Tea (rec.drink.tea) Discussion relating to tea, the world's second most consumed beverage (after water), made by infusing or boiling the leaves of the tea plant (C. sinensis or close relatives) in water.

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Default tasting of darjeeling tea Gongfu method

Tasting our own Darjeeling gardens( Gopaldhara, Avongrove,& Rohini)tea
by Gongfu method has given new dimensions to the flavor to our teas.
Thanks to Mr Lew for making me learn " how to brew Darjeeling tea-
Gongfu Style).
I would like to share the experience of fellow members of Rfdt, in this
regard.
Thanks in advance.
SMC,
Gopaldhara tea co Pvt Ltd,
INDIA
www.gopaldhara.com

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Aloke Prasad
 
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Please post detailed instruction here or on your web site. I drink
Darjeeling tea almost exclusively, but brewed traditional style (heated pot,
3 min steeping etc..).
--
Aloke
----
to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Tasting our own Darjeeling gardens( Gopaldhara, Avongrove,& Rohini)tea
> by Gongfu method has given new dimensions to the flavor to our teas.
> Thanks to Mr Lew for making me learn " how to brew Darjeeling tea-
> Gongfu Style).
> I would like to share the experience of fellow members of Rfdt, in this
> regard.
> Thanks in advance.
> SMC,
> Gopaldhara tea co Pvt Ltd,
> INDIA
> www.gopaldhara.com
>



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Lewis Perin
 
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"Aloke Prasad" > writes:
>
> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> > Tasting our own Darjeeling gardens( Gopaldhara, Avongrove,& Rohini)tea
> > by Gongfu method has given new dimensions to the flavor to our teas.
> > Thanks to Mr Lew for making me learn " how to brew Darjeeling tea-
> > Gongfu Style).
> > I would like to share the experience of fellow members of Rfdt, in this
> > regard.
> > Thanks in advance.
> > SMC,
> > Gopaldhara tea co Pvt Ltd,
> > INDIA
> > www.gopaldhara.com
> >

> Please post detailed instruction here or on your web site. I drink
> Darjeeling tea almost exclusively, but brewed traditional style (heated pot,
> 3 min steeping etc..).


I hope SMC will respond, but let me jump in now. The way we brewed
those first manufacture Darjeelings was with about 1 gram per fluid
ounce of water and extremely short steeps, starting with 3 long
breaths and gradually increasing the steep length. We used boiling
water in principle, though in practice the water was sometimes less
than a full boil.

By the way, I've tried this with some non-first flush tea: some Nagri
2004 autumn flush which hadn't been stored too well. I think that tea
benefited from the approach, too.

But this is not a science (yet?), and I think rigidity about the exact
instructions would be premature at best. Since I got back from India,
I've been playing with the brewing parameters on these 2 teas (Rohini
and Avongrove.) I think the Avongrove, which is more aggressive than
the Rohini, actually benefits from a slightly lower temperature and
even shorter steeps. How short? Pouring off the first steep
immediately, that's how short.

As I type this, I'm sadly doing the last steeps of the last 2 grams of
the Avongrove. The Rohini's already gone.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
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Lewis Perin
 
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"Aloke Prasad" > writes:
>
> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> > Tasting our own Darjeeling gardens( Gopaldhara, Avongrove,& Rohini)tea
> > by Gongfu method has given new dimensions to the flavor to our teas.
> > Thanks to Mr Lew for making me learn " how to brew Darjeeling tea-
> > Gongfu Style).
> > I would like to share the experience of fellow members of Rfdt, in this
> > regard.
> > Thanks in advance.
> > SMC,
> > Gopaldhara tea co Pvt Ltd,
> > INDIA
> > www.gopaldhara.com
> >

> Please post detailed instruction here or on your web site. I drink
> Darjeeling tea almost exclusively, but brewed traditional style (heated pot,
> 3 min steeping etc..).


I hope SMC will respond, but let me jump in now. The way we brewed
those first manufacture Darjeelings was with about 1 gram per fluid
ounce of water and extremely short steeps, starting with 3 long
breaths and gradually increasing the steep length. We used boiling
water in principle, though in practice the water was sometimes less
than a full boil.

