Step by step on how to brew Milky Oolong tea using purple clay tea pot using Altitude Tea's Gongfu set. Tea set available for purchase: altitudetea.co...
I am so grateful for this beautiful video 🙏 And I am also glad I stayed to watch it through to the very end. The note about practice and imperfection were just what I needed to hear, and the blooper just what I needed to see. Thank you 🙏
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed the video and that the message about practice and imperfection resonated with you. Sometimes the most valuable lessons come from embracing our mistakes and imperfections ;)
I LOVE the vibes! ☺ I absolutely love seeing others go through their own gong fu tea "ceremonies"!!! You have SUCH calming vibes, plus you explain what you're doing along the way... perfect 🤌🏽 and I love the Taiwanese smelling cups! Always wanted to try those.
Hey there! Thank you so much for the kind words! It warms my heart to hear that you enjoyed my vibes and how I conduct the gong fu tea ceremony 😊 Exploring the world of tea is such a delightful journey. The Taiwanese smelling cups is becoming not so mainstream in recent years but I find they add a big mindfulness component to the tea ceremony as it activates the touch senses. Rubbing them between the palms of your hands is like giving them a little hot stone massage :)
Nice video :) I was thinking it would be cool to see someone do this with an infrared camera so you could see how everything heats up as you start the purification process.
I find your tea ceremony very beautiful, thanks for sharing. It's so fascinating how each person's ceremony has familiar elements, but some differences. I liked your use of the incense, it reminded me of the ritual of preparing the shrine for meditation and / or prayer. Incorporating that into the ceremony was a subtle and beautiful way of connecting the tea ceremony with the spiritual life, of bringing mindfulness more strongly into the space. Does this change your perception of the smell of the tea? Shaking the teapot I found quite jarring, as I've never encountered that element before and the ceremony has always been measured and calm in my experience. Not too criticise - it was just a surprise! So nice to hear a tea ceremony explained in an Australian accent, too.
I appreciate your insightful comment @camv3236. It's indeed accurate that each person's ceremony incorporates unique elements. From my perspective, the art of brewing tea, especially in a tea ceremony, is a form of artistic expression. There isn't a rigid, standardized method for it. The use of incense can alter one's sensory experience, enhancing the aroma. Shaking the tea pot after it's been warmed up serves to bring out the tea's natural aroma. The pot's warmth gently steams the tea leaves. Each step in the tea ceremony process serves a distinct purpose. 😉
All the demonstrations I've seen have deferred slightly, so it's been fascinating to learn from many points of you. My question for this is why she poured the first rinse with all the impurities into the tea cups that everyone will be drinking out of!
There are many views on rinsing the leaves, some believed to clean it and some believed for open up the leaves. When you have a very expensive tea you wouldn't want to miss everything coming out of that tea, even some people would chew on it before throw them out. I think we could use both ways depending on the tea, personally I'd like to rinse my shou pu-erh.
Shouldn't only men have their index finger on the brim of the teacup, while women should have the index finger slightly lower with the pinkie less scrunched to give the three dragons appearance? Either way, small detail that only purists are going to bother with but interesting little thing I heard a while back. Absolutely love Chinese tea. Spent more than I should have on tea, and teawares. Jin Jun Mei has to be my favourite tea, followed closely by most dan congs.
I enjoyed your subtle and methodic hand movements. But one thing I think I would be worried about is losing the sensitive aromas of the tea with that incense burning on the tea tray? I try not to mix any other smells in my tea room.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment @gamstercam. I totally get your concern about the incense possibly interfering with the delicate aromas of the tea. It's a valid point, and I appreciate your attention to detail in creating a pure tea environment. Everyone's tea journey is unique, and personal preferences certainly play a big role. In my tea ceremonies, I incorporate incense for various reasons. It helps cultivate a serene and meditative ambiance, elevating the overall experience. Additionally, incense has a symbolic significance in many cultures and traditions. It can be seen as a way to purify the space or as an offering, adding a spiritual or ritualistic element to the tea ceremony. I choose a subtle option, like fine sandalwood, ensuring it complements rather than overpowers the tea's aroma. This way, one can enjoy the benefits of incense while still savouring the tea's exquisite scents. Cheers to the diverse paths of tea exploration! 🍵✨
Thank you so much Pedro, the wider cup is called the Gongfu Cup and the Narrow one is called the Aroma Cup. We put the Gongfu Cup on top and flip it over so when we pull up the aroma cup 1. you get this glugging sensation which a lot of people find it satisfying and 2. it traps in the aroma so when you rub the aroma cup all the aroma will start to come out...
