I have not been updating my blog for some time now as I am kind of working on my job relocation. Hence it has become a bit difficult to really enjoy my tea especially since my teaware have now been kept in storage.
However in a couple of months, I will be up and running again with pictures and reviews of my teaware and teas that I have bought in Macau.
If you are visiting my blog and reading this post, do leave me a comment about what you would like to read about and I will try to add that in my blog so that I can share with others what they think is relevant.
Once again, thank you for visiting this small blog of mine.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
A New Addition
Am I addicted to Tea of Teaware? I think more so the latter....
During my visit to Hong Kong, I made a deliberate effort to visit "Best Teahouse" given all the buzz about this wonderful teahouse. Before that, I popped into about half a dozen other teahouses which left me unimpressed.
Stepping into Best Teahouse, main branch, at Lai Chi Fok, was a pleasant change. I was surrounded by beautiful teaware and tea varieties.
I had no intention of buying anything as I had recently purchased 2 teapots and other Pu-er bings. But "unfortunately" my eyes were drawn to 2 teapots in the display case labelled "1970 - 1980 teapots".
Checked my wallet..........enough cash for either 1. Ater playing around with them and examining them for half an hour, my wife made the final decision and we chose the apple shaped Zhuni teapot.
So with great delight, I added a new teapot to my collection.
Enjoy the pictures below.
During my visit to Hong Kong, I made a deliberate effort to visit "Best Teahouse" given all the buzz about this wonderful teahouse. Before that, I popped into about half a dozen other teahouses which left me unimpressed.
Stepping into Best Teahouse, main branch, at Lai Chi Fok, was a pleasant change. I was surrounded by beautiful teaware and tea varieties.
I had no intention of buying anything as I had recently purchased 2 teapots and other Pu-er bings. But "unfortunately" my eyes were drawn to 2 teapots in the display case labelled "1970 - 1980 teapots".
Checked my wallet..........enough cash for either 1. Ater playing around with them and examining them for half an hour, my wife made the final decision and we chose the apple shaped Zhuni teapot.
So with great delight, I added a new teapot to my collection.
Enjoy the pictures below.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Combo Picture
My wife is not with me this week, so I have some down time in my personal life.
Took this combo picture. Not exactly the most perfect of pictures. Still need to master flash and settings to get better pictures.
Oh, I have been drinking the 2008 Pu-Erh tea for the last few days. I also got a new Yixing Jar to store the pu-erh. A post on that will be coming soon.
Took this combo picture. Not exactly the most perfect of pictures. Still need to master flash and settings to get better pictures.
Oh, I have been drinking the 2008 Pu-Erh tea for the last few days. I also got a new Yixing Jar to store the pu-erh. A post on that will be coming soon.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Blind Leading the Blind
In the realm of Yixing teapots and clay, it is very much the blind leading the blind especially amongst the english educated and europeans who cant read chinese. Their knowledge is based on second hand information and translated by Babel fish.
So the more one researches on Yixing Teapots and Zisha clay using english, the more confused one gets. This is afterall largely a chinese culture and artform whereby one can only scratch the surface of this ancient topic using the english language.
While I may have studied mandarin for 10 years in Singapore, I never really paid much attention in class. I regret not mastering the chinese language better. There are so many great chinese forums relating specifically to Yixing teapot collections on the net, unfortunately I have a hard time desciphering what is contained within.
But who knows........... the lack of knowledge and confusion amongst even "experts" could be what makes Yixing teapots "Mysterious" and "exciting". As fellow teapot lovers continue in our quest for the Holygrail of teapots, be mindful of the many pitfalls and unscrupulous vendors that abound in this industry.
So the more one researches on Yixing Teapots and Zisha clay using english, the more confused one gets. This is afterall largely a chinese culture and artform whereby one can only scratch the surface of this ancient topic using the english language.
While I may have studied mandarin for 10 years in Singapore, I never really paid much attention in class. I regret not mastering the chinese language better. There are so many great chinese forums relating specifically to Yixing teapot collections on the net, unfortunately I have a hard time desciphering what is contained within.
