In May 2010, a 1948 Yixing zisha (purple clay) teapot made by master ceramicist Gu Jingzhou sold for £1.2 million at a Beijing Auction. What could have led bidders to pay such a price for such an object? Partly because it was inscribed with art and calligraphy from two of China’s greatest contemporary artists, but also this Yixing’s value derives the quality of the clay and the skill of the maker.

The Gu Jingzhou teapot that sold for around £1.2m in 2010

Yixing teapots (also known as Zisha and purple clay pots) are one of the greatest expressions of the Chinese passion for art and tea. These beautifully understated teapots have been made in Yixing since the 13th century and have long been the brewing vessel of choice for scholars and aristocrats. They are used mainly for brewing fine Black, Oolong and Puerh teas, with the tea masters reserving different Yixings for every individual tea. They range in size from 300ml to 50ml or less and are designed for individual brews, which were traditionally drunk direct from spout.

The special quality of the clay, which is only found in and near Yixing in Jiangsu province, is at the heart of these teapots’ appeal: the sandy-textured Yixing clay is unglazed, allowing the interior of the pots to take on the subtle flavours and aromas of multiple brews. The exterior develops a unique patina, which is enhanced by generations of use.

A beautiful, authentic Yixing teapot available to buy from our website

The different forms of the pots are highly prized – most are plain, and in colours ranging from the classic red/brown to green, grey and black. The quality of new Yixing pots varies enormously, and the cheapest examples can contain dangerous levels of harmful minerals. Selection requires some expertise to ensure that the clay and manufacture reaches the right standard. For example, the trap (grate or strainer) between the bowl and the spout should show a well-crafted group of regular sized holes, and the lid should fit so perfectly that the liquor stops mid pour when the air hole is covered.

National Craft Master Gao Jian Jun demonstrates the art of Yixing to Canton Tea director Jennifer

A fine Yixing teapot pleases all five senses: it looks beautiful, smells good, and even sounds good when the lid is lightly knocked against the bowl. The porous nature of the clay should enhance the taste of your tea and when cradled in your hands, it feels soft, warm and smooth to the touch.

Gong Fu Brewing
It’s easy to hone your Gong Fu brewing skills with a Yixing teapot.
As with the gaiwan you need a high leaf to water ratio – at least a third of the teapot should be bursting with beautiful plump infused leaf. The first infusion is a quick ‘wash’ – so you pour away the liquor after about 10 seconds. You can enjoy many subsequent steepings from the same leaves, just make sure you pour off all the tea liquor between each one.

Canton Tea Yixing
Canton Tea stocks only authentic Yixing teapots. Most of them come from the workshop of National Craft Master Gao Jian Jun. Canton Tea Co Director, Jennifer was given a memorable demo by the Master on her visit. He talked, smoked, drank tea, laughed, gesticulated and meticulously rolled out the clay and put together the body and lid of a perfect pot. Then he crushed it. Making the real thing demands time and focus – it is not theatre.

Each handmade Yixing pot is a one off original piece which will give you – and the generations that come after you, many years of tea brewing and aesthetic pleasure.

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Check out our range and get in touch if you have any comments or questions.

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During our week of Gong Fu focus, I have found myself starting to aim for ‘good Gong Fu’ as a personal skill. Having spent hours watching Gong Fu tea ceremonies and instructional videos on YouTube, I thought it was time to really get to grips with the art of Gong Fu – more specifically – the gaiwan.

Some lovely Anji Bai Cha just washed

Ah, the gaiwan. Looks so simple to use but beneath its shiny white surface lies a world of pain. At least, this was my previous experience (flashback to a rainy trade show and me attempting to brew cup after cup of Jade oolong for a thirsty crowd using only one gaiwan and two decidedly non asbestos-like hands). But this week I have been volunteering to make the tea more often so I can practice using one. I am determined to master the art.

Feel the burn

My first attempts to get ‘good Gong Fu’ mainly consisted of totally uncoordinated tea making, spillages, near misses with ceramics and some rather colourful language as I constantly burned my fingers and my colleagues (*cough* Dan *cough*) chuckled at me. They didn’t complain when I poured them the tea though… that’s because Gong Fu brewing really does get the best flavour from the leaves.

