工夫茶 Gōngfū Chá Practice - Brewing Traditional Tieguanyin Oolong

Brewing a 2023 harvested traditionally oxidized and roasted 鐵觀音烏龍茶 Tiěguānyīn (lit. “Iron Guanyin/Avalokiteśvara/Bodhisattva of Mercy”) wūlóngchá from 安溪 Ānxī county, southern 福建 Fújiàn province, China.
The tea is brewed in a small 羅漢 Luóhàn (Arhat) shape 宜興 Yíxìng teapot made of aged 朱泥 zhūní clay, made in the late 1980s/early 1990s. The tea scoop is fashioned from a bamboo root. The tea container is an antique Japanese sometsuke blue-and-white tea jar (originally used for holding 煎茶 sencha leaves), with images of orchids rendered in blue colbalt. The 茶船 cháchuán (lit. “tea boat”) is made of zhūní clay from Yíxìng, produced in the mid-1990s. The three 品茗杯 pǐn míng bēi (lit. “tea tasting cups”) are enameled Yíxìng ware. The plate, upon which the cups are set, is vintage Japanese sometsuke, depicting vistas of mountains over a bay, alongside with peonies, surrounding a roundel of bamboo, plum blossoms and pine (歲寒三友 Suìhán Sānyǒu/Saikan san’yū/Sehansamu/Tuế hàn tam hữu, the “Three Friends of Winter”). The cloth is a small Japanese 風呂敷 furoshiki with a polychromatic design of green, red, and white quadrangles set atop a dark blue field. The lid rest is an 1899 American “Morgan” silver dollar minted in New Orleans. The water has been heated in a vintage Japanese 鉄瓶 tetsubin iron kettle.
The video shows the warming of the teapot and tea cups followed by the first steeping of the tea. The style of brewing the tea is a variation on the traditional 潮州工夫茶 Cháozhōu gōngfū chá brewing method, a practice of brewing tea that originated in Cháozhōu county, a region south of Ānxī. The version of this brewing method is considered the “wet” version, where hot water is first poured into the open teapot to submerge the leaves, and then poured over the closed teapot to super-heat the teapot from the outside.
When to decant the tea is based on noting the evaporation of the hot water off of the surface of the teapot, the drawing back of the meniscus of tea liqueur down the spout of the teapot, and, eventually, the subtle deepening of the color of the zhūní clay body of the small teapot. The aim of this approach is meant to “push” the tea to brew stronger and more evenly. The result is a tea that is deep and lush in color, aroma and flavor, with a long, lingering and complex aftertaste (回甘 huígān, lit. “returning sweetness”).
Needless to say, this traditionally oxidized and roasted Tiěguānyīn has been a long time favorite of mine, having been an avid drinker of it since the 1990s! My time and experience with it has deepened over the years, aiding me in brewing to a level that I feel extracts the most complexity from it, as seen in the method I now share with you.
Regardless of what wares you have at your disposal, so long as you make the time to focus and practice, you can bring out the best flavors in any well-crafted tea. I hope this short video provides you a moment to pause, if not some insight into how a traditionally oxidized and roasted Tiěguānyīn oolong tea can be brewed. In the meantime, share with me any thoughts, feedback or questions you might have.
Pause. Breathe. Savor.
Thank you.
🍃 🍵 ♥️
#tea
#gongfucha
#oolong
#tieguanyin
#meditation
#chinesetea
#teapot
#teatime
#ceramics
#intention
#practice
#mindfulness
#asmr
#工夫茶
#烏龍茶
#鐵觀音
#鐵觀音烏龍茶
#茶壺
#品茗杯
#茶船
#泡茶
#潮州工夫茶

[@swedena.6876]

This was so nice and relaxing, thank you 🥲

[@cutechajin]

I’m glad you enjoyed it and found it relaxing. If there’s any other type of tea you’d like to see me brew, I’d be happy to share!

[@swedena.6876]

I'd like to see your technique for brewing unroasted Taiwanese gaoshan oolongs with a gaiwan 😊@@cutechajin

[@cutechajin]

@@swedena.6876That’s a great recommendation! Look ahead to this brewing in the near future! 🍵