But who knows........... the lack of knowledge and confusion amongst even "experts" could be what makes Yixing teapots "Mysterious" and "exciting". As fellow teapot lovers continue in our quest for the Holygrail of teapots, be mindful of the many pitfalls and unscrupulous vendors that abound in this industry.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Teapot Philosphy
What got me started on this topic is a question I posed myself........"How many teapots am I gonna buy?"
And truthfully, I cannot answer that question without first dissecting the purpose of buying teapots.
I believe there are 2 main reasons why one buys teapots. 1) For brewing teas and 2) simply for the sake of building a collection of teapots. If I choose 1, then that ends my teapot buying and search as I already own 3 teapots. If I choose 2, I end up buying more teapots than I can use in my life time.
After giving it some thought, I decided that it is best I combine both reasons together when buying teapots. And by so doing, not only will I buy less, but I will only buy good quality teapots pieces that end up fufilling its purpose.
Hopefully by combining the 2 reasons for my future teapot purchase, I will be able to enhance a teapot's personal and sentimental value and thus making each teapot more special, enjoyable and memorable....... Of course it also greatly helps in justifying paying a higher price for a teapot to the Mrs.
And truthfully, I cannot answer that question without first dissecting the purpose of buying teapots.
I believe there are 2 main reasons why one buys teapots. 1) For brewing teas and 2) simply for the sake of building a collection of teapots. If I choose 1, then that ends my teapot buying and search as I already own 3 teapots. If I choose 2, I end up buying more teapots than I can use in my life time.
After giving it some thought, I decided that it is best I combine both reasons together when buying teapots. And by so doing, not only will I buy less, but I will only buy good quality teapots pieces that end up fufilling its purpose.
Hopefully by combining the 2 reasons for my future teapot purchase, I will be able to enhance a teapot's personal and sentimental value and thus making each teapot more special, enjoyable and memorable....... Of course it also greatly helps in justifying paying a higher price for a teapot to the Mrs.
Xishi Revealed
I am most excited about this purchase, thus it is with much happiness and pride that I officially present Ms Xishi to my blog readers (if I have any, Ha Ha!!)
I was torn between this teapot and the other Zisha Teapot made by Shen Chai Er. For practical reasons, the Zisha teapot was the obvious choice. However the clay and shape of this Xishi pot cried out to the collector in me. Due to a strong external influence, a.k.a wife,I had to make a choice between the 2.
In the end, a compromise was struck, and I was allowed to reserve Ms Xishi for 1 month.
Xishi actually refers to this specific shape of teapot which represents the Breast of Xishi, one of the 4 great beauties of China. However, I do not which breasts or if the size is correct. Nevertheless, it is a really cute teapot.
History of the teapot design: The enamel flower decorations on the teapot are from an Era when Yixing teapots were gaining popularity with Europeans around the 18th Century. However they found the Yixing clay rather boring as compared to their glazed and decorated teapots. I find the flower design on the teapot very apt for a Xishi teapot which makes it even more feminine.
Clay Material: This is the area that will probably stir up a hornets nest as many are sceptical when a teapot is supposedly made of "ZHUNI" as this clay is rare and considered to be extinct some 30 years ago. It is almost like the "Holy Grail" of clays for Yixing teapot collectors. Because of the high shrinkage of Zhuni, many teapots crack while firing and so there is a high failure rate. So couple the fact that the clay is rare and high failure rate, many teapot artist are reluctant to make teapots out of Zhuni now even if they have Zhuni clay in their storage.
Density: Zhuni is very dense. Much more than Duanni or Zisha. Compared to my Duanni teapot of similar size, my Xishi teapot is about 15% heavier.
Color: Zhuni is red in color. Some have described it as "Pig-Liver" color and I can for certain say that it looks like fresh pig liver. The color does change somewhat under lighting conditions because at times it almost becomes reddish brown especially after a tea session. This is indeed a very intriguing aspect of Zhuni Clay.
Function: Given the short spout, the flow is not as nice as my Duanni or Zisha teapot, but it is decently smooth. The lid fit is also good and water flow can be stopped by covering the breathing hole on the lid. So overall build quality is top notch for a Zhuni Clay teapot.