By the way, I've tried this with some non-first flush tea: some Nagri
2004 autumn flush which hadn't been stored too well. I think that tea
benefited from the approach, too.

But this is not a science (yet?), and I think rigidity about the exact
instructions would be premature at best. Since I got back from India,
I've been playing with the brewing parameters on these 2 teas (Rohini
and Avongrove.) I think the Avongrove, which is more aggressive than
the Rohini, actually benefits from a slightly lower temperature and
even shorter steeps. How short? Pouring off the first steep
immediately, that's how short.

As I type this, I'm sadly doing the last steeps of the last 2 grams of
the Avongrove. The Rohini's already gone.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
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Aloke Prasad
 
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"Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
news
> "Aloke Prasad" > writes:
>> Please post detailed instruction here or on your web site. I drink
>> Darjeeling tea almost exclusively, but brewed traditional style (heated
>> pot,
>> 3 min steeping etc..).

>
> I hope SMC will respond, but let me jump in now. The way we brewed
> those first manufacture Darjeelings was with about 1 gram per fluid
> ounce of water and extremely short steeps, starting with 3 long
> breaths and gradually increasing the steep length. We used boiling
> water in principle, though in practice the water was sometimes less
> than a full boil.


Thanks.

How much water makes up one serving? and how many steepings would be
appropriate for a high quality Darjeeling (Makaibari 1st flush)?

I want a rough idea.. Are we talking about 5 servings, 10 servings? What
would be the timing range (the last serving was for how long?

Once I have an estimate of the # of servings and the longest steep times, I
can interpolate to get a good starting plan for this...

I'm afraid that I would have consumed 1 gallon of tea by the time this is
done :-)

--
Aloke
----
to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com




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Aloke Prasad
 
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"Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
news
> "Aloke Prasad" > writes:
>> Please post detailed instruction here or on your web site. I drink
>> Darjeeling tea almost exclusively, but brewed traditional style (heated
>> pot,
>> 3 min steeping etc..).

>
> I hope SMC will respond, but let me jump in now. The way we brewed
> those first manufacture Darjeelings was with about 1 gram per fluid
> ounce of water and extremely short steeps, starting with 3 long
> breaths and gradually increasing the steep length. We used boiling
> water in principle, though in practice the water was sometimes less
> than a full boil.


Thanks.

How much water makes up one serving? and how many steepings would be
appropriate for a high quality Darjeeling (Makaibari 1st flush)?

I want a rough idea.. Are we talking about 5 servings, 10 servings? What
would be the timing range (the last serving was for how long?

Once I have an estimate of the # of servings and the longest steep times, I
can interpolate to get a good starting plan for this...

I'm afraid that I would have consumed 1 gallon of tea by the time this is
done :-)

--
Aloke
----
to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com


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Lewis Perin
 
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"Aloke Prasad" > writes:

> "Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
> news
> > "Aloke Prasad" > writes:
> >> Please post detailed instruction here or on your web site. I drink
> >> Darjeeling tea almost exclusively, but brewed traditional style (heated
> >> pot,
> >> 3 min steeping etc..).

> >
> > I hope SMC will respond, but let me jump in now. The way we brewed
> > those first manufacture Darjeelings was with about 1 gram per fluid
> > ounce of water and extremely short steeps, starting with 3 long
> > breaths and gradually increasing the steep length. We used boiling
> > water in principle, though in practice the water was sometimes less
> > than a full boil.

>
> Thanks.
>
> How much water makes up one serving?


How much would you like? (As you can see by my answering a question
with another question, I'm probably misunderstanding you.)

I've been doing this with gaiwans with a capacity of 4 or 6 ounces.
If I'm brewing it for friends (as has almost always been the case with
the precious first manufacture teas), the liquor goes into a reserve
pot and then gets doled out into little tasting cups. If I'm drinking
solitarily, the gaiwan gets emptied into a "normal" cup.

> and how many steepings would be appropriate for a high quality
> Darjeeling (Makaibari 1st flush)?


