Grandpa Style & Brewing Tea

Grandpa Style tea brewing is where you brew tea in a cup or glass or bowl, and adding hot water as needed. It's probably one of the oldest & simplest ways to make tea.

The Chinese people have been experimenting with different ways to make tea. (Check out this article on bowl tea.) Many regions & provinces make tea in different ways.  In 2019, there were ~1.4 billion people in China. There's no way that everyone makes tea in the same exact way.

Many people in the West are just familiar with making tea in the "gong fu cha" style, but there is no single or "right" way to make tea.

Making or steeping tea in Chinese is simple called,  pào chá 泡>茶

The only "right" way to make tea is to make tea that taste good, regardless of how you do it.

But, lets talk about "grandpa style" brewing. Technically, there is no Chinese "equivalent" name to "grandpa style" brewing.  I think it comes from the following types of brewing tea...

• Brew tea in a glass -- Glass Cup of Tea 玻璃杯茶
• Brew tea in a bowl -- Big Bowl Tea (Da Wan Pao Cha) . I like brewing bowl tea in my Japanese chawan, which is not just for matcha!
• Brew tea in a pot -- Big Pot of Tea (Dà hú chá 大壺茶)
  

Some tea houses are filled with older men, so perhaps, this is where the name comes from? (I'm speculating). My grandfather made tea in by putting leaves in a tall glass, then adding water.

Figure: About a Tablespoon of Winter Da Hong Pao tea in about 350ml

For "grandpa style" brewing, you simply add some amount of tea leaves into a vessel of your choice (e.g. glass, mug, pot, bowl), then add water. 

• If it's too bitter, add more water.
• If it's not strong enough, add more tea leaves. 
• If it's too hot, add cold water or ice.
• If it's too cold, add hot water.
• Adjust to taste.

I know most people want "exact" measurements (i.e. how many grams of tea vs. how much water), but really this is personal preference and really depends on the tea. I would suggest starting off with 2-3 grams of tea per cup of water (~236ml), then adjusting from there. Making good tea is a matter of art, just as much as it is a science.

Does it matter what type of tea? Not really, because you'll adjust the amount of water as needed. However, there are teas that do better with this type of "long style" brewing. Try to use a tea that doesn't become too bitter with hot water or when steeped for too long. For example, I probably wouldn't use a Japanese green (such as sencha, tencha, or gyokuro) for grandpa style brewing.

Another way that I like to use this style of brewing? If a tea session is very long or you need to cut it short, I would just grandpa brew the rest of the leaves and continue to addd water. This style also works very well if you have to "run & go". I just throw leaves into a travel mug, add hot water, then sip throughout the day and adding hot water as needed.

Any way you cut it, as long as you're making tea that you like and tastes good, then really, that's all that matters. Bonus points if it's easy to do and fits in your lifestyle.