Personal Feelings: I feel fortunate to be able to add this Xishi teapot to my collection. Had I hesitated and let it slip past my fingers, I will surely regret it. Once again, many thanks to Cozy for holding it for me and keeping it away from many keen buyers.
I was torn between this teapot and the other Zisha Teapot made by Shen Chai Er. For practical reasons, the Zisha teapot was the obvious choice. However the clay and shape of this Xishi pot cried out to the collector in me. Due to a strong external influence, a.k.a wife,I had to make a choice between the 2.
In the end, a compromise was struck, and I was allowed to reserve Ms Xishi for 1 month.
Xishi actually refers to this specific shape of teapot which represents the Breast of Xishi, one of the 4 great beauties of China. However, I do not which breasts or if the size is correct. Nevertheless, it is a really cute teapot.
History of the teapot design: The enamel flower decorations on the teapot are from an Era when Yixing teapots were gaining popularity with Europeans around the 18th Century. However they found the Yixing clay rather boring as compared to their glazed and decorated teapots. I find the flower design on the teapot very apt for a Xishi teapot which makes it even more feminine.
Clay Material: This is the area that will probably stir up a hornets nest as many are sceptical when a teapot is supposedly made of "ZHUNI" as this clay is rare and considered to be extinct some 30 years ago. It is almost like the "Holy Grail" of clays for Yixing teapot collectors. Because of the high shrinkage of Zhuni, many teapots crack while firing and so there is a high failure rate. So couple the fact that the clay is rare and high failure rate, many teapot artist are reluctant to make teapots out of Zhuni now even if they have Zhuni clay in their storage.
Density: Zhuni is very dense. Much more than Duanni or Zisha. Compared to my Duanni teapot of similar size, my Xishi teapot is about 15% heavier.
Color: Zhuni is red in color. Some have described it as "Pig-Liver" color and I can for certain say that it looks like fresh pig liver. The color does change somewhat under lighting conditions because at times it almost becomes reddish brown especially after a tea session. This is indeed a very intriguing aspect of Zhuni Clay.
Function: Given the short spout, the flow is not as nice as my Duanni or Zisha teapot, but it is decently smooth. The lid fit is also good and water flow can be stopped by covering the breathing hole on the lid. So overall build quality is top notch for a Zhuni Clay teapot.
Personal Feelings: I feel fortunate to be able to add this Xishi teapot to my collection. Had I hesitated and let it slip past my fingers, I will surely regret it. Once again, many thanks to Cozy for holding it for me and keeping it away from many keen buyers.
Cozy Teahouse 2009 - (F) Pu-Erh
In addition to the 2008 fermented Pu-er cake, I also purchased this 2009 Pu-Er cake made from 2005 leaves.
The leaves are younger than that of the 2008 cake so it has a less "earthy" taste. As it is a wet-stored cake, there is still a "shui" taste to it, thus it needs to be stored for another year before it is good for drinking.
This cake costs MOP200 because the tea leaves are of better quality than the 2008 cake.
I will let it sit for another year and then update when I start tasting it.
The leaves are younger than that of the 2008 cake so it has a less "earthy" taste. As it is a wet-stored cake, there is still a "shui" taste to it, thus it needs to be stored for another year before it is good for drinking.
This cake costs MOP200 because the tea leaves are of better quality than the 2008 cake.
I will let it sit for another year and then update when I start tasting it.
Cozy Teahouse - Tea Expo 2008 Pu-Erh
After finding so much hair in my Dad's Pu-Erh Cake, I decided I needed a more hygenic Pu-Er for my consumption.
Cozy Teahouse recommended me their "in-House" cake which was made for the 2008 tea expo. It was not very expensive, costs MOP100 per cake and is ready for consumption having been stored for a year.
The tea has a dried longan taste and relatively smooth to the mouth and throat. However I did notice that there were quite a number of twigs in the cake then I would like it to have.
All in all, it is a good tea to drink for the price. And most important, it is not filled with hair.
Cozy Teahouse recommended me their "in-House" cake which was made for the 2008 tea expo. It was not very expensive, costs MOP100 per cake and is ready for consumption having been stored for a year.