I've always been happy with the quality of at least six.

> I want a rough idea.. Are we talking about 5 servings, 10 servings?


Maybe I've answered this already, and maybe I don't understand you here.

> What would be the timing range (the last serving was for how long?


With the Darjeeling teas, I don't think I've tried a steep longer than
2 minutes as the last one.

> Once I have an estimate of the # of servings and the longest steep times, I
> can interpolate to get a good starting plan for this...
>
> I'm afraid that I would have consumed 1 gallon of tea by the time this is
> done :-)


At one point last month, SMC and I calculated that you actually get a
larger amount of drinkable tea liquor by this method than by the
traditional method. But honestly, I can't reconstruct the computation
now.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
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Lewis Perin
 
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"Aloke Prasad" > writes:

> "Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
> news
> > "Aloke Prasad" > writes:
> >> Please post detailed instruction here or on your web site. I drink
> >> Darjeeling tea almost exclusively, but brewed traditional style (heated
> >> pot,
> >> 3 min steeping etc..).

> >
> > I hope SMC will respond, but let me jump in now. The way we brewed
> > those first manufacture Darjeelings was with about 1 gram per fluid
> > ounce of water and extremely short steeps, starting with 3 long
> > breaths and gradually increasing the steep length. We used boiling
> > water in principle, though in practice the water was sometimes less
> > than a full boil.

>
> Thanks.
>
> How much water makes up one serving?


How much would you like? (As you can see by my answering a question
with another question, I'm probably misunderstanding you.)

I've been doing this with gaiwans with a capacity of 4 or 6 ounces.
If I'm brewing it for friends (as has almost always been the case with
the precious first manufacture teas), the liquor goes into a reserve
pot and then gets doled out into little tasting cups. If I'm drinking
solitarily, the gaiwan gets emptied into a "normal" cup.

> and how many steepings would be appropriate for a high quality
> Darjeeling (Makaibari 1st flush)?


I've always been happy with the quality of at least six.

> I want a rough idea.. Are we talking about 5 servings, 10 servings?


Maybe I've answered this already, and maybe I don't understand you here.

> What would be the timing range (the last serving was for how long?


With the Darjeeling teas, I don't think I've tried a steep longer than
2 minutes as the last one.

> Once I have an estimate of the # of servings and the longest steep times, I
> can interpolate to get a good starting plan for this...
>
> I'm afraid that I would have consumed 1 gallon of tea by the time this is
> done :-)


At one point last month, SMC and I calculated that you actually get a
larger amount of drinkable tea liquor by this method than by the
traditional method. But honestly, I can't reconstruct the computation
now.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
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Ripon
 
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Dear SMC:

Gonfu style with Darjeeling tea...ummm I agree Gonfu and Gaiwan both
style release different dimension for the same tea. I have also
discovered White and Yellow tea both taste much better with Gonfu. I
hope sub-continent people will accept Gonfu method. I can tell, many
tea drinkers will refuse the Gonfu style because of the traditional of
milk tea. What do you think SMC?

Ripon
Maputo, Mozambique

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Aloke Prasad
 
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"Ripon" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Dear SMC:
>
> Gonfu style with Darjeeling tea...ummm I agree Gonfu and Gaiwan both
> style release different dimension for the same tea. I have also
> discovered White and Yellow tea both taste much better with Gonfu. I
> hope sub-continent people will accept Gonfu method. I can tell, many
> tea drinkers will refuse the Gonfu style because of the traditional of
> milk tea. What do you think SMC?


This will never catch-on in India. Tea is very utilitarian item there. In
less affluent households, they don't have the time to go through this
elaborate preparation. It's "boil the CTC in a mixture of milk+water and
add lots of sugar".

In wealthier families, tea is prepared by the servants who are too dumb to
be trained to do this elaborate ritual, standing next to the sahibs for all
the time it takes to go through 5-6 steepings ....
--
Aloke
----
to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com




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Aloke Prasad
 
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"Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
news
>
>> and how many steepings would be appropriate for a high quality
>> Darjeeling (Makaibari 1st flush)?