I’d like to say that I experimented with precise brewing times and weight of tea leaves. But I have to confess that I didn’t – I went with my instinct. I generally just put more leaves in the gaiwan and I brewed the tea quickly – and that seemed to do the job. I got caught out a few times and over-brewed the tea, it took me a while to figure out that even with a tea that isn’t Puerh, you can brew for as little as 10 seconds and still get an amazingly tasty infusion because of the large amount of leaves being infused in a small amount of water. You might think, as I did, that using more leaves and less water is an expensive way to drink tea. But instead of using a small amount of leaves and getting 2-3 infusions, I have found that the Gong Fu method allows for at least 5 infusions if not 7 of gloriously flavoursome tea. One evening after work, I infused Oriental Beauty 8 times. It was a revelation (and it resulted in a surprisingly clean house).

Its not actually a fairness cup if you drink it all yourself

Having spent a couple of weeks battling with the gaiwan, I’ve realised that brewing whole leaf tea perfectly Gong Fu style without the burns, breakages, spills and bad language, is an art that can take years to learn. But the whole experience of brewing tea in a gaiwan is one not to miss out on. I’m definitely a Gong Fu convert, and while I can’t decisively say that I have ‘good Gong Fu’ just yet, I’ll keep practising. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be as good as this guy.

For a detailed but simple explanation of brewing tea in a gaiwan, watch this video in our tea school.

This week I have been mostly brewing these teas Gong Fu style:

Superior Dragon Well – The mid-afternoon pick-me-up green tea
Mi Lan Dan Cong – Best brewed Gong Fu style to fully appreciate the honey and floral notes
Oriental Beauty – Stands up to multiple Gong Fu infusions with the flavour developing from citrus to floral
Anji Bai Cha – Amazingly light and refreshing green tea
Aged Tie Guan Yin – The toasty aroma of this heavily roasted Oolong lingers beautifully on the gaiwan lid

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The Gong Fu method of brewing tea: lots of leaves in a clay Yixing pot

The term Gong Fu goes back to the third century AD and originally referred to ‘hard work’ in a general sense of labouring. Over the years it came to take on more abstract and philosophical meanings of strength acquired through practice, accomplishments achieved through self-control, and skill attained through discipline. It refers generally to the cultivation of a skill to the highest level – that includes martial arts but encompasses all disciplines, such as dancing, calligraphy, pottery, cooking, even good judgement – and the brewing of tea.

With tea, the term Kung Fu cha or Gong Fu cha has been applied to brewing and to tea itself since the 1600s. The defining characteristics of Gong Fu brewing style, as opposed to say restaurant brewing, are the ratio of water to tea and steeping times; Gong Fu brewing requires a small teapot, preferably a Yixing clay pot, small glass pot or a Gaiwan, a relatively large quantity of tea, often around 1/3 to 1/2 full of leaf – and multiple, short steeping times – about 30 seconds – giving many infusions from the same leaves. There is an art to brewing tea well and drawing the most out of the leaves. For some there is the spiritual aspect of enjoying the calm and the required concentration, but for everyone it can be a relaxing shared experience. You can focus on the taste and aroma of each infusion – and naturally debate the temperature, timing and leaf quality.

The practice of Gong Fu tea brewing has been raised to great heights of refinement and formality but it is still the popular, everyday way to share tea in China’s tea houses and shops. At Canton Tea, we recommend Gong Fu brewing styles for all high end teas – it is essential for good Dan Cong and other fine Oolongs and Puerhs. You don’t require much in the way of special equipment, authentic music or furniture to enjoy good Gong Fu brewing. Just stick to the following basic principles:

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A traditional Yixing (purple clay) teapot

Water: Use the best neutral Ph spring or filtered water you can find and make sure it’s the right temperature.

Brewing Vessel: Any small teapot or a Gaiwan will do – Our glass Shen 250ml teapot is ideal and of course any of our authentic Yixing teapots.

Serving Jug: A small jug so that you can drain the tea liquor from your teapot between infusions. Also called a ‘Fairness Cup’ as it allows each person drinking the tea to get the same infusion, as opposed to pouring the tea straight from the brewing vessel where the first pour might be lighter than the last.

Cups: It’s worth making an effort here to have something appropriately small. The tasting cups allow you to share a small pot of gong fu style tea with friends. Because you have many infusions it doesn’t mean you drink less, you just spend more time drinking many cups and appreciating the changing characteristics of each infusion.

Traditional small Chinese tasting cups or "tea bowls"

Tea Tray: A slatted one like this is best as it allows you to pour hot water over the cups and pot to warm them properly and to pour the tea liquor into all the cups in one continuous circular motion (known as “General Gwan patrols the city”).

More tea, less water: Brew little and often – ie multiple quick infusions allow you to enjoy the changing flavour profile of your tea. Gong Fu is mostly about brewing good tea properly, ie carefully, to get the most out of its wonderful taste, texture and aroma.