The tea has a dried longan taste and relatively smooth to the mouth and throat. However I did notice that there were quite a number of twigs in the cake then I would like it to have.
All in all, it is a good tea to drink for the price. And most important, it is not filled with hair.
Xishi is HOME!
Depute of Little Ms Xishi. I decided to post a teaser of this little teapot by just showing the teapot lids.
She is the red lid on the top.
As you can see, her shine is already the strongest of the lot. That is because she is made of the rare ZHUNI Clay.
This could be the Holy Grail of Chinese teapots for me.
Many on the net have been trying to determine what Zhuni is like, the color, texture and shrink lines etc. I am fortunate enough to actually own a Zhuni Teapot without having to break the bank.
Ms Little Xishi has a "pig-liver" color. Hopefully through the picture of the 3 lids, you can see the color properly.
More of Xishi to come!
She is the red lid on the top.
As you can see, her shine is already the strongest of the lot. That is because she is made of the rare ZHUNI Clay.
This could be the Holy Grail of Chinese teapots for me.
Many on the net have been trying to determine what Zhuni is like, the color, texture and shrink lines etc. I am fortunate enough to actually own a Zhuni Teapot without having to break the bank.
Ms Little Xishi has a "pig-liver" color. Hopefully through the picture of the 3 lids, you can see the color properly.
More of Xishi to come!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
More teapot posing.
More pics with my teapot and tea. Taking such pictures are not as easy as I thought.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
A Night with White Pheony
4 kinds of tea in 1 day! That is a lot of different infusions for the palate.
Decided to end the day with a light and refreshing brew of White Pheony from Cozy Teahouse. You can see a white fuzz on the tea leaves. When brewed, the white fluff kinda falls off the tea leaves.
A light yellow liquor tasting of freshly cut grass brings one to green pastures surrounded by fields of tea plantations.
No strong after taste lingers in the mouth, making it an ideal way to say goodnight.
Decided to end the day with a light and refreshing brew of White Pheony from Cozy Teahouse. You can see a white fuzz on the tea leaves. When brewed, the white fluff kinda falls off the tea leaves.
A light yellow liquor tasting of freshly cut grass brings one to green pastures surrounded by fields of tea plantations.
No strong after taste lingers in the mouth, making it an ideal way to say goodnight.
Rainy Day
It is a rainy day in Macau. No better excuse to sit at home and drink tea. Started the day with a nice dose of Taiwan High Mountain Oolong and moved on to Pu-er cha.
I was inspired by pictures on the web, so I whipped out my camera, set it to f/1.8 for a thin Depth of Field at let it rip. Arranged some used Oolong Tea Leaves and a cup of freshly brewed Pu-Er.
I like this shot below.
I was inspired by pictures on the web, so I whipped out my camera, set it to f/1.8 for a thin Depth of Field at let it rip. Arranged some used Oolong Tea Leaves and a cup of freshly brewed Pu-Er.
I like this shot below.
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Duo
Just wanted to photograph the 2 teapots together.
After my renovations, I will probably be able to expand my teapot collection.
After my renovations, I will probably be able to expand my teapot collection.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Pu-Er Teapot
My second Yixing Teapot is now in my hands. I am very happy with the purchase.
This teapot was crafted by Ms Shen Chai Er who is also the wife of Master Wang Fu Jun. Apparently she dips into her husbands stock of valuable clay to create her teapots.
This teapot is made of Zisha from Huanglong Mt and is considered of good grade clay.
Cozy Teahouse was very nice to offer "seasoning" my teapot so that I can start brewing tea immediatly without going through the tedious process of adding tofu, sugarcane and tealeaves.
Right now the clay is in it's "Virgin" state where the surface is totally matt with no shine and a bit sandy to the hand. I am dedicating this teapot to brewing Pu-Er as the walls are thick which is excellent for those long hot brews and because the colour seasons well with Pu-Er.
Enjoy the pics of this large and heavy Zisha Teapot. It feels and looks so masculine that I absolutely love it. Watch out for Mrs Zhuni in the next installment.
This teapot was crafted by Ms Shen Chai Er who is also the wife of Master Wang Fu Jun. Apparently she dips into her husbands stock of valuable clay to create her teapots.
