The so-called kungfu tea is not a kind of tea or the name of tea. It's a tea-making technique. It is called kungfu tea because this way of making tea is very particular. It takes some effort to operate, and this effort is for the knowledge of brewing and the kung fu of drinking. Kung fu should be found in water, fire and boxing. Both fire and water pay attention to a movable type, and living water and fire are the key to making tea. The Book of Tea says, "Mountains and rivers are the top, rivers are the middle, and wells are the bottom." There was no running water at that time, so Lu Yu naturally didn't discuss it. It is common sense that running water is not suitable for making tea. However, in places like Hong Kong, people are surprised that "self-help" is not enough when making water with one click. What's the use without running water?

The Book of Tea also said: "The spring at the top of the mountain is light and clear, the spring at the foot of the mountain is heavy and turbid, the spring in the stone is clear and sweet, the spring in the sand is clear, the spring in the soil is rich, the doer is good, the loser wins, the mountain cuts the spring less, the mountain shows the spring god, and the stream is tasteless." This has received little attention. As for water, there are Tian Quan, Tianshui, Qiuyu, Meiyu, dewdrop and knocking on ice, all of which belong to exquisite categories, but these exquisite things are actually difficult to do. For example, Miaoyu in A Dream of Red Mansions makes a face at the snow water on the plum calyx to make tea, and only she has this leisure. My generation is like a period of time.

The key to making tea is, "water is often sought first, but fire is not behind." Su Dongpo said in his poem: "Living water should still be cooked with living fire." A living fire is charcoal. It has a flame and is very powerful. Chaozhou people's tea is called "Ditan", which is a very strong tree. It is absolutely smokeless and tasteless after burning charcoal, and it is the best fuel. There is also a kind of black olive core as charcoal, which is light blue in the flame and even in the flame, which is even more special.

Kungfu tea originated in the Song Dynasty, and it is most popular in Chaozhou Prefecture, Guangdong Province (now Chaoshan area) and Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, Fujian Province. It is the inheritance and in-depth development of tea tasting art since Tang and Song Dynasties. Su Zhe has a poem saying: "Fujian's tea is the best in the world, and I don't know how to devote myself to tea."

Tasting kungfu tea is one of the famous customs in Chaoshan area. In Chaoshan area, every household has a Kung Fu tea set and drinks several rounds every day. Even Chaoshan people who live in other places or emigrate overseas still retain the custom of tasting Kung Fu tea. It can be said that where there are Chaoshan people, there is the shadow of Kung Fu tea.

Kung fu tea is famous for its high concentration. It seems bitter at first, but it doesn't taste good enough after getting used to it. Kung fu tea uses oolong tea, such as Tieguanyin, Narcissus and Phoenix tea. Oolong tea is between black tea and green tea and is semi-fermented. Only this kind of tea can produce the color and fragrance required by kungfu tea.

Phoenix tea is produced in Fenghuang Mountain area of Chaozhou. The tea soup is slightly brown, with tight strips and thick leaves. Very resistant to brewing, it can be brewed for about 20 times. Phoenix Dan Cong tea is the most famous, with the flavor of osmanthus, jasmine and honey, and won the laurel in the national famous tea selection meeting held in Fuzhou.

The reason why it is different from other ways of drinking tea is also the reason for tea sets. It is said that the tea created by Lu Yu has twenty-four things. Chaozhou kungfu tea needs at least ten kinds of tea sets. This is:

I. Teapot

Chaozhou dialect is called "Chong Gang", and some are called "Su Gang", because it comes from Yixing, Jiangsu, and is the smallest kind of Yixing teapot. When choosing a teapot, there are four words to judge whether it is good or bad, namely, "small, shallow, neat and old." Zisha pots are divided into two-person pots, three-person pots and four-person pots, among which Chen Meng, Tiehuaxuan, Qiupu, Zunpu, Xiaoshan and Yuan Xisheng are the most precious. There are many styles of pots, such as small as oranges, big as oranges, melon-shaped, persimmon-shaped, diamond-shaped, drum-shaped, plum-shaped, hexagonal and chestnut-shaped. Generally, drums are the majority, so they are correct and vigorous. There are many colors of pots, such as cinnabar, antique iron, chestnut, purple mud, stone yellow, azure and so on. There is also a kind of pot with shiny silver sand and countless beads, commonly known as peeling sand, which is the most precious. However, regardless of the style and color, the most important thing is to be "small but not big, shallow but not deep" because big is not "hard". Therefore, tea brewed with big teapot, medium teapot, tea cone, tea sieve, tea stall, etc. Even if there is 100 yuan of tea, it is not congou. As for the depth, it is related to the smell. Shallow can brew the taste, keep the fragrance, and do not store water, so that the tea is not easy to become astringent. In addition to being large, small, deep and shallow, the teapot pays the most attention to the "three mountains together", which is the most important criterion to judge the quality of the teapot. The solution: cover the teapot and put it on the table (preferably on a very flat glass). If the spout, spout and handle of the teapot are all flat, it is "three mountains together". This is related to the level and quality of the pot, so it is the most particular. "Old" mainly depends on the amount of "tea residue" accumulated in the pot, as mentioned earlier. Of course, there are many things about the word "Lao", such as what dynasty it was born in, how old its history is, it was made by famous craftsmen, it was evaluated by famous artists, and so on. But that's not a question of using an ordinary teapot, but a question of playing with antiques.