>
> I've always been happy with the quality of at least six.


>> What would be the timing range (the last serving was for how long?

>
> With the Darjeeling teas, I don't think I've tried a steep longer than
> 2 minutes as the last one.


Thanks. I'll try this sometime. The problem is, It will be just me (others
in my family like tea, but are content with Lipton Green and Red labels).

If I take a large coffee mug water and split it into 6 parts, each steeping
is pretty small in volume.

Would you recommend that I prepare the 6 servings first and then taste them
at my leisure?
--
Aloke
----
to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com


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Mike Petro
 
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Hi Aloke,

I think you will find that with a little prctice this method is quite
simple. There is no need for it to be elaborate, while it can be, it
is not necesary. I drink virtually all of my tea using some variation
of the Gongfu method. The results are so superior that it is worth the
effort. While some, particularly the Asian community, can get rather
elaborate and consider it a ceremony, I have found that you can apply
utilitatrian thinking and reduce it to a rather simple process. All
you need is some basic inexpensive equipment and a little practice,
the rewards are tremendous.

I have posted a lot of information about Gongfu and links to different
variations on my webste at http://www.pu-erh.net/howtobrew.html

I personaly tried the Avondale and Rohini estate teas gongfu style,
thanks Lew, and there were excellant this way.

Mike
http://www.pu-erh.net


On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 03:51:05 GMT, "Aloke Prasad"
> wrote:

>
>"Ripon" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>> Dear SMC:
>>
>> Gonfu style with Darjeeling tea...ummm I agree Gonfu and Gaiwan both
>> style release different dimension for the same tea. I have also
>> discovered White and Yellow tea both taste much better with Gonfu. I
>> hope sub-continent people will accept Gonfu method. I can tell, many
>> tea drinkers will refuse the Gonfu style because of the traditional of
>> milk tea. What do you think SMC?

>
>This will never catch-on in India. Tea is very utilitarian item there. In
>less affluent households, they don't have the time to go through this
>elaborate preparation. It's "boil the CTC in a mixture of milk+water and
>add lots of sugar".
>
>In wealthier families, tea is prepared by the servants who are too dumb to
>be trained to do this elaborate ritual, standing next to the sahibs for all
>the time it takes to go through 5-6 steepings ....


  #13 (permalink)   Report Post  
Mike Petro
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi Aloke,

I think you will find that with a little prctice this method is quite
simple. There is no need for it to be elaborate, while it can be, it
is not necesary. I drink virtually all of my tea using some variation
of the Gongfu method. The results are so superior that it is worth the
effort. While some, particularly the Asian community, can get rather
elaborate and consider it a ceremony, I have found that you can apply
utilitatrian thinking and reduce it to a rather simple process. All
you need is some basic inexpensive equipment and a little practice,
the rewards are tremendous.

I have posted a lot of information about Gongfu and links to different
variations on my webste at http://www.pu-erh.net/howtobrew.html

I personaly tried the Avondale and Rohini estate teas gongfu style,
thanks Lew, and there were excellant this way.

Mike
http://www.pu-erh.net


On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 03:51:05 GMT, "Aloke Prasad"
> wrote:

>
>"Ripon" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>> Dear SMC:
>>
>> Gonfu style with Darjeeling tea...ummm I agree Gonfu and Gaiwan both
>> style release different dimension for the same tea. I have also
>> discovered White and Yellow tea both taste much better with Gonfu. I
>> hope sub-continent people will accept Gonfu method. I can tell, many
>> tea drinkers will refuse the Gonfu style because of the traditional of
>> milk tea. What do you think SMC?

>
>This will never catch-on in India. Tea is very utilitarian item there. In
>less affluent households, they don't have the time to go through this
>elaborate preparation. It's "boil the CTC in a mixture of milk+water and
>add lots of sugar".
>
>In wealthier families, tea is prepared by the servants who are too dumb to
>be trained to do this elaborate ritual, standing next to the sahibs for all
>the time it takes to go through 5-6 steepings ....