And that’s it. Of course the critical ingredient is decent tea. Though it’s a routine way to make good tea for yourself, if you have put in the work to develop ‘good gong fu’ it is actually a great way to share your loose tea experience with friends – you just need a bit of kit.

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Over the next couple of weeks we will post blogs with more details about brewing with Gaiwans and Yixing teapots. In addition, to celebrate our exploration of Gong Fu we are giving away a genuine Yixing teapot worth £75 via our competition on Facebook. Click here to enter the competition for your chance to win.

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In the meantime, to see some videos and learn about the more Rococo aspects of Gong Fu brewing, hit the links below:

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Watch a video of a Chinese Kung Fu tea ceremony

Visit this site for a very detailed guide on brewing Kung Fu/Gong Fu

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Edgar – Company Director
Traditional Shui Xian is definitely my pick of the winter warmers. It’s a deep, rich, roasted tea with a natural sweetness and a beautiful floral taste that emerges through multiple infusions. A pot of this in front of a roaring fire on a Sunday afternoon and I’m a happy man.

Food pairing: I’ve drunk this with a pear frangipane tart before – which brings out the sweet honey notes of the tea and leaves – delicious.

Jen – Company Director
I’m championing the Superior Bai Lin Gong Fu as my tea for this winter – and probably every winter. I crave the smooth caramel sweetness of this superb tea whenever the weather is cold and miserable.

Food pairing: Perfect as a stand-alone, first cup of tea of the day. Ideal with bacon and eggs – and muesli. Great with moist home-made carrot cake.

Dan – Operations Manager
Not to be boring but, like 95% of other Brits, I do love a good breakfast tea first thing on a winter morning. I helped to create our Canton Breakfast Blend so that everyone can drink a really exceptional cup of black tea first thing.

Food pairing: When I get into work with my Pain Au Chocolat from Mark’s Bread – round the corner on North St, Bristol, I can make myself a cup of Canton Breakfast tea and ease myself gently into the day.

Kate – Customer Services and Online Communications

I’ve loved the Aged Tie Guan Yin ever since I first tasted it: it’s heavily roasted with a toasty aroma that makes me think of buttered popcorn, and a deep fruity taste. Come a certain point in the day, when it’s starting to get dark, I make this as a little pick-me-up.

Food pairing: You’re most likely to find me drinking this at my desk mid-afternoon alongside a toasted teacake with butter.

Jane Pettigrew - tea specialist, historian, and writer

Tea has many unusual connections but one of the least obvious perhaps is the fact that towards the end of the 19th century, tearooms provided a safe haven and meeting place for the women suffragists and may have been instrumental in furthering their cause.

In many areas of Britain, local branches of the women’s movement grew out of the temperance societies. T-Total meetings were often just very large tea parties (with a sermon or two thrown in) and the women, who brewed gallons of tea and dished it out in mugs, encouraged ‘guests’ to turn away from harmful alcohol and instead drink ‘the cup that cheers but does not inebriate’.

Towards the end of the 19th century, society was changing fast. New public transport allowed easier movement into and around town, more women were working in professional employment, going out more, shopping in the new departments stores. And yet, there were no even moderately respectable places where some kind of refreshment could be taken by female shoppers. When William Whitely opened his department store in Bayswater in the 1870, he applied for a licence to open a restaurant inside the store but was refused on the grounds of its potential for immoral assignations!

And where were women to wash their hands and find other essential comforts? It was still considered very improper and frightfully bad manners to refer to women’s bodies, and finding a lavatory was almost impossible. The provision of public conveniences for ladies was considered outrageous and it was not until 1884 that the first ‘convenience’ run by the Ladies Lavatory Company opened near Oxford Circus.

The tearoom at the Walforf Hilton, London

To provide for women’s needs, women-only clubs started appearing – The University Women’s Club in 1883, The Camelot Club for shop and office workers in 1898, Harrods Ladies Club in 1890. And women met more and more frequently in tearooms. Tea had always had very genteel connections and, as the public tearooms became more and more popular during the 1880s and 90s, they were recognised as very respectable places where respectable women could enjoy a peaceful cup of tea away from the hurley-burley of busy urban streets. They created the perfect place for a little light refreshment, for a chat, and for discussions about politics and votes for women and, of course, for planning campaigns and demonstrations.