In addition to "making cans", sometimes you can also use "Gaiou" when there are many guests. Every time Chaozhou restaurant eats a dish, it must serve a tour of Kung Fu tea, which is made of "Gaiou". This is for many occasions, and there can be ten to twelve cups at a time. But after all, the lid is wide, leaving no fragrance, and the smell is much worse than that of cans. However, as long as the tea maker is "diligent", you can also make good Kung Fu tea with Gaiou.

Second, teacups.

There is also a four-word formula for choosing a teacup: small, shallow, thin and white. Small is a small mouth; Shallow water never leaves the bottom; White as jade is used to set off the color of tea; As thin as paper, it can be fragrant. Chaozhou tea drinkers often regard the "Ruo Lin Shen" of a book with blue flowers on a white background, wide land and cup bottom as precious, but it is hard to get. Small white porcelain cups produced in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi and Fengxi, Chaozhou are also very good, commonly known as "Ginkgo Cup".

As for some people, they also pay attention to "spring viewing cup, summer chestnut cup, autumn lotus leaf cup and hanging bell in winter", which is not an exaggeration. However, it is not appropriate to use small cups and milk cups ... these cups are like congou, and they are not "gentle" at all.

Third, wash tea.

Shaped like a big bowl, there are many tones and colors. There must be three kinds of kungfu tea, one is for making cups, the other is for making pots, and the other is for holding water in cups and brewed tea.

Fourth, the tea tray

Tea trays are used to hold tea cups, and there are also various styles, such as full moon shape, chessboard shape and so on. But no matter what style, the most important thing is the four-character formula: wide, flat, shallow and white. That is, the disk should be wide, so that you can worry more about the number of guests; The bottom of the plate should be flat to prevent the cup from being unstable and easy to shake; The edges should be light and the color should be white, which is to set off the teacups and teapots and make them beautiful.

Verb (abbreviation for verb) tea mat

Smaller than a tea tray, used to make pots, there are also various styles, but in short, we should pay attention to "shallow summer and deep winter." Winter is deep because it is convenient to pour more boiling water into the pot, so that the tea will not get cold easily, and a layer of "felt" will be put in the tea mat. "Mat felt" is cut with loofah according to the shape and size of the tea mat, so people who want to use loofah instead of cloth felt should use mat felt to protect the teapot, and turn the teapot upside down after the kungfu tea is spilled to avoid water accumulation in the teapot.

Six, water bottles and bowls

They are used to store the water for making tea. Water bottle, neck and shoulder hanging, flat bottom, handle, plain porcelain blue and white is the best. There is also a kind with a neck and a mouth, decorated with dragons, which is not bad. (Xiaolong, Chaozhou dialect is called "Qianlong", Chaozhou dialect is double-voiced, and Qian and Guo are rhymes, that is, geckos. )

Water bowls are also used to store water for making tea. They are all as big as an ordinary flowerpot and have many styles. The "red gold color" made in the Ming Dynasty, with metallic glaze, depicts two goldfish queens at the bottom of the bowl. When scooping water, the water will move, as if the goldfish were also ready to swim. This is a rare treasure. Generally, plain porcelain blue and white are common, put on a tea bed, covered with vermilion wood, and used with coconut shells when scooping water. When the coconut ladle is not boiled, the master lifts the lid and scoops water, and the kungfu tea is not needed.

Seven, dragon tank

The big dragon tank is similar to or smaller than the lotus tank planted in the court. Used to store a large number of springs, covered and supported with wood, placed in the corner of the study, antique. Dragons are mostly plain porcelain blue and white, which were made in Xuande period of Ming Dynasty, but they are hard to see. Emperor Kangxi's products during the Qianlong period have also been extremely precious. With modern products, as long as the color size is harmonious, it will be fine.

Eighth, there is a hint of red in the quiet stove.

