工夫红茶工夫紅茶
Term · History
Congou
Literal meaning
painstaking-work + red tea
Definition#
Chinese strip-style black tea made with long, careful rolling and sorting, named after 工夫 'labour, skill'; regional examples are Qimen, Tanyang, Zhenghe and Bailin gongfu. English 'congou' derives from 工夫, possibly via Hokkien kang-hu, and in 19th-century trade also denoted a grade of large, mature leaf.
Translation and usage#
| Language | Use | Alternatives & cautions |
|---|---|---|
| English | Congou Chinese strip-style black tea established name |
Also acceptable
Avoid kung fu tea confuses it with the brewing method and the martial art |
| Deutsch | Congou chinesischer Schwarztee in Streifenform established name |
Also acceptable
|
| Русский | гунфу хунча китайский красный чай «тщательной работы» pinyin with a gloss |
Also acceptable
|
| 简体字 | 工夫红茶 | |
| 繁體字 | 工夫紅茶 | |
| 日本語 | 工夫紅茶 |
Common confusions#
- Same 工夫 as gongfu brewing (工夫茶); congou is a tea style, not a method.
- In 19th-century Western price lists Congou also meant a coarse grade, opposite to its Chinese sense of fine work.