On our weekly Wandering Art Tea Academy gatherings around gong fu style sharing of tea we structured some basic steps for those who wish to embark on a new artistic practice in their daily life. Members of WATA and Monday’s regular attendees share tea this way on a daily basis with our loved ones and friends. Most of us even have small traveling packs that include basic utensils (gaiwan or teapot, a few small cups, a pouring vessel and few idiosyncratic elements to create chaxi wherever we are). So, for your introduction into the tea art process, try to follow these few simple guidelines.
Most important – Follow your own inclination regarding instructions and trust your own goals and experience of the tea over any other information.
Gong fu style sharing within Živi Atelje DK is:
1/ an inclusive, interactive ritual
2/ egalitarian, intercultural communication (gestures and experience of sharing as a common language)
3/ calming, focusing, and a mediatory platform
Enclosed values:
1/ Care – self care, giving care, receiving care
2/ Community
3/ Humility, self discipline
4/ Sharing and serving
Pouring steps for hot short steep/rinsed tea: Appropriate for all kinds of full-leaf tea.
1) Set up your chaxi (performance space or stage for tea) to be as beautiful as functional, for your way of sharing tea (keep in mind that the story of and beauty of the chaxi has to complement the taste of the tea and not overshadow it.)
2) Heat water to the appropriate temperature for the tea variety.
3) Ideally, without touching the leaves with your hands (avoid metal, but you can use wooden utensils) select a small amount of tea leaves and place them in a tray so you can show dry leaves to others.
4) Pour hot water over the tea wares (gaiwan/shiboridashi/pot/cup, separate serving cups if sharing tea) to wash and warm them.
5) Empty the water from the vessel you will use for brewing tea.
6) Place the dry leaves from the tray into the now heated vessel for brewing (gaiwan/shiboridashi/pot). Put the lid, gently shake the tea leaves in the vessel and offer to others to smell (the heat from the vessel helps the tea leaves awaken and release a smell). Enjoy this part of the experience.
7) Rinse or wash the tea leaves with a small amount of hot water and pour this ‘washed tea’ into the serving pitcher/cup. Unless you are familiar with the tea, avoid drinking this first ‘washed tea’ because: 1) It may contain dust; and 2) If the tea is not perfectly calibrated, this wash tea will contain some harshness. Once you have that harshness in your mouth, it will affect your taste of the tea.
8) Pour hot water into the gaiwan/shiboridashi/pot/cup for not more than a few seconds. Make sure the heat is adequate to the type of the tea you are sharing – white tea (80 to 85 degrees Celsius), green tea (75 degrees Celsius), oolong tea (85 to 100 degrees Celsius), red tea (85 degrees Celsius), fermented tea (90 to 100 degrees Celsius).
9) Pour the tea into the cups people chose and make sure to make an even pour (the beginning of the pour is weaker than the end so make sure that all cups are balanced in taste). Another option is to use your pouring cup/pitcher/cup to collect the brewed tea first, and then serve into the individual cups.
10) Observe everybody’s experience. The look, smell, and taste of the tea. Enjoy sharing impressions together.
11) Repeat steps 8, 9, 10 until the tea has no more taste to give you. Extend the steeping time and/or raise the water temperature to continue pulling the most taste out of the tea.
12) Throw used tea leaves in the garden as mulch to share the love.