Fullers' tearoom at The London Colisseum in London

In Votes For Women, published in 1956, Roger Fulford wrote, “The spread of independence was helped by the growth of the tea-shop. A few expensive restaurants existed but apart from these, there were no places for a quick meal other than the formality of the large damask tablecloth and best silver at home, or the brisk clatter of the bar parlour. The tea-shop gave the young – perhaps in revolt against the stuffiness of family afternoon tea – an ideal meeting place; it was an integral part of the women’s liberation movement.” And according to Margaret Corbett Ashby, the teashops run by the ABC (Aerated Bread Company) were “an enormous move to freedom”.

Once the Suffrage campaign got going, the tearooms played a central part. In 1907, the Young Hot Bloods (the younger members of the Women’s Social & Political Union, founded in 1907) met at a tea shop in the Strand. And Alan’s Tea Room at 263 Oxford Street regularly advertised the free use of its large function room for members of the Women’s Social Political Union. Records show that the room was used in 1910 by the Tax Resistance League and in 1911 by the Catholic Women’s Suffrage Society for its inaugural meeting. In 1913, at the end of the ‘pilgrimage’ to London by the NUWSS (the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies), some of the women (a few from the 50,000 who attended the rally) went to Alan’s for dinner and no doubt for several restorative and well-deserved cups of tea!

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Jane has written 13 books on tea and regularly runs tea masterclasses and tastings. You can visit her website here

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Beijing decorated with the traditional red lanterns for Chinese New Year

For an auspicious start, we must have a good spring clean to get rid of any bad luck hanging around – and sweep our floors towards the centre, not over the threshold so we don’t brush away the good luck.

And if that isn’t enough, we will festoon the walls with handcut, red paper couplets, bake little red cakes and drive away evil spirits with ear-splitting firecrackers, and dragon dances – this is the sort of thing.

We’re making the most of the wonderful dragon this year because next year we may struggle to find the symbolism with the Year of the Snake . . .So we’ve come up with offers, give-aways and competitions. Though we’re not tucking hard cash inside red envelopes, we are giving away solid money-off, lucky red vouchers with all orders over the New Year.

Lion Dancing is rewarded with a lucky red envelope - but you don't have to do a lion dance to get yours

Keep an eye our for our sale which could save you lots of money if you’re a dedicated tea drinker. Or maybe you could treat yourself or a loved one to our Year of the Dragon Gift Pack? Also look to our new Facebook page for a big competition with a Year of the Dragon Gift Pack Give-away.

In the Chinese New Year tradition we would like everyone to reconcile, forget all grudges and we wish you peace, happiness, good health and prosperity.

• New Year sale: Discounts on teas and teaware – its a great time to stock up for the year ahead
• Year of the Dragon Gift Pack: To mark the Year of the Dragon we have created a special edition pack containing three of our most popular ‘Dragon’ teas, presented in a celebration gift box. It will be available only during Chinese New Year (Monday 23rd January – Tuesday 7th Febraury)
• Red Gift Envelopes: Chinese New Year is a time for giving, so every order placed between 23rd January – 7th February will receive a traditional red envelope containing money off vouchers. Just a little thank you from us for your custom.
• Blogs: Learn more about Chinese New Year, and about the tea drinking customs it entails.
• New Facebook Page: We’ll be launching our shiny new Facebook page on Monday 23rd January, starting with a big Chinese New Year Competition. So why not go and ‘like’ us now?

The open kitchen

The restaurant has a brilliant atmosphere: attentive service, colourful, fabric-backed benches, freshly-pressed juices, great teas (all from Canton Tea Co) – and the food? A delight. It was a romp through the street food of Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Japan with a peek into Indonesia. The wooden tables and atmosphere have a sense of the market – it is lively, chattering and fun – but unhurried.

The open kitchen has a phalanx of chefs performing their own culinary speciality. From griddled noodles and soup noodles to curry, stir fry and salad, it’s a great opportunity to pick and mix the best of the food of the Far East, knowing that it’s authentic and cooked fresh for you.

Jen and Edgar enjoying some tea at Tuk Cho

The starters were outstanding. We loved the Chaoeng Chumni Chrauck – Cambodian Pork Ribs marinated in lemongrass and kampot pepper and the Thai salad – Som Tam with green papaya, cherry tomatoes and snake beans. The flavours of the herbs and spices were as fresh and vibrant as the place itself.

We’re looking forward to going back with a bunch of friends and sharing all the different dishes, with lots of tea, of course.