  #14 (permalink)   Report Post  
Michael Plant
 
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Aloke /29/05


>
> "Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
> news
>> "Aloke Prasad" > writes:
>>> Please post detailed instruction here or on your web site. I drink
>>> Darjeeling tea almost exclusively, but brewed traditional style (heated
>>> pot,
>>> 3 min steeping etc..).

>>
>> I hope SMC will respond, but let me jump in now. The way we brewed
>> those first manufacture Darjeelings was with about 1 gram per fluid
>> ounce of water and extremely short steeps, starting with 3 long
>> breaths and gradually increasing the steep length. We used boiling
>> water in principle, though in practice the water was sometimes less
>> than a full boil.

>
> Thanks.
>
> How much water makes up one serving? and how many steepings would be
> appropriate for a high quality Darjeeling (Makaibari 1st flush)?
>
> I want a rough idea.. Are we talking about 5 servings, 10 servings? What
> would be the timing range (the last serving was for how long?
>
> Once I have an estimate of the # of servings and the longest steep times, I
> can interpolate to get a good starting plan for this...
>
> I'm afraid that I would have consumed 1 gallon of tea by the time this is
> done :-)


Aloke,

I've also been drinking the teas of which Lew speaks. I'd say probably five
steeps give or take. I use small amounts at a time -- let's say a four ounce
gaiwan or YiXing pot -- and I either serve in a five ounce cup or in one
ounce Chinese tasting cups. Timing is instantaneous for the first two or so
steeps and increases thereafter, the final steep being pushed to several
minutes at least.

I think the larger, and perhaps less helpful, answer to your question is
that you need to play around yourself to decide what approach yields the
best taste. The idea here is one gram of tea per one ounce of water, water
off the boil, and extremely short steeps, at least at first. Lew and I did
this together and it worked splendidly. But, he experimented a lot to get to
this perfection.

On a similar note, I have traditionally used somewhere between one half and
one gram of tea per ounce of water at around 195F degrees, and brewed in a
12 ounce glass mason jar, using my nose to tell me when the steep is ready
to pour. Opening steeps tended to be upwards of about half a minute give or
take. This worked well also.

Hope my post isn't more an intrusion than a help.

Michael

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Michael Plant
 
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Default

Aloke /29/05


>
> "Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
> news
>> "Aloke Prasad" > writes:
>>> Please post detailed instruction here or on your web site. I drink
>>> Darjeeling tea almost exclusively, but brewed traditional style (heated
>>> pot,
>>> 3 min steeping etc..).

>>
>> I hope SMC will respond, but let me jump in now. The way we brewed
>> those first manufacture Darjeelings was with about 1 gram per fluid
>> ounce of water and extremely short steeps, starting with 3 long
>> breaths and gradually increasing the steep length. We used boiling
>> water in principle, though in practice the water was sometimes less
>> than a full boil.

>
> Thanks.
>
> How much water makes up one serving? and how many steepings would be
> appropriate for a high quality Darjeeling (Makaibari 1st flush)?
>
> I want a rough idea.. Are we talking about 5 servings, 10 servings? What
> would be the timing range (the last serving was for how long?
>
> Once I have an estimate of the # of servings and the longest steep times, I
> can interpolate to get a good starting plan for this...
>
> I'm afraid that I would have consumed 1 gallon of tea by the time this is
> done :-)


Aloke,

I've also been drinking the teas of which Lew speaks. I'd say probably five
steeps give or take. I use small amounts at a time -- let's say a four ounce
gaiwan or YiXing pot -- and I either serve in a five ounce cup or in one
ounce Chinese tasting cups. Timing is instantaneous for the first two or so
steeps and increases thereafter, the final steep being pushed to several
minutes at least.

I think the larger, and perhaps less helpful, answer to your question is
that you need to play around yourself to decide what approach yields the
best taste. The idea here is one gram of tea per one ounce of water, water
off the boil, and extremely short steeps, at least at first. Lew and I did
this together and it worked splendidly. But, he experimented a lot to get to
this perfection.