This teapot is made of Zisha from Huanglong Mt and is considered of good grade clay.
Cozy Teahouse was very nice to offer "seasoning" my teapot so that I can start brewing tea immediatly without going through the tedious process of adding tofu, sugarcane and tealeaves.
Right now the clay is in it's "Virgin" state where the surface is totally matt with no shine and a bit sandy to the hand. I am dedicating this teapot to brewing Pu-Er as the walls are thick which is excellent for those long hot brews and because the colour seasons well with Pu-Er.
Enjoy the pics of this large and heavy Zisha Teapot. It feels and looks so masculine that I absolutely love it. Watch out for Mrs Zhuni in the next installment.
Friday, April 17, 2009
NEW TEA BOAT
So excited!! Cozy managed to get me a new tea boat in exchange for the one that I returned due to the minor cracks on the cover and it only cost about S$18 more than the earlier one.
This new tea boat has more heft and size. I love heavy and solid things, so this tea boat suits me to a T (No pun intended).
With only a single surface, cleaning and maintenance will be fast and easy. Only thing is that there will be a permanent hose attached that runs down to a catch bucket. I will figure out how to make it neater when I bring it back to Singapore.
For now, enjoy the tea boat pic below.
This new tea boat has more heft and size. I love heavy and solid things, so this tea boat suits me to a T (No pun intended).
With only a single surface, cleaning and maintenance will be fast and easy. Only thing is that there will be a permanent hose attached that runs down to a catch bucket. I will figure out how to make it neater when I bring it back to Singapore.
For now, enjoy the tea boat pic below.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
New Tea Tray
My bamboo tea tray was leaking, so it was time to look for a new tea tray. I wanted something bigger as I found the bamboo one too small for all the cups, pitcher and teapot.
Once again, I headed to Cozy Teahouse to look for a nice tea tray.
German took out 2 tea trays available, one made of Bamboo which had a light brown color (MOP 295) and another solid wood (looks like rosewood) tea tray (MOP 450). The wood quality and workmanship of the rosewood tray was much better than the cheaper bamboo tray. It was 2 times heavier than the bamboo one and had a very nice wood scent.
What I like about this new tea tray is that I can just attach a rubber hose to drain out the access water accumulated below after a few tea sessions. It has a rubber plug to stop water from flowing out of the outlet, however a few drops of water did drip out when I did not press it in hard enough. After plugging it properly, 1 drip of water will still appear after 3 hours which is fine but I rather it did not.
I was a bit sad to see 4 "crack" lines on the top cover when scrutinizing the tray. Probably check with Cozy if this is "normal". I am not sure if I am being picky cos my wife is not bothered by it.
Update: After checking with Cozy, they said that they will change a new tea tray for me. I have to admit that they are a trust worthy teahouse. 100% recommend this teahouse to tea lovers.
Once again, I headed to Cozy Teahouse to look for a nice tea tray.
German took out 2 tea trays available, one made of Bamboo which had a light brown color (MOP 295) and another solid wood (looks like rosewood) tea tray (MOP 450). The wood quality and workmanship of the rosewood tray was much better than the cheaper bamboo tray. It was 2 times heavier than the bamboo one and had a very nice wood scent.
What I like about this new tea tray is that I can just attach a rubber hose to drain out the access water accumulated below after a few tea sessions. It has a rubber plug to stop water from flowing out of the outlet, however a few drops of water did drip out when I did not press it in hard enough. After plugging it properly, 1 drip of water will still appear after 3 hours which is fine but I rather it did not.
I was a bit sad to see 4 "crack" lines on the top cover when scrutinizing the tray. Probably check with Cozy if this is "normal". I am not sure if I am being picky cos my wife is not bothered by it.
Update: After checking with Cozy, they said that they will change a new tea tray for me. I have to admit that they are a trust worthy teahouse. 100% recommend this teahouse to tea lovers.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Xiang Pian
This was a surprise gift from my parent-in-laws. It was packaged in a nice cardboard box. The tea leaves are whole and loose with a nice light fragrance. Most probably hand picked leaves. So quality should be quite ok.
