Kung Fu Tea

4 min read

The term”kung fu tea”is not the name of a certainkind of tea, but actually refers to the ceremonies related to making tea and acquiring, sipping or savoring tea. For the Chinese people, tea is drunk not solely for the purpose of satisfying thirst; they also drinkit to savor its taste and delight in the pleasant flavor of the tea. This has resulted in the emergence of the “living fossil of tea ceremony”-kung fu tea-which places more emphasis on savoring and enjoying its flavor than on tea drinking itself.

Kung fu tea is very popular among the people livingin the regions of Chaozhou and Shantou of Guangdong as well as Zhangzhou and Quanzhou of Fujian.

Generally, kung fu tea is made with oolong tea leaves.

The rich flavor of oolong tea leaves matches well with the implication of the term “kung fu.”The oolong tea leaf is tender and green in the center and dark brown on the rim, which looks wonderful. The partial-fermenting processing technology of oolong tea, which lies betweenthat of black tea and green tea, imbues oolong tea both with the strong, sweet flavor of black tea and the pleasant scent of green tea. The color of the oolong tea made in this way appears clear, bright and yellow, as if tempered with the red and green on a palette. Mild in quality, oolong tea is neither cold nor warm.

The tea set for making kung fu tea may be simple or complex.A full tea set may include over a dozen pieces, such as the tin can that is used to contain tea, the porcelain pot that is used to boil water, the pouring pot for pouring the tea, teacups, as well as articles for rinsing, tea tray, tea saucer, towels and so on. The porcelain pot that is used to boil water is made of red soil and the lid of the pot will dance continuously when the water is boiling hot. The pots for pouring the tea, which are made from the red porcelain from Yixing, are considered the best.

Teapots and teacups should be small in size and shallow so as to accumulate and keep the flavor and fragrance of the tea. The water from the mountains is regarded as the best water for making tea; the river water, of mediumquality; and the water from wells, inferior. The best fire used to boil the water is an active charcoal fire with flames.

Three or four is the best number for the amount of people drinking kung fu tea together. One person drinking solo will feel lonely and too many drinking together will result in cacophony. The normal practice isthat the host prepares the tea. The pot for boiling water is placed over a small, red porcelain stove. The water is boiled, using a feather fan to fan the stove and steel rod to stir the charcoal. When the water starts boiling, the boiling water is poured onto the pouring teapot and teacups to warm them. The tea leaves are arranged onto a piece of paper and the thick leaves are separated from the thin ones.The thick tea leaves are placed on the bottom and around the outlet of the teapot，the tea flakesin the middle part and the others over the surface of the tea.This process is known as”receiving tea.”The teapot should not be filled to excess.When the water in the boiling pot boils again，the boiling water is poured intothe teapot around its opening from a higher point.As the tea flakes rise to the surface of the water，it is removed with the lid.The lid is replaced on the teapot and then hot water is poured over the teapot so as to have the scent accumulate in the teapot. This being done, the teacups are warmed and the tea is poured from the teapot, which should be held at a lower point. The tea should never bepoured into the teacups one after another. The teapot ismoved to and fro over the teacups and the tea is poured evenly into the cups. By doing so, the color, scent and flavor of the tea in different cups will be exactly the same.

When enjoying kung fu tea, first its fragrance must be smelled and then its color, appreciated. After being drunk, the faint sweet scent of the tea from the bottom of the teacup can still be smelled. Ardent tea lovers even smell the bottom of the teacup three times after they finish drinking. Kung fu tea is strong and contains a hardy base. The first cup tastes bitter, but after several rounds of drinking and talking, the drinkers are enveloped in a quiet, amiable and leisurely mood. This is called”kung fu.”Drinking kung fu tea is a full reflection of the spirit of tea art special to the Chinese people, represented by the concept of upholding nature and being free and unrestrained. It also displays the humankindness particular to the Chinese people-kindhearted, honest, reserved and profound in thought.

In the regions of Chaozhou and Shaotou, each household has a kung fu tea set, and people from Chaozhou and Shantou need to have a few cups of tea every day. They entertain their guests or friends with tea.

Also, they have kung fu tea to accompany Chaozhou-style dishes. Chaozhou people call tea,”tea rice.”Theyneed to drink tea after they rise in the morning. They won’t go without tea even for one day. Obviously, they are attached to their tea and view it as an integral part of their lives. Chaozhou people never give up kung fu tea, even when they go to foreign countries or leave their hometowns. Therefore, where there are Chaozhou people, there are the living relics of the Chinese tea art.

Those who sip and enjoy kung fu tea definitely will feel the loyal hearts of tea lovers.