Chaozhou tea making methods 潮州泡法

1．特色：
1. Characteristics:
针对较粗制的茶，使价格不高的一般茶叶能泡出不凡的风味。讲究一气呵成，在泡茶过程中不允许说话，尽量避免干扰，使精、气、神三者达到统一的境界。对于茶具的选用，动作，时间以及茶汤的变化都有极高的要求。
With the use of unrefined tea products, this method brings outstanding taste out of ordinary tea leaves and at a low price. It is important that the tea making process be uninterrupted. One should not talk during the tea making process and he should be free from interferences, so as to unify essence, energy and spirit. The requirements for selecion and use of tea sets, actions performed timing are stringent as are the changes within the tea great
2．冲泡步骤：
2. Procedures for making tea:
备茶具：泡茶者端坐，静气凝神，右边大腿上放包壶用巾，左边大腿上放擦杯白巾，桌面上放两面方巾，方巾间放中深的茶匙。
Prepare the tea sets: one should sit up straight and be peaceful in mind. The cloth for covering the teapot should be placed on the right thigh and the white cloth for cleaning cups be placed on the left thigh. Two handkerchiefs should be placed on the table, with a medium depth teaspoon being placed in the middle of the handkerchiefs.
温壶、温盅：滚沸的热水倒入壶内，再倒入茶盅。
Warm the teapot and the tea cups: pour boiling water into the teapot and then in the tea cups.
干壶：持壶在包壶用巾布上拍打，水滴尽后轻轻甩壶，向摇扇一样，手腕要柔，直至壶中水份完全干为止。
Dry the teapot: hold the teapot and pat it on the cloth used for covering the teapot. After the water drops have been removed, shake the teapot gently with a fan waving motion. The wrist should be loose. Shake the teapot until the water has dried of completely.
置茶：以手抓茶，视其干燥程度以定烘茶长短。
Add the tea: place the tea leaves into the teapot by hand. The duration of baking required is dependent upon the degree of the tea’s dryness.
烘茶：置茶入壶后，若茶叶在抓茶时，感觉未受潮，不烘也可以，若有受潮，则可多烘几次。烘茶并非就火炉烤，而是以水温烘烤，如此能使粗制的陈茶，霉味消失，有新鲜感，香味上扬，滋味迅速溢出。
Bake the tea: if you feel that the tea leaves are not damp to the hand after being placed in the teapot it is not necessary to bake them. If the tea leaves are damp, you can bake them several times. The tea baking process is not one which involves fire, but a baking process involving water heat. In this way, the musty taste of crude aged tea will be removed and the tea will be fresh with improved flavor and it will be overflowing with fragrance.
洗杯：烘茶时，将茶盅内的水倒入杯中。
Clean the tea cups: when baking the tea, pour the water from the tea pitcher into the cups.
冲水：烘茶后，把壶从池中提起，用壶布包住，摇动，使壶内外温度配合均匀，然后将壶放入茶池中，在将适温的水倒入壶中。
Water filling: after the tea is baked, take the teapot out of the cistern and pack it into the cloth. Shake the teapot so as to balance the temperature inside and outside of the teapot. Then put the teapot in the cistern, pouring a suitable amount of water into the teapot.
摇壶：冲水满后，迅速提起，至于桌面巾上，按住气孔，快速左右摇晃，其用意在使茶叶浸出物浸出量均匀。若第一泡摇四下，则第二泡，第三泡则顺序减一。
Shake the teapot: after the teapot is filled with water, lift it up quickly and place it on the handkerchief on table. Press the air hole and shake the teapot rapidly from left to right so that the tea extracts are diffused thoroughly. One should shake the first made tea four times; each proceeding phase should involve one less shake.
倒茶：按住壶孔摇晃后，随即倒入茶海。第一泡茶汤倒完后，就用布包裹，用力抖动，使壶内上下湿度均匀。抖壶的次数与摇次数相反。第一泡摇多抖少，往后则摇少抖多。
Pour the tea: after pressing the hole and shaking the teapot, pour the tea into Chahai (teapot). After pouring the first tea making water, pack the teapot with cloth and vibrate it at full tilt so that the internal humidity of the teapot will be even. The vibrating of the teapot differs to the frequency of teapot shaking. The first made tea requires more instances of shaking than vibrating. Subsequent makings necessitate more vibrating than shaking.
分杯：潮州式以三泡为止，其要求是，三泡的茶汤须一致，所以在泡茶过程中不可分神，三泡完成后，才可如释重负与客人分杯品茗。
Share the tea: Chaozhou tea making methods require that tea be brewed only three times. Each of the three makings are identical, so one should devote one’s mind to the making of the tea. only after the tea making process is completed three times may one feel a sense of accomplishment and share the tea with guests.
注：以上只是潮州的杂派泡法。
Notes: the aforesaid is only one eclectic means for making Chaozhou tea.