Tuk Cho Ealing opens to the public on Boxing Day.
www. tukchoealing.co.uk

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Jennifer: I'd like a Lotus Flower Tea Bowl

Jennifer, Company Director

A couple of Lotus Flower Tea Bowls would go down well. You need at least two to appreciate the small differences in the delicate handpainting. Such fine porcelain would not be for everyday as I’m a quite clumsy – but to share some calm tea-drinking time with friends and my favourite Green Tea, Superior Dragon Well.

Edgar wants another Yixing Teapot

Edgar, Company Director

Its got to be a Yixing teapot, I’ve got one for every type of tea but I’d still like the Zhi Tong to add to my collection. It pours really quickly so it’d be perfect for brewing our Canton Special Puerh, my new favourite tea.

Dan REALLY wants some Pouchong

Dan, Operations Manager

A Canister of Hand-picked Pouchong for me, please. And a Gaiwan to brew it in. I’m a convert to traditional tea-making methods now, and the Gaiwan is my favourite way to brew whole leaf tea.

Kate: Can I have a Shen Glass Tea Set please?

Kate, Online Communications Co-ordinator

I’ve been lusting after the Shen Glass Tea Bowl Set. Its like a grown-up version of the tea set you had when you were little; I’d invite my girlfriends round for afternoon tea, and chat over little cups of Jasmine Silver Needle.

Flowering Tea and Teapot for Martina

Martina, Distribution & Admin Assistant

The Flowering Tea Gift Box and Round Glass Teapot would be lovely. The buds of green tea and flowers open into gorgeous blossoms in the teapot and look so pretty. Its a fun way to share tea with friends and family over Christmas.

A nice cup of Chai for Mark

Mark, Distribution Assistant

The aroma of the Canton Chai is wonderful, really Christmassy. I’d love a good stock of that and a Piao-I to brew it in.

White tea made from young buds, like this Silver Needle, is higher in caffeine than tea made from just leaves

There are many factors that affect the caffeine content in tea, and they are not dependent solely on the type of tea

Caffeine content in tea varies according to growing environment, processing methods, season, and even which specific bush the tea is picked from, therefore caffeine levels vary naturally within every type of tea and levels in different types can overlap. For example, black tea and green tea made from the same leaf from the same bushes on the same day will have virtually the same caffeine level.

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White tea is not caffeine-free

Many people beleive that white tea is caffeine-free. This is simply not true. All tea (from the Cameilia Sinensis family) contains caffeine. Furthermore, tea made of buds and leaf tips (such as White Silver Needle Tea) contains higher levels of caffeine than a leaf-only tea such as Pouchong Green Tea (but this does not mean that all white tea is higher in caffeine than all green tea).

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There are some generalisations we can make about caffeine levels in different types of tea, but they are not rules

Whilst there is no such thing as a typical caffeine content for each type of tea, on the whole white tea will have a slightly higher caffeine content than green tea, and black tea will have a slightly higher caffeine content than white tea. But these are not binding rules.

As Nigel Melican proves in his article, caffeine content in tea varies due to so many different factors that any caffeine percentage given for a type of tea can only ever be accurate to one snapshot point in time. Furthermore, information about every single factor that affects caffeine levels is not available to the tea producer and the seller, making accurate caffeine level statements nigh on impossible.

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You cannot decaffinate tea by washing it in hot water for 30 seconds

A popular internet myth states that you can rid tea of 80% of its caffeine by rinsing it with hot water for 30 seconds. Whilst decaffination can be achieved by washing tea, a 1996 study showed that to remove 80% of the caffeine you would have to wash your tea for at least 8 minutes, in the process draining it of any flavour it may have had. Therefore, a 30 second wash would leave at least 90% of the caffeine remaining.

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Tea contains another physiologically active compound: theanine

Theanine is an amino-acid that has a calming effect on the mind. Nigel Melican suspects that the presence of this compound means that the body reacts more gently to the caffeine in tea than the caffeine in coffee. In addition, the caffeine in tea binds with tea polyphenols when it is steeping. This is a natural complexing process that results in a slower and more gentle uptake into the stomach and the brain. This is why, generally speaking, most people experience less of a caffeine ‘rush’ from tea than from coffee.

A note: All tea contains caffeine

All tea that is derived from the Camelia Sinensis plant, or a varietal of it, will contain caffeine. Only herbal tissanes (e.g. peppermint, chamomile) that are derived from other species of plant may be classed as naturally caffeine free (although they are often referred to as ‘herbal tea’). All decaffeinated teas (be they hot water washed or solvent extracted) have some caffeine remaining.

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To read Nigel Melican’s full article, click here

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