There is one further consideration to be made when drinking a fine cup of tea and that is the tea pot and cup and saucer which you drink from. Throughout all parts of Asia, several distinct styles developed. I would like to introduce you to a few traditional tea pot styles and talk about the porcelain the Chinese are famous for.
Below is a picture of our tea samples in class along with a gaiwan, which is a small, lidded cup and saucer used to brew loose leaf tea as a taste testing sampler. Once brewed, there is a little cup stored inside which is taken out and used to drink the tea which has been poured off. The tea leaves stay behind in the gaiwan. This is still used in China today.
Yixing Teapot
Made from Zi Sha clay, found in the hilly southern area of the Yixian region. The Yixing teapot is unique in that the inside is never glazed. Each time the teapot is used, it absorbs some of the oil from the tea leaves. These tea pots are meant for only one type of tea for each teapot. The idea is that the more you use it, the less tea you will need. The more expensive ones are signed by the artist and are usually red or brown in colour. Perfect for Oolong teas.
Very popular today is the cast iron tea pots which are perfect for keeping your tea hot, but be careful using with a delicate tea as the water can be too hot which is not good for some tea leaves. If using with a delicate tea, pour water from the kettle that has been cooled slightly. As a general rule, tea does not need to be brewed longer than three minutes.
Remember, when pouring a cup of tea for a guest, it is bad Feng Shui to point the spout towards your visitor. The spout sends out hostile energy and can create misunderstandings and quarrels in relationships. Also, never serve tea or coffee in chipped cups or serve drinks in chipped glasses. The Chinese believe that chips and cracks cause bad luck in business.
Before airline jets, clipper cargo ships were used to export tea and porcelain to the Dutch, Spain, Singapore, South East Asia and other Europeon markets. Tea was originally sold to Europeans in clay vessels sealed with wax which were porous and contributed to loss in transport. Merchants changed packaging to wooden chests and finally to porcelain storage jars which increased tea sales as Europeans bought tea solely for the containers. The vases were made to emulate a female figure. Even back then, packaging was everything. The blue and white (mei piing) porcelain tea jars and five colour (wu cal) porcelain tea jars were sought after.
The Chinese blue and white porcelain is one of the all time famous creations which is blue colbalt under clear and glossy glaze. Occasionally they were octagonal shaped and some had gold gilt on the rims. These collections come in many designs and might include pagodas, river landscapes, houses, garden settings, European scenes, ducks, full moons, berries, gords, vines, various tendrils, deers, leaves, birds and lotus flowers. Most popular to the European trade was the famous "willow pattern".
Marine diver's search for shipwrecks looking to find time capsules on the ocean floor. For the modern day collector, there is some opportunity to purchase pottery made during the Chinese Dynasties from these newly discovered treasures. To view some ancient porcelain, check out the website below.
Until next time we sip....
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