"Green ants freshly baked wine, there is a red commotion in the quiet stove. It feels like snow outside at dusk. How about a glass of wine inside? ? "It can be seen that the ancients used red wine to keep warm in a quiet stove, naturally in the north. As for "visitors come to tea as wine on a cold night", the poets did not explain whether to use a quiet stove to cook tea, whether the boiled tea is like Chaozhou Kung Fu tea now, and whether drinking tea is like drinking. But I think it should be. Otherwise, drinking a big bowl of tea in the cold night will not make people sit still with frequent urination? That guest has run away. Who can sit down and talk in detail? Therefore, I think this kind of "cold night tea is wine" tea should be equivalent to today's kungfu tea.

There is a touch of red in the static stove. Chaoan, Chaoyang and Jieyang have all done it, and the styles are very beautiful. There are also various forms, which are characterized by being long, six or seven inches high, and the charcoal-added furnace core is deep and small, which makes the temperature uniform and saves charcoal. The small stove has a cover and a door, so it is economical and convenient to cover and close it when not in use. There is often an elegant couplet near the small oven door, which adds tea fragrance. The small stove is placed on a refined wooden frame, which is tower-shaped, with a big bottom and a small top. The stove is placed on it, and the fan just sticks out to make the oven door. There are fans and steel chopsticks in the middle. Put charcoal or charcoal or kindling in the next box. "If a worker wants to do a good job, he must sharpen his tools first." With this setting, it is naturally convenient to make tea.

Nine, jumping sand

The "sand bar" made by Fengxi in Chaoan is the most famous, commonly known as "teapot". It is made of sand and mud. It's light. When the water boils, the small lid will automatically tilt and make a noise. The water at this time is just right for making tea. As for the use of steel pots, it is not impossible for aluminum pots to boil water to make tea, but metal things are not as good as boiling water to make tea, so it is not the time.

Ten, feather fan and steel chopsticks

Feather fans are used to fan the fire. When you fan the fire, you should use force, but don't fan it around the oven door and keep a certain temperature. This is also a sign of respect for the guests. Therefore, the special feather fan is not only conducive to the display of "Kung Fu", but also a fan made of white goose feathers, which is too big to carry. The delicate and elegant bamboo handle sets off the red, green and white tea set, and the golden and purple strong tea is naturally interesting. Steel chopsticks are not only used to catch charcoal and pick fire, but also to keep the owner's hands clean.

Above, although it is not enough for Lu Yu's 24-style tea set specification, it is already spectacular. If you want to say more, that's not much. For example, the tin cans for making tea are made in Chaoshan. There are also tea towels, which are specially used to clean tea sets. Tea table, used to put tea sets. Tea poles can be used to store tea sets. In the beautiful days of spring and autumn, climbing mountains and wading, washing stones in streams, sitting on the floor in quiet Woods, making tea and sipping are naturally a great pleasure in life.

Kung fu tea is very unique. If you don't have time to make tea, you can't call it kungfu tea. Therefore, all the credit for Kung Fu tea lies in the method of making tea.

If you want to drink kungfu tea, you must first have a qualified tea set. Teapots (called "pots" by Chaozhou people) are made of pottery, and purple sand is the best. Pot flat drum, long mouth and long handle, very simple. There are two cups, three cups and four cups in the pot. The teapot is the best. When the teapot is placed upside down on the table, the spout, spout and handle touch the ground evenly, and the center is in a straight line. If the best person is put in the water, it will be stable and not heavy. Exquisite and chic, white as jade, the small teacup is only 5 cm in diameter and 2 cm in height, which is divided into two types: cold and summer. The mouth of the cold cup is slightly closed, so it is insulated, and the mouth of the summer cup is slightly turned over, which is easy to dissipate heat. The tea tray on which the cups and pots are placed is called a "tea boat", and the concave cover has a leak, which can store about half a liter of waste tea. The whole tea set itself is a handicraft. Teacups and tea boats are painted in glaze or underglaze. Teapots are the most expensive. An ancient and precious teapot is an antique that can be appreciated. Some of them are inlaid with exquisitely carved silver or gold patterns and become rare heirlooms. The tea rust in the teapot can't be washed away. The more so, the more precious it is, and it can keep the charm of tea.

The specific method of making tea is as follows:

1. The treatment of equipment includes six actions: lighting a fire, drawing a fire, fanning the furnace, cleaning the equipment, waiting for water, and showering the cup. This is like "Tai Chi Sheng" in Tai Ji Chuan, which is a preparatory stage. Needless to say, the first four things, this "waiting for water" and "pouring a cup" are all preliminary attempts. About ten minutes after the fire, there will be a whizzing sound in the sand. When its voice suddenly becomes smaller, it means that the fish's eyes will change. You should immediately lift the sand, pour it into jars and cups, and then put it on the stove. At this time, the second thing began.

