jkandell wrote:
> There is nothing "magic" about gungfu... More tea + less time = less
> tea + more time.

I find this comment astonishing in the face of huge amounts of
countervailing evidence. Have you ever actually tried diluting a
concentrated brew to match a dilute one? Or doing the
fast/lots'o'leaf-slow/sparse leaf comparison? Or done the same with
temperature variations to normalize steep times? I probably have the dullest
taste buds of anyone on this group, and even I can tell the difference.
There's not much linear about tea brewing, especially for the first few
steeps of a rolled or fisted tea.

> You don't have to use a gaiwan, just a normal pot
> will do. Even espresso coffee is a variation of the same idea.

Of course you don't _have_ to. It's all preferences. Espresso isn't just a
way of going faster and more concentrated. The whole extraction process and
results are notably different from what can be achieved by other methods.
The high pressure permits operation very near 100C, and also allows very
short contact time for extensive extraction from most of the fine grind. I
used to make drip coffee espresso-strength, and never got (or wanted)
anything like the same effect.

> The
> method is only valuable when you have a really good tea or coffee which
> benefits from having its flavors 'concentrated'.

I couldn't agree less. I use a gaiwan for almost all tasting and some
sharing, mainly for the excellent mixing control it offers. And I usually
make very dilute steeps, typically 8-12 at 45 ml from a couple of grams of
tea.

Guess we've all got strong opinions here, eh?

-DM