Beautiful ceremony, I love that you explained succinctly but in depth! A question, where did you get your timer from? I love its simplicity but have been unable to find one like it
Thanks Brenton, sounds like you have a great knowledge of tea! Your suggested style of brewing I like to do that when it comes to using darker oolongs. However, with green oolongs like this one, I prefer a lighter touch in order to fully savor the subtlety of the natural Milky aroma.
Love this video! Nicely done! I have a question for you, or for anyone in the comments who may know the answer: Can you add things (like honey, sugar, milk, etc.) to tea in these clay pots and cups?
Thank you Ross :) It's generally not recommended to add honey, sugar, milk, or other flavorings directly into the clay tea pot. Clay teapots are traditionally used for brewing and enjoying pure, high-quality teas, particularly Chinese oolong and black teas. These teapots are known for their ability to absorb and retain the flavors and aromas of the teas brewed in them over time. Adding sweeteners or flavorings can affect the pot's porous clay and potentially compromise the purity of subsequent tea brews.
@@altitudetea That's what I was worried about. Would the same problem happen if I added the honey (which is the only thing I ever add, if anything) to the cup after pouring it? I wouldn't want to mess up the pot's ability to brew pure tea, but if the cup got a little "compromised" from the honey flavorings, I wouldn't really mind as long as it's not harmful to the cup haha but I am curious either way! If it is a big issue to add the honey, even to the cup and not the pot, then I can always use my old cups when I want to add the honey. Thanks so much for your help!
@@rossmurray16 Hey Ross if you really enjoy honey with your tea and don't want to compromise the pot you can add the honey into the fairness pitcher or your tea cup after you've transferred the tea from the pot :) this way the honey will never pot the pot but you'll still be able to enjoy your tea with honey
Hey Zaiderr for a 200ml pot, a general guideline is to use about 3-5 grams of green jasmine tea leaves. However, personal preferences vary, so feel free to adjust the quantity based on your taste preferences. As for the brewing time, 60 seconds is a good starting point. You can experiment with shorter or longer steeping times to find the flavor profile that you enjoy the most. Remember, tea brewing is a delightful journey of discovering your ideal taste, so feel free to tailor it to your liking. Enjoy your green jasmine tea! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
Are the utensils that everyone shows but nobody bothers to explain not an important part of making the tea? I feel like most videos ignore these (apart from the scoop). Does anyone know what they are used for?
Absolutely, you bring up an excellent point! The tea ceremony utensils you see in videos play a crucial role in the art of tea-making, and they each have a specific purpose that contributes to the overall experience. It's important to delve into the significance of these utensils so stay tuned for one of my upcoming videos which I will be demonstrating some commonly used tea ceremony utensils and and explaining each of their roles.
Really insightful!! Do you prefer brewing with a gaiwan or a yixing? Also, does 90 degree one minute apply to just about all oolongs, or just milk? I’ve been jumping from Japanese greens to Chinese oolongs and because they are totally differently , I need invest in some alternative to reserve my unglazed clay kyusu for greens.
Hey there! Thanks for your comment and I'm glad you found the video insightful! When it comes to brewing with a gaiwan or a Yixing teapot, it often depends on personal preference and the type of tea you're brewing. Gaiwans are versatile and great for a wide range of teas, while Yixing teapots are known for enhancing the flavors of a specific type of tea over time due to their porous clay. Regarding the temperature and steeping time, the 90-degree, one-minute guideline is a good starting point for many oolongs, including milk oolong. However, it's important to note that oolongs can vary widely in their characteristics, so you might need to adjust the parameters slightly based on the specific tea you're brewing. Transitioning from Japanese greens to Chinese oolongs is a wonderful journey! To preserve your unglazed clay kyusu for greens, you could consider investing in a dedicated gaiwan or Yixing teapot for your oolongs. This way, you'll be able to fully explore the distinct flavors of each type of tea without cross-contamination of flavours. Happy Brewing! 🙂
That sounds like such a soothing ritual! The connection between scent and memory can be quite powerful, so it's no wonder the scent of burning incense brings up unique sensations. Do you have a favorite incense scent you like to use?
