Most people ‘ruin’ their oolong teas just by doing this

Those who have never drunk tea other than a tea bag in a mug might find the Gongfu Cha tea ceremony somewhat intimidating after seeing more than ten items required to make a cup of tea in miniature size.

There have been many stories about where and how Gongfu Cha originated, but not many talk about the do's and don'ts of brewing Gongfu Cha.

Although brewing Gongfu Cha is suitable for all teas, this style was invented to bring out the best flavors of Oolong teas. 

Like espresso, you need all the necessary tools to achieve a mouthful of satisfying tasting notes. Gongfu Cha requires uncompromisable tools to ensure teas are brewed to their full potential. 

In my opinion, the most defining factors are the temperature of the water, the quality of the water, the tea-water ratio, and the duration of steeping. Among these, the most important is the temperature of the water, while the rest are more or less according to every tea master's preference. 

You will usually see advice on Oolong tea packages to brew at 85 - 95 degrees Celsius water. However, most vendors of Oolong teas in China will tell you to brew it at 100 degrees Celsius, nothing less. Why is there such a discrepancy?

You have to understand that, in the early days, Oolong teas were not the most produced tea in China, nor were they the most exported tea from China. The early exporters of Oolong teas were the Taiwanese brought over from Fujian province, thanks to John Dodd and Li Chunsheng. These teas later got reinvented to be less fermented (oxidized) and more aromatic to meet the demand of green tea drinkers abroad. Hence, 80 - 90 degrees Celsius water is suitable to brew a less fermented green Oolong tea, just like how you would brew a green tea.

However, the OGs of Oolong tea producers and drinkers from the Wuyi mountains and Chaozhou regions will tell you that if your water is not sizzling hot, you are not 'brewing' the tea correctly; you are ruining the tea! For example, if your water is 90 degrees Celsius, only 90 percent of what should be dissolved will be extracted from the brew. 

There are plenty of ways to ensure your water is at 100 degrees Celsius when you pour it into your teapot. However, the following examples are NOT one of them:

X Using a thermos 

X Putting your kettle aside and not reheating before each pour 

X Using a 'low-quality' kettle that cools down fast 

X Not heating your teapot/gaiwan before brewing

If you are doing any of the above, you will get a mildly brewed Oolong tea that doesn't quite reach its full potential, which is a shame considering most Oolong teas are expensive and sold to the gram. You want to ensure that each brew is extracted as it should be.

If you subconsciously do any of the above when brewing your Oolong tea Gongfu style, maybe it's time to invest in a great kettle and change your bad habits to ensure you don't waste any flavors of your best Oolong tea!