RoboBlaster

I had mentioned earlier that I would go through the gungfu method of tea preparation when I had more time. Well, the time has come. Gungfu is also known as kung-fu in our western bastardization of the Mandarin dialect. This term means "art" or "skill" and is not only used for fightin'. In the gungfu method of tea preparation, a special type of pot is used, made of a special type of clay in the Yixing (pronounced "eee shing") area of China. This "purple clay" is special because of its ppurous nature and the craftspersons there are very skilled in the art of pottery. The pots are usually small, holding about 6 oz of liquid. Though somewhat expensive, the pots aren't too hard to find online.

The gungfu method is used primarily for oolong teas for a couple of reasons. One is that oolong is very popular and abundant in China. Another is that it is suited for multiple steeps, which is important. So, if you want to do gungfu, use oolong and the proper Yixing teapot.

Assuming you have a teapot, you will need a shallow bowl, about the same proportions and shape of a pasta bowl. Put the teapot in the bowl.

Insert twice the amount of tea you would normally use. If the teapot holds 6 oz, use two teaspoons. Then, pour the hot water on the leaves, just enough to coat, and immediately pur off. This is called rinsing the leaves.

Now, pour water all the way up to the top of the pot. Put the lid on. There should be a hole on the top of the lid. That is there so that you can pour the water over the teapot and seal it on a layer of water; you will know when it is just right when water comes out of the spout. The water that goes over the pot collects in the bowl, keeping the pot hot throughout the brewing process. The Yixing clay is also very good in keeping heat.

Wait 30 seconds. Yes, I said 30 seconds. Though the steeping time is short, the great amount of leaf makes up for it and gives a great complexity and flavor to the tea.

You can repeat this process up to six times or at least as many times as the tea gives up flavor. As far as oolong goes, this is the only way to go.

If you want to be really traditional, you will need two small special cups per person. As per tradition, you would pour the tea into a tall narrow cup and immediately pour it into a short squabby cup (the cups and bowl are all made of Yixing clay as well). You are supposed to drink out of the second cup and smell the tea vapors out of the empty first cup.

If you do get a Yixing teapot, never ever ever clean with soap. It will cling to the pot and be nasty. Yixing teapots are supposed be seasoned and retain the flavors of teas past. In fact, Yixing teapots seasoned over the years can be worth mucho dinero.