Us Two Tea: For the Modern Tea Lover

The Gong Fu tea ceremony translates to the “art of making tea”. Believed to have its origin in the 18th century, the Chinese tea ceremony is a mindful practice used to maximize the flavor of the tea and celebrate the communal aspect of drinking tea. This experience is at the core of Us Two Tea’s values - cherishing intimate moments with loved ones or me, myself, and I. 

Us Two Tea has simplified the Gong Fu tea ceremony for the modern tea lover without compromising the core values of the traditional practice. Us Two Tea's convenient tea sachets are filled with whole (not chopped) looseleaf tea and each tea sachet can be reused up to three times, all while retaining quality and strength in each steep. 

The Gong Fu tea ceremony

• Hot water is poured over the tea leaves in the teapot. Black or oolong tea is most commonly used, but green tea can also be used

• The lid of the pot is quickly closed and water is poured around the pot in order to heat the tea and the pot from the outside

• The tea is steeped for ten seconds and poured into a pitcher with a strainer over it, until there is no more water left in the pot

• The tea cups are warmed by pouring tea into the tea cups for just a few seconds and then pouring them out onto the tray

• Hot water is then poured again into the pot, and the process is repeated. This time, however, the tea in the cups is drunk

• The process above is repeated again. With each successive steeping, the tea becomes stronger, releasing its full breadth of flavor

In addition to the tea, the teapot and cups are valued components of the ceremony. They are often Yixing ware, which is a type of small unglazed ceramic. Ceramic teaware are more porous than porcelain ones, meaning that when the tea is steeped, the teaware absorbs the essence of the tea and releases it into the next round of tea that is steeped. Over time, this creates a strong and complex depth of flavor because each pot of tea possesses the essence of the previous steep. The uniqueness of such pots elevates the nature of the ceremony because the skill of the ceramist compliments the skill of the brewer and the essence of the tea. 

While drinking Us Two Tea, take the time to appreciate not only the tea, but yourself and the present moment. The traditional tea ceremony is a meditative process, allowing for a restorative and relaxing moment in the day to appreciate the world around you. At Us Two Tea, we have simplified the complex ceremony so that you too can take time in your day to savor the moment.