minimalism

https://live.staticflickr.com/2744/4406723508_a9596ceab4_b.jpg
Josef Albers - Hommage to the Square -- Insert, 1959 (Smithsonian American Art Museum)

 

 

 

sometimes i am asked: "what do you need to successfully brew a nice cup of tea?"

 

 

not much actually: 

 

 




...





i could really end my post here to be in harmony with the title and theme. however for those who hate minimalism i do want to elaborate on it a bit further.

a bowl and some leaves are more than enough to brew a nice cup of tea. this is close to the grandpa brewing style. a lot of beginners start out with bowl brewing since in a way its the most intuitive way of "brewing". you are taking almost all of what you could do wrong, all of the little insecurities out of the equation and just have the tea itself in front of you. don't use too much leaf. if there is some tea dust - don't worry - at some point it will sink to the bottom. if its bad tea you gonna know quickly since the soup is either going to be tasteless or somehow disgusting. if you feel the leaves have oversteeped just add more water to it. usually the soup is going to be more concentrated on the bottom, so you could play with that as well if you want to add back some strength to the refilled bowl - that is if patience does not do the job right. that is really all there is. however this is not only a "beginner's method". even very experienced tea drinkers frequently use this method and appreciate its simplicity.

there are some downsides to it. you will not get the most concentrated brew out of the leaves like that. brewing gong fu style in small teapots or gaiwans does that part much better. gong fu also allows for much more control over the outcome - however, if you are not practised this also means you can make a lot more mistakes and feel much less relaxed - both of which can result in a bad brew. bowl brewing is a nice way to take a step back - don't be too "tight" about your brewing or the tea and just see a radically different perspective on the tea.

so take your time with the tea. put some leaves in a bowl. don't rush. look at the leaves unfurling. see how the liquor changes color. smell the fragrance coming off it and ...



                                    simply 

 

 

... enjoy your tea.


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