On a similar note, I have traditionally used somewhere between one half and
one gram of tea per ounce of water at around 195F degrees, and brewed in a
12 ounce glass mason jar, using my nose to tell me when the steep is ready
to pour. Opening steeps tended to be upwards of about half a minute give or
take. This worked well also.

Hope my post isn't more an intrusion than a help.

Michael



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Michael Plant
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Aloke /29/05


>
> "Ripon" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>> Dear SMC:
>>
>> Gonfu style with Darjeeling tea...ummm I agree Gonfu and Gaiwan both
>> style release different dimension for the same tea. I have also
>> discovered White and Yellow tea both taste much better with Gonfu. I
>> hope sub-continent people will accept Gonfu method. I can tell, many
>> tea drinkers will refuse the Gonfu style because of the traditional of
>> milk tea. What do you think SMC?

>
> This will never catch-on in India. Tea is very utilitarian item there. In
> less affluent households, they don't have the time to go through this
> elaborate preparation. It's "boil the CTC in a mixture of milk+water and
> add lots of sugar".


Well, that is the same all over the world. Gung Fu is not for the many, and
I must say there is something to be said for causually and easily preparing
a cup of tea just the way you like it, milk, sugar, and all, if such be the
case.
>
> In wealthier families, tea is prepared by the servants who are too dumb to
> be trained to do this elaborate ritual, standing next to the sahibs for all
> the time it takes to go through 5-6 steepings ....


I was in India long enough to come to realize that the servants are anything
but dumb and they would be quite capable of preparing Gung Fu tea were this
required. It is more in the nature of Gung Fu tea, however, that the Sahib
prepare it for the servants. (Lest somebody think I'm trying to be humorous,
rest assured I'm not.)

Michael

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Michael Plant
 
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Aloke /29/05


>
> "Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
> news >
>>
>>> and how many steepings would be appropriate for a high quality
>>> Darjeeling (Makaibari 1st flush)?

>>
>> I've always been happy with the quality of at least six.

>
>>> What would be the timing range (the last serving was for how long?

>>
>> With the Darjeeling teas, I don't think I've tried a steep longer than
>> 2 minutes as the last one.

>
> Thanks. I'll try this sometime. The problem is, It will be just me (others
> in my family like tea, but are content with Lipton Green and Red labels).
>
> If I take a large coffee mug water and split it into 6 parts, each steeping
> is pretty small in volume.
>
> Would you recommend that I prepare the 6 servings first and then taste them
> at my leisure?


No.



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jkandell
 
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There is nothing "magic" about gungfu... More tea + less time = less
tea + more time. You don't have to use a gaiwan, just a normal pot
will do. Even espresso coffee is a variation of the same idea. The
method is only valuable when you have a really good tea or coffee which
benefits from having its flavors 'concentrated'. One with layers of
flavor also benefits from multiple infusions. (Little point in doing
multiple infusions if every one tastes the same.) Keep in mind, too, a
bad tea--darjeeling or oolong--will taste bad when done any style, even
more so with gungfu, in fact.

  #22 (permalink)   Report Post  
jkandell
 
Posts: n/a
Default

There is nothing "magic" about gungfu... More tea + less time = less
tea + more time. You don't have to use a gaiwan, just a normal pot
will do. Even espresso coffee is a variation of the same idea. The
method is only valuable when you have a really good tea or coffee which
benefits from having its flavors 'concentrated'. One with layers of
flavor also benefits from multiple infusions. (Little point in doing
multiple infusions if every one tastes the same.) Keep in mind, too, a
bad tea--darjeeling or oolong--will taste bad when done any style, even
more so with gungfu, in fact.

  #25 (permalink)   Report Post  
Lewis Perin
 
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Default

"Aloke Prasad" > writes:

> "Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
> news >
> >
> >> and how many steepings would be appropriate for a high quality
> >> Darjeeling (Makaibari 1st flush)?

> >
> > I've always been happy with the quality of at least six.

>
> >> What would be the timing range (the last serving was for how long?

> >
> > With the Darjeeling teas, I don't think I've tried a steep longer than
> > 2 minutes as the last one.

