I cleaned out my online cupboard a bit today as I have sipped down a few teas recently. I am also shocked at how many teas I have not added to my cupboard and I just don’t feel like doing it right now, but this is one that I need to finish soon but had not been added, so here we go.
My husband and I had one of our gongfu cha sessions on the floor tonight with this. I used one teaspoon for my little pot, which holds about seven ounces fully topped up with no leaves in it, but about five ounces with big oolong leaves taking up space. We used boiling water.
The first steeps were very floral, had a wonderful aroma, and a mild taste. This is bery green with none of the charcoal baked flavor of strong mineral notes of some. As the steeps progress, the taste becomes even lighter and fades to notes of hay with soft greens.
I think next time I will use more leaf and see if it can make the floral notes grow and last longer.
I used to have mixed emotions about gongfu cha, but tea is changing me in a lot of ways. Instead of viewing the preparations and clean up as a chore – is it really worth it? Ugh! – it has become a peaceful part of the process and I enjoy the process from beginning to end as much as the actual tea making/drinking part. Filling the kettle, carrying the tray to the spot we have chosen, setting out the teaware, and choosing the tea, all are an integral part and bring me quiet contentment in my task. Washing the tea things, drying them, and taking my time carrying each piece back to its resting place instead of rushing to finish the job, is a pleasure. I am trying to carry that mindset over to other things that I must do, as well.
The Process. It’s nice.