Tea Practice - 工夫茶 Gōngfū Chá - Brewing Yā Shǐ Xiāng “Duck Shit Fragrance” Phoenix Oolong

Brewing a 鴨屎香風凰單欉烏龍茶 Yā Shǐ Xiāng fēng huáng dān cóng wūlóngchá “Duck Shit Fragrance” Phoenix Dān Cóng “Single Bush/Grove” Oolong tea from 烏岽山 Wūdōngshān in the 潮州 Cháozhōu region of northeastern 廣東 Guǎngdōng province, China.

On this warm Summer’s day, I find myself seeking to relax in my studio and enjoy the company of an old teapot and refreshing tea. The teapot I opt to use is a favorite of mine, a 朱泥 zhūní (“cinnabar clay”) 水平壺 shuǐ píng hú (lit. “water level pot”) 宜興 Yíxìng teapot, one I’ve used now for twenty years. With its wide opening, low-slung body, and thin, high-fired walls, it is perfect for brewing dān cóng oolongs.

Today, I choose to brew an old favorite. I was first introduced to Yā Shǐ Xiāng by my gōngfū chá teacher back in the early 2000s, around the same time I started delving into Cháozhōu teas. The name belies the graceful, complex flavors, a disguise purportedly meant to dissuade potential buyers from snatching up the farmer’s favorite tea, leaving it all to himself to enjoy. The leaves are long and wiry, and evenly oxidized, balancing green with deeper tones, a mark of a well-finished Duck Shit Fragrance oolong. Even when entering the wetted pot, the initial notes of butterscotch, toasted almonds, and cantaloupe rind rise into the air.

I bring to my tea table a vintage 茶船 cháchuán (lit. “tea boat”) made of zhūní clay from Yíxìng, three enameled Yíxìng ware 品茗杯 pǐn míng bēi (lit. “tea tasting cups”), a vintage Japanese 染付 sometsuke plate upon which the cups are set, an antique Japanese bamboo 茶合 sagō (tea scoop) with a poem inscribed upon it, and a jade archer’s ring (likely a reproduction of a 清 Qīng period piece) upon which I place the lid of the teapot. The tea viewing vessel is made of 白銅 báitóng (lit. “white copper”, cupronickel) with inlay of jade and brass in the shape of a banana leaf. The cloth is a small Japanese 風呂敷 furoshiki with a design of waves and blossoms on one side and pine needles on the other. The boiling water is heated inside of a vintage Japanese 鉄瓶 tetsubin.

I begin with the warming and rinsing of the clay tea wares, followed by the placement of the twisted oolong tea leaves into the teapot. As I often do, I choose to use a generous amount of tea leaves, which I arrange manually and then use the lid of the teapot to push further into the pot.

Steeping the tea begins as soon as the hot water comes into contact with the leaves. After this, it is a race to close the pot and keep the heat from escaping upward out of the wide opening. Brewing tea in a shuǐ píng hú is a great experience. The pot has ample room for the leaves to expand. The thin walls of the pot help to quickly dissipate heat, allowing for the intense florals of the Yā Shǐ Xiāng to emerge but not become overshadowed. One notes the brewing’s “progress” first by the evaporation of the water off of the teapot’s surface, then the drawing down of the meniscus bubble into the spot of the pot, and finally by the subtle shift of the clay’s color. Decanting the tea feels effortless, as the pot is deftly held in the user’s hand, a tribute to the skill of the potter who has crafted a vessel which feels incredibly balanced to hold and use.

Once emptied, the lid of the pot is removed to allow the leaves to cool. Soon the aroma of the tea is evident throughout the space of my studio. The notes of butterscotch and almond return, coupled with sweet grass, ripe Summer fruit and bright florals. I lift the first cup to my lips and closely savor the deep color of the liqueur and scent of rising from the tiny cup. The first sip is an explosion of sweet melon, butterscotch, toasted almonds, marigold, honeysuckle, orchid, and tart cherry. The flavor lingers and increases with the second and third sip, layering complexity.

Subsequent steepings further reveal the complexity and long lasting quality of this excellent tea. I’ve included additional footage of this process, which I hope offers some insight into how to pour, steep, decant, and further appreciate the skill and challenge of brewing a beautiful tea such as this.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little video, that maybe you learned a little bit about how to approach a tea like this, and that you have the opportunity to brew high-quality tea for yourself and others. Regardless of what wares you have at your disposal, so long as you make the time to focus and practice, you can bring out the best flavors in any well-crafted tea. In the meantime, share with me any thoughts, feedback or questions you might have. Also, if you’re interested in trying any of the teas featured in these videos, I’m offering a regularly updated collection of teas via my blog, https://scotttea.wordpress.com/tea-co...

Thank you.

🍃 🍵 ♥️

#tea
#gongfucha
#oolong
#phoenixoolong
#yashixiang
#meditation
#chaozhou
#dancong
#teapot
#teatime
#ceramics
#intention
#practice
#mindfulness
#asmr
#工夫茶
#鴨屎香
#單欉烏龍
#茶壺
#品茗杯
#茶船
#泡茶
#潮州工夫茶