Kung fu tea
The New York Times had a great article a couple of days ago on preparing oolong teas kung fu style.
Inside a Brooklyn walk-up Mr. Beckwith sits with Ken Lo, a 53-year-old New York native and self-described “tea artist� who has studied with a Taiwanese-born tea master for the last dozen years.
Mr. Lo skillfully brews a progression of premium oolongs kung fu style: Buddha Hand, Phoenix, Eastern Beauty, High Mountain. For each varietal he intuitively finesses the ideal water temperature, the amount of leaf, the steeping time, even the pouring speed. How does he know, exactly?
“Traditional Chinese music has no metronome,� Mr. Lo said by way of answer. “You can’t experience the nature of tea by precision and science.�
