{Guest Post} Making the Switch to Gongfu

Do you think Gongfu brewing is only for us Orientals who are overly fixated with tradition?

In our first guest post, the lovely Nicole Martin of Tea For Me Please has kindly shared her experience with venturing into gongfu brewing.

Nicole is a born and bred New Jersey-ian with an unquestionable passion for tea and just about one of the friendliest people you’ll meet in Cyberspace. Follow her on twitter and you’ll realize you seldom has a harsh word for anyone.

Do check out her blog or follow her on tumblr or Pinterest. As you can see, besides tea, she’s a social media addict as well!

In her own words, here is her experience with gongfu brewing:

When I first began drinking loose leaf tea I relied on my trusty ceramic teapot and mesh infuser. They served me well while I was just getting my feet wet and drinking flavored teas. Over time my tastes evolved and I started to drink more traditional teas, especially oolong. Along with that came a fascination with the cultural aspects of tea. I was very intimidated by yixing teapots, gaiwans and all of the equipment used in a gongfu tea service. They all seemed so beautiful and delicate.
I had just started my blog around this time. Although it was scary, I believed that I owed it to my readers to truly explore everything that the world of tea has to offer. After a lot of careful research, I purchased my first gaiwan and an yixing teapot. I was quite terrible at preparing tea when I first started. I was clumsy so there was lots of burnt fingertips, spills and bad tea. The lid of my teapot still has a chip in it that reminds me of this time. Rather than becoming discouraged, I was determined to learn how to make tea properly using these tools.

I practiced nearly every day until I was finally satisfied with the resulting tea. It was a completely different sensory experience and I was amazed at the difference. The tea smelled and tasted so much better than it did when I used my old teapot. My smaller tasting cups forced me to slow down and really enjoy every sip. The ceremony of it all became a form of relaxation and meditation.

Whenever possible, I now prefer to prepare my tea using the gongfu method. It is a constant work in progress and I try to make each pot of tea the best that I can. I consider myself a student of tea and it is a learning process that does not have an end.