It's All About Tea — gong fu cha

In the somewhat intricate world of tea ceremony, there exists a debate: incense or no incense? 

Personal preference aside, we decided to go deeper into why exactly incense can be burned during tea ceremonies. After all, this is a long tradition that has holds its roots in Buddhism and has made its way into the traditional tea ceremony. (Read more)

Gong fu translates as right effort. We wish to emphasize just that. While there are specific steps generally taken during a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, they are by no means the only right way of brewing tea. It is indeed about your own right effort, your own way of honoring the tea. (Read more)

As much variations as there are within tea categories, it is the same with teaware. It is to no surprise that there is an ideal teapot or gaiwan for each type of tea there is. Many find these through experimenting on their own, while some knowledge is more widespread. However, in general there are a few things that are best to keep in mind when choosing the right teaware for a particular type of tea. Whether it's for gong fu or more casual tea drinking. (Read more)

Yixing teaware has gained immense popularity. By many it is considered the only possible option for gong fu style tea, beating porcelain, glass, and even other clay types. However, the steep price has tea drinkers questioning if it's really superior to other types of unglazed clay teapots. (Read more)

All throughout China, Taiwan, and other parts of East Asia, the bubble tea trend has reached its peak, with crowds of youth lining up for a big cup of the ice-cold tea beverage. Yet we still find small groups of elderly folk sitting somewhere shaded in a park, enjoying hot Gong Fu style tea.

For the westerner it is counterintuitive, to be drinking hot tea for hours on a hot, muggy day. Many of the older people, however, know the secrets of Chinese medicine and know exactly which beverages to drink in the summer to keep the body cool. (Read more)