Yesterday, I tried out this whole “kung fu tea set” thing. I’d seen it around, you know, online and in some fancy tea shops, and I always thought it looked kind of cool, but also, like, a lot of work. Well, let me tell you, it’s a bit of both, but way more fun than I expected.

So, first thing, I had to get the gear. I ordered this little set online, nothing too pricey, just the basics. It came with a tiny teapot, some small cups, and a few other bits and bobs. Kinda cute, really. Then, I picked up some loose leaf tea. I went for an oolong, ’cause I heard that’s a good one to use with this method.

• Heating the Water: This is where things started to get interesting. I boiled some water. I heard using distilled water is the way to go for better tea. I don’t have distilled water, so I just used the regular one.
• Warming Up the Set: I poured some of the hot water into the teapot and the cups, just to warm them up. Then I dumped that water out. This is supposed to help keep the tea at the right temperature later.
• Adding the Tea Leaves: I scooped a good amount of tea leaves into the teapot. They say to use more leaves than usual with this method, so I did.
• First Rinse: I poured a bit of hot water over the leaves, just enough to cover them, swirled it around a bit, and then poured that water out too. This is to “wake up” the leaves, or something like that.
• Brewing the Tea: Now for the real deal. I poured hot water into the teapot again, filling it up. But here’s the trick: you only let it steep for, like, 10-15 seconds. I used my phone to time it.
• Pouring the Tea: I poured the tea from the teapot into the little cups. They’re tiny, so you only get a few sips each time.

And that’s it! Well, not really. You’re supposed to repeat the brewing and pouring part many times, like, over 10 times, with the same leaves. Each time, you increase the brewing time a little bit. The idea is that the flavor of the tea changes with each steeping. And you know what? It actually does! The first few cups were light and subtle, and then it got stronger and more intense. I did about 6 rounds before I called it quits.

Honestly, the whole process was pretty chill. It’s like a little ritual, you know? And the tea was good, really good. I felt like I was getting the most out of those leaves. I’m definitely going to do this again. Maybe next time I’ll try a different kind of tea, or invite some friends over for a little tea ceremony of our own. It’s a fun way to slow down and enjoy something simple. Plus, it makes you feel a bit fancy, even if you’re just in your pajamas.