>
> Thanks. I'll try this sometime. The problem is, It will be just me (others
> in my family like tea, but are content with Lipton Green and Red labels).
>
> If I take a large coffee mug water and split it into 6 parts, each steeping
> is pretty small in volume.
>
> Would you recommend that I prepare the 6 servings first and then taste them
> at my leisure?


Why not drink a steep as soon as it's done? I have the feeling this
seems daunting to you, but trust me, it's pretty simple, as Mike Petro
indicated. I find it natural to do multiple steeps as part of
whatever sedentary activity I might be engaged in.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html


  #26 (permalink)   Report Post  
Lewis Perin
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Aloke Prasad" > writes:

> "Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
> news >
> >
> >> and how many steepings would be appropriate for a high quality
> >> Darjeeling (Makaibari 1st flush)?

> >
> > I've always been happy with the quality of at least six.

>
> >> What would be the timing range (the last serving was for how long?

> >
> > With the Darjeeling teas, I don't think I've tried a steep longer than
> > 2 minutes as the last one.

>
> Thanks. I'll try this sometime. The problem is, It will be just me (others
> in my family like tea, but are content with Lipton Green and Red labels).
>
> If I take a large coffee mug water and split it into 6 parts, each steeping
> is pretty small in volume.
>
> Would you recommend that I prepare the 6 servings first and then taste them
> at my leisure?


Why not drink a steep as soon as it's done? I have the feeling this
seems daunting to you, but trust me, it's pretty simple, as Mike Petro
indicated. I find it natural to do multiple steeps as part of
whatever sedentary activity I might be engaged in.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
  #27 (permalink)   Report Post  
Aloke Prasad
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
news
> Why not drink a steep as soon as it's done? I have the feeling this
> seems daunting to you, but trust me, it's pretty simple, as Mike Petro
> indicated. I find it natural to do multiple steeps as part of
> whatever sedentary activity I might be engaged in.


Thanks Michael and Lewis for the information and the web site.

For now, I will skip the ceremonial aspects and use the GF method to mean
:"many short time steepings".

Here's what I plan to do:

Measure the tea leaves and put in a pre-heated pot. Pour in the measured
boiling water in the pot, stir once, pour out completely into the tea cups.
Drink.
Repeat with the same amount of boiling water poured into the same pot (with
partly steeped leaves in it). Steep a little longer.
Drink.

Repeat 3-4 times.
--
Aloke
----
to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com


  #28 (permalink)   Report Post  
Aloke Prasad
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
news
> Why not drink a steep as soon as it's done? I have the feeling this
> seems daunting to you, but trust me, it's pretty simple, as Mike Petro
> indicated. I find it natural to do multiple steeps as part of
> whatever sedentary activity I might be engaged in.


Thanks Michael and Lewis for the information and the web site.

For now, I will skip the ceremonial aspects and use the GF method to mean
:"many short time steepings".

Here's what I plan to do:

Measure the tea leaves and put in a pre-heated pot. Pour in the measured
boiling water in the pot, stir once, pour out completely into the tea cups.
Drink.
Repeat with the same amount of boiling water poured into the same pot (with
partly steeped leaves in it). Steep a little longer.
Drink.

Repeat 3-4 times.
--
Aloke
----
to reply by e-mail remove 123 and change invalid to com


  #29 (permalink)   Report Post  
jkandell
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Michael said,
<<We use the words Gung Fu loosely, [...] but it's important to
remember that there is indeed a more formal, ceremonial aspect worth
exploring>>

Not with darjeeling. ;-)

  #30 (permalink)   Report Post  
jkandell
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Michael said,
<<We use the words Gung Fu loosely, [...] but it's important to
remember that there is indeed a more formal, ceremonial aspect worth
exploring>>

Not with darjeeling. ;-)



  #31 (permalink)   Report Post  
Dog Ma 1
 
Posts: n/a
Default

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


  #32 (permalink)   Report Post  
Dog Ma 1
 
Posts: n/a
Default

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


  #35 (permalink)   Report Post  
Michael Plant
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Here's the word from the street:

Sometimes it's a Dog day, and sometimes a Kandell day. Anyway, that's the
way I do it, depending on circumstances and mood.