Second: Take the tea leaves, open the tea leaves, pour them on a piece of white paper, measure the thickness respectively, put the thickest on the bottom of the pot and the dripper, then put the fine powder on the middle layer, and then put the coarse leaves on it, and the tea taking is completed. Therefore, it is necessary to do this, because the fine powder is the strongest, and it is easy to get bitter when there are too many tea leaves, and it is also easy to block the dripper. If the thickness is separated, the tea can be made evenly and the taste of tea can be gradually developed. Tea, every kind of tea, is based on the teapot, and 70% tea is enough. If it is too much, not only the brewed Chata is thick and bitter, but also the good tea leaves are mostly tender buds and rolled tightly. After soaking in boiling water, they will spread out and become so big that even water can't be washed in. But too little will not do. It's tasteless. Making tea is the first step in making kungfu tea. God has changed, so they have risen.

Third: Wait for Tang Su Dongpo's poem: "The crab's eye has passed the fish's eye", which means that it is best to make tea with this boiled water. The Book of Tea says: "Soup is the life of tea. See boiling like a fish's eye, slightly audible, this is for three boiling. Stirrup edge is like beads, which is two-boiling. Make waves for the three boiling points. A boiling is too childish, which is called baby boiling; Three boiling is too old, this is called Bai Shou soup; If the beads float on the water and the sound is scattered, it is the right time. " "Daguan Tea Theory" also said: "Every soup is based on Fishes and Crabs. "

Fourth: When the water is boiling, you can make tea with americium. It takes about seven steps to put the stove and teapot. Take seven steps after lifting the pot, uncover the lid of the teapot, and rush the boiling soup around the mouth and the side of the pot, instead of going straight to the center of the pot (if you use the lid, you can also avoid going straight to the center of the pot). So is the so-called "high impact and low sprinkling". The high impact makes the boiling water strongly impact the tea leaves, so that the fragrance of the tea leaves volatilizes faster and the tea essence volatilizes faster, but the tannins are too late to dissolve, so the tea leaves will not be astringent. As for taking seven steps before washing, the purpose is to make the water a little cooler without destroying vitamin C.

Fifth: the foam scraping and flushing must be full, whether the teapot is "three mountains together" and how the water level is. This time depends on the effect. After the teapot is filled with water, the tea foam floats and never overflows (if it overflows the surface of the teapot, it is another matter). Lift the lid, gently scrape off the tea foam from the spout, and then cover it.

Sixth: Cover the pot and pour boiling water on it. It's called pouring cans. The watering pot has one function: first, it makes the hot air attack inside and outside, forcing the tea essence to evaporate quickly and replenish the hot air; Second, stop for a while, the water in the tank is completely dry, that is, the tea is ripe; The third is to wash away the tea foam outside the pot.

Seventh: Making a hot cup is called "burning hot pot" in Chaozhou dialect, which is the focus of Kung Fu tea. There is a tea expert who travels all over the world and summarizes the experience of drinking tea everywhere. After drinking Kung Fu tea, he said that the characteristic of Kung Fu tea is a "spicy" word. From soup to tea, you can't do without this word, which can be described as three flavors. To iron the cup, pour the cup with boiling water after pouring the can. Pay attention when pouring the cup, and the boiling water should go straight to the center of the cup. After ironing the cup, add cold water to the casserole, put it back on the stove, and turn around to "wash the cup". Washing cups is the most artistic form of action. An old hand can wash two cups at the same time, with quick action, sonorous tone and wonderful posture. A foreign friend, who is also a tea fan, has long heard of the name Kung Fu tea. Not far from Wan Li, I tried my best to have a kung fu when I arrived in China. When he saw the action of washing the teacups, he couldn't help admiring them again and again, saying that they were better than the acrobatic troupe's kung fu. Indeed, people who can't wash cups will burn themselves to death when they touch them. Not bad, they are all blessed, not to mention "beautiful posture." After washing the cup, pour the water from the cup and plate into the teapot. At this time, the water outside the teapot has just evaporated, which is when the tea leaves are ripe. An old hand here, not bad at all, can sprinkle tea to respect guests.

Eighth: sprinkle tea many times, and the last hand is to sprinkle tea. Sprinkling tea also has four words: low, fast, even and exhausted. "Low" is the "low" of "high and low" mentioned earlier. You can't spill the tea too high. High, the fragrance is gone, bubbles are everywhere, and guests are extremely disrespectful. "Fast" is also to prevent the loss of fragrance and keep the heat of tea. "Evenly" means that when sprinkling tea, it must turn like a wheel. The cups should be sprinkled evenly in turn, and only one cup can be sprinkled, because the tea is excellent and light at first, and then it comes out with a strong color. The word "even" is very important "Doing" means not leaving the remaining water in the pot. The first punch is reserved, and the second and third punches are urgent. After sprinkling, you can turn the teapot upside down and put it on a heavy mat to let the water in the teapot drip out completely. This is because as long as there is no water, tannins cannot be dissolved and tea will not be bitter. kungfu tea