Chaozhou people cannot go a day without tea; gongfu tea is their way of hospitality.
Chaozhou gongfu tea is drunk with craft, and with human feeling.
In Chaozhou, a home may lack a television but never a tea set. Phoenix oolong goes into a small pot; boiling water rushes in, the first steep is poured away, only the second enters the cup. The cups are the size of wine glasses — one mouthful per cup, three cups a round.
The craft is in the details: warming the pot, rinsing the cups, pouring high, serving low. When the host pours, guests tap their fingers in thanks; the host serves guests first. Chaozhou people have steeped etiquette into the tea.
Chaozhou people negotiate deals at the tea table, visit relatives over tea, and sit down over tea even after quarrels. One pot goes from strong to weak, conversation from business to family. Between three cups, feeling grows and friendship deepens.