Michael


Dog Ma /31/05
reply w/o spam

> 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
>
>




  #36 (permalink)   Report Post  
Michael Plant
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Here's the word from the street:

Sometimes it's a Dog day, and sometimes a Kandell day. Anyway, that's the
way I do it, depending on circumstances and mood.

Michael


Dog Ma /31/05
reply w/o spam

> 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
>
>


  #37 (permalink)   Report Post  
Lewis Perin
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Aloke Prasad" > writes:

> "Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
> news >
> > Why not drink a steep as soon as it's done? I have the feeling this
> > seems daunting to you, but trust me, it's pretty simple, as Mike Petro
> > indicated. I find it natural to do multiple steeps as part of
> > whatever sedentary activity I might be engaged in.

>
> Thanks Michael and Lewis for the information and the web site.
>
> For now, I will skip the ceremonial aspects and use the GF method to mean
> :"many short time steepings".
>
> Here's what I plan to do:
>
> Measure the tea leaves and put in a pre-heated pot.


Preheated? That's more bother than I've been putting myself to.

> Pour in the measured boiling water in the pot,


No need to measure the water if the pot's the right size. You also
*might* want to use water just off the boil.

Oh, I think I understand. You're trying to do this in the bottom of a
big pot, and that explains why you're preheating it, too, I guess.

> stir once, pour out completely into the tea cups. Drink. Repeat
> with the same amount of boiling water poured into the same pot (with
> partly steeped leaves in it). Steep a little longer. Drink.
>
> Repeat 3-4 times.


At least!

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
  #38 (permalink)   Report Post  
Lewis Perin
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Aloke Prasad" > writes:

> "Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
> news >
> > Why not drink a steep as soon as it's done? I have the feeling this
> > seems daunting to you, but trust me, it's pretty simple, as Mike Petro
> > indicated. I find it natural to do multiple steeps as part of
> > whatever sedentary activity I might be engaged in.

>
> Thanks Michael and Lewis for the information and the web site.
>
> For now, I will skip the ceremonial aspects and use the GF method to mean
> :"many short time steepings".
>
> Here's what I plan to do:
>
> Measure the tea leaves and put in a pre-heated pot.


Preheated? That's more bother than I've been putting myself to.

> Pour in the measured boiling water in the pot,


No need to measure the water if the pot's the right size. You also
*might* want to use water just off the boil.

Oh, I think I understand. You're trying to do this in the bottom of a
big pot, and that explains why you're preheating it, too, I guess.

> stir once, pour out completely into the tea cups. Drink. Repeat
> with the same amount of boiling water poured into the same pot (with
> partly steeped leaves in it). Steep a little longer. Drink.
>
> Repeat 3-4 times.


At least!

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
  #39 (permalink)   Report Post  
jkandell
 
Posts: n/a
Default

> 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.


DM,
Some days it's a "Dog day afternoon"? :-)
I didn't express myself very well when I said "short + more = long +
less". I didn't mean to say the two were equal, but rather, the
essence of gung fu is to use more tea and less time. You are right: it
often doesn't taste the same as a slow brew. (But only when the tea is
complex, many cheap teas taste identifical.) My point is not to make
gung fu more complicated than it is. The art is to get your timings
right to bring out the full flavor from the leaf--this requires optimal
timings and temperatures and number of infusions. Not a science but an
art.

  #40 (permalink)   Report Post  
jkandell
 
Posts: n/a
Default

> 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.


DM,
Some days it's a "Dog day afternoon"? :-)
I didn't express myself very well when I said "short + more = long +
less". I didn't mean to say the two were equal, but rather, the
essence of gung fu is to use more tea and less time. You are right: it
often doesn't taste the same as a slow brew. (But only when the tea is
complex, many cheap teas taste identifical.) My point is not to make
gung fu more complicated than it is. The art is to get your timings
right to bring out the full flavor from the leaf--this requires optimal
timings and temperatures and number of infusions. Not a science but an
art.



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