I was just reading some posts in a thread related to tea.

It got me curious about how many people enjoy the teas that I enjoy. I mean, Lapsang Souchong tea is quite special and is an acquired taste.

I am not a tea professional but I love learning about different teas and I really love drinking GOOD tea. So I have my own Gung Fu Cha kit at home. Gung fu cha is a chinese method of "making tea with great skill".

In my kit I have two Yixing teapots, one for my fruity oolongs and one for smoked green tea, only have Hoji cha so far that is a smoked green tea, I love it! I am planning on getting at least two more teapots one for Pu'er tea and another pot for fruity green tea such as the jasmine dragon pearl green tea.

I will post a picture of my gung fu cha kit later, it would be nice to see who else has such a kit.

If you don't have such a kit you can still respond by describing how you make your tea! less

I was just reading some posts in a thread related to tea.

It got me curious about how many people enjoy the teas that I enjoy. I mean, Lapsang Souchong tea is quite special and is an acquired taste.

I am not a tea professional but I love learning about different teas and I really love drinking GOOD tea. So I have my own Gung Fu Cha kit at home. Gung fu cha is a chinese method of "making tea with great skill".

In my kit I have two Yixing teapots, one for my fruity oolongs and one for smoked green tea, only have Hoji cha so far that is a smoked green tea, I love it! I am planning on getting at least two more teapots one for Pu'er tea and another pot for fruity green tea such as the jasmine dragon pearl green tea.

I will post a picture of my gung fu cha kit later, it would be nice to see who else has such a kit.

If you don't have such a kit you can still respond by describing how you make your tea! less

I've not heard of Gung Fu Cha, but I have heard of Lao Ren Cha (Old person's tea) which may just be another name for the same ting. There is a specific way that you are supposed to prepare and drink the tea. For example, you should wash out the pot and cups with hot water beforehand to prepare them. Also, you never drink the first steeping (is that the correct term?). You literally steep the tea and get rid of it. Then when you drink it, it is much like with wine. You sniff it, drink it in while aerating, etc. Also, some of the teas have a wonderful bitterness that you follow it by sipping plain hot water and it tastes sweet in contrast. less

I've never heard of this. And a different pot for every type of tea too. I'm impressed.

All I have is one tea pot from Ikea. One tea pot that I don't use for decoration anyway. And a couple of tea strainers. And boxes/tins of tea lined up along one area of my kitchen counter.

Too bad you don't live closer. I want to have tea with you. less

This is so cool! Like Tuesday, I'd love to have tea with you! I can imagine how delicious tea from a clay pot would be---perhaps if I ever pick a favorite kind of tea I'll get a pot and dedicate it to that tea.

I greatly enjoy tea, though I haven't got a whole lot of equipment (small kitchen, so cabinet real estate is precious). I have a nice large borosilicate tea cup (maybe it's 14 oz?) with a fitted strainer and lid. I drink sometimes as many as 8 steepings of the same leaves, and I understand why the first one is tossed out if you'd be making a show of preparing tea perfectly, it's more bitter. (Of course, for my own enjoyment, I drink the first one anyway, and I keep drinking as long as there's still a reasonable amount of flavor imparted. The second through fourth cups are definitely the best, though.

Pu'erh would definitely deserve its own clay pot! I have to scrub and scrub to get its oils off my glass cup, even. It is absolutely worth it, though. (For pu'erh I guess I do toss the first steeping, it tends to be fishy.) less

I often drink the first one too, because the first steeping usually holds all the caffeine and I like my caffeine!

With Pu'erh and oolong you don't have to steep very long, just a few seconds, and you remove the strainer. I have a large teapot with a strainer for when I want to make a load of tea. I will usually remove my strainer after a few seconds or else the tea tastes bitter, especially if I leave it in the whole time, the last cup is quite strong, lol.

I have some special pu'erh that I have been saving for like two years, lol. It is the only Pu'erh that I have and I haven't found Pu'erh like it anywhere I have gone. I would have to get it shipped to me fro the west coast and I don't want to imagine how much that'll cost me!!!!

I wish I could make everyone at EF tea!!!! less