xiāng bēi), also called 殴杯 (ōu bēi), is a snifter used for appreciating the fragrance of the tea. It is said that half of the value of quality teas lies in its fragrance.
The 品茗杯 (pǐn míng bēi), also called 若琛 (ruò chēn), is used to sip and savor the tea.
Each step in the process of 功夫茶 (gōngfu chá) has a traditional four-character name. Four-character names and phrases are of great significance in Chinese culture.
The first step in the process is 温壶烫杯 (wēn hú tàng bēi), "warming the pot and heating the cups". This entails filling the pot with boiling water and draining it. It is important for the cups and the pot to be kept warm during the process of brewing the tea because it enriches and enhances the fragrances emitted by the tea.
The second step is called 鉴赏佳茗 (jiàn shǎng jiā míng), which means "appreciate excellent tea". Today, we have selected Tie Guan Yin tea from the western plain of Anqi village in the Fujian province.
The third step is called 乌龙入宫 (wū lóng rù gōng), which means "The Black Dragon Enters the Palace". This is because oolong tea, of which Tie Guan Yin is one kind, means "black dragon" tea. In the gōngfu chá process of brewing the tea, the amount of tea used is of the utmost importance. Depending on the leaves, pot, and other factors, it is common to fill the pot 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full with leaves.
The fourth step is 悬壶高冲 (xuán hú gāo chōng), "rinsing from an elevated pot". We make use of the washing force of falling water to cleanse and rinse the leaves in the pot.
The fifth step is 春风拂面 (chūn fēng fú miàn), meaning "the spring wind brushes the surface". We brush the froth from the mouth of the teapot to keep the tea clear.
Step six is called 重洗仙颜 (chóng xǐ xiān yán), which means, "bathe the immortal twince". In order to make the temperature inside and outside of the pot the same, we let the tea steep for a while longer.
Next is "A row of clouds, running water" 行云流水 (háng yún líu shǔi), the seventh step. It is customary that we do not drink this first pot of tea, as its use is primarily to wash impurities from the leaves and to allow them to completely open.
Step eight is called 回旋低斟 (húi xuán dī zhēn), or 再注清泉 (zài zhù qīng xuán). The first name "pouring again from a low height" refers to an important principle, 高冲低斟 (gāo chōng dī zhēn), which means "high to rinse, low to pour". Pouring from a height will flush and cleanse the leaves, but now we pour from a low height as we do not wish to force too much flavor from the leaves at once.
The next step, 殴杯沐淋 (ōu bēi mù lìn), is "bathing the snifter cup". We fill the snifter with tea which will later end up in the drinking cup. It is commonly said, "One tea leaf contains a thousand elements of ancient culture, a pot of tea holds ten thousand." When brewing tea, we pay extreme attention to the art of the process.
Step ten is called 游山玩水 (yóu shān wán shǔi), "walk in the mountains and play in the river". The tea server cleans excess water from the bottom of the pot.
The tea aficionado takes account of five great elements of the tea service: Use tea of renown from a place of renown, use excellent water from an excellent spring, employ a beautiful and well-crafted tea set, work in surroundings of sweet aromas and great beauty, and serve the tea at an auspicious and appropriate time.
Step eleven, 龙凤呈祥 (lóng fěng chéng xiáng), "The dragon and phoenix in auspicious union". The tea drinking cup is balanced on the snifter and carefully inverted, in part symbolizing the balance between husband and wife, as well as a kind of ritual prayer for the wellbeing, happiness and success of your guests.
The twelfth step is referred to as, 鲤鱼翻身 (lǐ yú fān shēn), "the carp turns over". The scent cup and the drinking cup are now inverted so that the scent cup is on top.
Finally, the thirteenth step, 敬奉香茗 (jǐng fěng xiāng míng) — "respecfully receive the fragrant tea". The entirety of this process is divided into two parts, smelling and drinking. With three fingers, lightly lift the snifter and as the tea runs into the drinking glass, observe the color. Lift the snifter to your nose and taking the warm, rich aroma that remains inside. Afterward, use the thumb and forefinger to lift the teacup, using the edge of the middle finger to support and padding for the bottom of the cup. Because the Chinese character ("pin" 品) is made of three of the character for mouth ("kou" 口), the drinking of the tea also has three mouthfuls. The first is a small sip, the second a larger drink, the third, taking in the aftertaste. At first, the tea might seem a bit bitter, but after a short time, it acquires a certain sweetness, don't you find?
Enjoy.
References
- 溢壶茶. 《初级授课稿》. Private internal publication, no copyright.