In December 2020, I sat down with Mr. Gong Yu Yao (龔于堯) in his cozy tea shop. Mr. Gong is a renowned Taiwanese tea expert who has served as a panel judge for major tea art competitions, in addition to his years of experience working as a tea consultant for several Michelin restaurants in Russia and England. He is also the author of the book 太初有茶, which he defines as “a three decade-long conversation with tea.” I chatted with Mr. Gong about the beauty of tea and how it came to fascinate him.

CLAIRE HONG: Currently, what is the relationship between your work and tea?

目前，您的工作跟茶有什麼關係?

龔于堯: I teach classes in tea art. I host private training lessons right here in my shop and teach classes at National Taiwan Normal University, where they have a tea art class at their promotion center. Of course, I also sell tea sets and tea leaves. That is pretty much what my business is about.

我教茶課。一個在這邊教私塾，另一個我在師大教。師大的推廣中心有一個茶道班，我就在那邊教。我當然也有在賣茶具和茶葉。我的business差不多就是這樣。

CH: What made you decide to dedicate your life to tea? Did you know from a young age that you would pursue a career related to tea?

是什麼讓您決定將自己的一生奉獻給茶？您從小就知道您未來會做與茶有關的工作嗎？

龔于堯: I have been drinking tea in my household since I was young. But my university major was actually library science and I was a reporter for a magazine for my first official job, during which I met all sorts of people, several of whom were intriguing tea aficionados. They taught me how to memorize the fragrances and tastes of teas, as well as how to distinguish between their geographic origins and harvest seasons; teas produced in the spring carry hints of spring, whereas teas produced in the winter carry hints of winter.

Most people rely on their sight to feel and observe the world around them, but to truly understand tea, one must utilize their senses of taste, smell, and touch. This is a skill that requires practice. I personally have a knack for tasting foods and drinks, so I can determine whether a batch of leaves will produce a fragrant tea by touching it alone. For example, Lugu township and Minjian township in Nanto County are only 20 kilometers apart from each other, and the mountains are in different altitudes. But the same breed of tea leaves from these two townships differ in flavor, which I can distinguish.

我從小在家裡都有在喝茶，但是我在大學讀的是圖書館學, 我的第一個工作是雜誌記者。那，在這種工作我當然會碰到各種各樣的人嘛，其中幾個會喝茶的還蠻有趣的。他們教我怎麼記住茶的香氣跟滋味跟分辨它的產區和季節；春天有春天的氣味，冬天有冬天的氣味。

一般人多數是用視覺來感受世界，但是茶必須用味覺，嗅覺，與觸覺去了解。這個技巧是得練習出來的。而我也對吃，喝這一方面有才華。一個茶香不香，我用摸的就知道。南投縣鹿谷鄉和南投縣名間鄉 只有相差大約二十公里，山的高度有些不一樣，但是種同樣品種的茶，風味卻會不同。這我是可以分辨的。

CH: Is your ability to memorize scents and distinguish between different teas an innate talent or does it require training?

您的對茶的記憶力和區分能力是天生就有地，還是需要培訓？

龔于堯: In most cases, innate talent predetermines your general ability. Though undergoing long periods of training, with the addition of life experiences and frequent contact, one could eventually cultivate the ability. To you, fragrances are limited to your sense of smell. But to tea experts such as myself, we also use our hands as tools to determine the flavors and fragrances of tea. The five senses are seemingly separate, but tea experts combine them to feel the true dimensions of tea.

一般來講，先天就已經會決定很多，但是經過長期的訓練，生活經驗，與平凡接觸也可以培養這個能力。對妳來說，香味是用嗅覺來判斷。但對我們這種茶人，用手就碰得出一個茶泡起來香不香。五官感覺是分開的，但茶人會結合五官好讓茶有立體感。

CH: A quick Google search will tell you that 茶道 (tea ceremony) is an extremely intricate cultural practice, but could you describe in your own words what it is?

谷歌說茶道是一種極為複雜的文化習俗，但是您可以用自己的話形容茶道是什麼嗎？

龔于堯: Foreigners’ ideas regarding tea ceremony tends to relate to the tea ceremony practices that originated from Japan. But Taiwan also has its own form of tea ceremony that is closer to the idea of “tea arts”.

The difference between Japanese and Taiwanese tea ceremonies lie in their practicality. Japanese tea ceremony emphasizes the preservation of traditions and rituals over practicality. For example, to judge a cup of tea, the taster must kneel on the ground for 58 minutes and 49 seconds, according to the tradition. There is a certain rhythm to it, almost like a performance.

On the other hand, Taiwanese tea ceremony is so much more casual and designed to be integrated into daily life, tasters are allowed to socialize and enjoy foods in the process, which is definitely not permitted in Japanese tea ceremony. To the Japanese, tea ceremony is an extremely sober process and tradition. The two different styles of tea ceremony are reflective of the cultural identities of the countries.

外國人對茶道的概念通常是在想日本式茶道，但是台灣式茶道其實比較接近【tea arts】。這兩個的不一樣是在於實用性。日本式茶道的儀式性高於實用性；光是喝一口茶就得跪58分49秒，有一定的節奏，變成像一個表演一樣。而台灣的茶道是來自於生活，過程中，容許大家嘻嘻哈哈和吃東西。這在日本是不被容許的，因為茶道對他們而言是非常嚴肅的習俗。總之，兩國的茶道有反應出不同的民族性。

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tea that Mr. Gong served me that day was a fragrant, winter-type Oolong. He claimed that it was a hidden gem due to the fact that it was a type that would taste great, no matter the skill of the maker. My mother and I liked it so much that we left the shop with a bag of it in our hands; we relished it for the rest of the season.