GONGFU STARTER KIT

Total retail value: $67 Gong fu cha—“right way tea”, or “tea with effort”—is a tea making method used to appreciate tea through several short steeps. It's sometimes thought of as a ceremony; fundamentally it's just a tea making technique. Gongfucha originates in China and Taiwan, but a casual rendition (simply referred to as "gongfu") is more popular with tea drinkers in the west. For specialty tea drinkers, gongfu is a verb, and to "gongfu" a tea is an everyday thing. It’s not unlike pulling an espresso shot: using specialized tools, plant material is dosed, parameters are dialed in, and the result is a fine-tuned extraction. In contrast, modern steeping is more like making a big pot of coffee. One method is not better than the other. We’ve all had amazing cups of drip and lackluster shots. We use “gongfu” here as shorthand for steeping tea several times with more leaves and less water. All the makings of a proper small-format tea steeping session. Explore the subtle nuances of any tea, unavailable in classic tea pot brewing. This kit includes 4 tea coins (7 grams each) from our newest drops out of Xishuangbanna. GAIWAN HUGO | Hand-thrown porcelain gaiwan. BOLI MINI | Gong dao bei, or "fairness pitcher". STEEL FILTER | Durable and easy to use. TEA COINS | Eclipse set X2