Only a single short rinse to loosen and cleanse the tea leaves. The first brew is nice and flowery with a light amber liquor. I found the tea a bit sweet with a tint of bitterness at the end, the flowery fragrance is exceptionally strong which i found pleasant. This tea is easy on the palate, however to me it does not have enough body and depth.
All in all, an easy drinking tea which even the uninitiated will still enjoy.
Only a single short rinse to loosen and cleanse the tea leaves. The first brew is nice and flowery with a light amber liquor. I found the tea a bit sweet with a tint of bitterness at the end, the flowery fragrance is exceptionally strong which i found pleasant. This tea is easy on the palate, however to me it does not have enough body and depth.
All in all, an easy drinking tea which even the uninitiated will still enjoy.
Pu-Erh from Hong Yuet Tea
Out of courtesy, I purchased a can of Pe-Erh from Red Moon (Hong Yuet) Teahouse (MOP88 = S$15). The tea has to be rinsed twice and also to "loosen" the tea ball. The liquor is very dark almost opague and smells almost medicinal.
After 2 rinses, the tea is still very strong and has a strong earthy taste, I think it is also rather acidic and bitter and I can feel a strong dryness in mouth after swallowing. After about 5 brews, the tea does loosen up a bit, but it does not go down the throat smoothly.
The spent tea leaves are "minced", there are no whole tea leaves to speak of. Probably the tea leaves were machined picked.
In summary, not worth the money. I rather spend money on grocery and snacks.
After 2 rinses, the tea is still very strong and has a strong earthy taste, I think it is also rather acidic and bitter and I can feel a strong dryness in mouth after swallowing. After about 5 brews, the tea does loosen up a bit, but it does not go down the throat smoothly.
The spent tea leaves are "minced", there are no whole tea leaves to speak of. Probably the tea leaves were machined picked.
In summary, not worth the money. I rather spend money on grocery and snacks.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Teapot Modelling
Trying my hand at photographing my teapot. Harsh shadows at the bottom can't be helped as I am only using a single flash.
The background is just normal paper. Hopefully with more practice, my pictures will be nicer.
The background is just normal paper. Hopefully with more practice, my pictures will be nicer.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Visit to HongYuet Teahouse (Macau)
I made a visit to HongYue Teahouse in Taipa (Macau). The shop was nicely decorated and a wide selection of Zisha Teapots that range from MOP150 to a few thousand MOP. A few teapots caught my eye, however I was not impressed with the quality of the clay as the metallic "ping" was not high pitched enough. The few I liked did not have clear seal chops under the lid which left me unimpressed as to me, the seal represents the potter's pride. There were 2 teapots that did meet my criteria and price range, I may go back to purchase them at a later date. You can check out their website for some of the items they have on sale.
The shop assistant was helpful but was probably more eager to make a sale then recommend tea to customers. I give her credit for brewing me a pot of Pu-Erh which I enquired about, so out of goodwill, I purchased a can which cost MOP 88. You can see my review of the Pu-Erh in my posts.
I was not particularly comfortable in the shop as it was surrounded by statues of deities and such. Being Christians, my wife and me are more sensitive to such things. I guess I still prefer "Cozy Teahouse" who though smaller and less plush, they gave me a more personal, friendly and sincere service. Dealing directly with the owners is also more informative and positive.
The shop assistant was helpful but was probably more eager to make a sale then recommend tea to customers. I give her credit for brewing me a pot of Pu-Erh which I enquired about, so out of goodwill, I purchased a can which cost MOP 88. You can see my review of the Pu-Erh in my posts.
I was not particularly comfortable in the shop as it was surrounded by statues of deities and such. Being Christians, my wife and me are more sensitive to such things. I guess I still prefer "Cozy Teahouse" who though smaller and less plush, they gave me a more personal, friendly and sincere service. Dealing directly with the owners is also more informative and positive.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
A Review of my Duan-ni (Yixing) Teapot
I have been using this little teapot for 2 weeks and I simply love the eggshell color of the Duan-ni. The walls are quite thick which gives it a nice heft. The Duan-ni is quite porous in nature and the water is absorbed easily, but no so porous such that the teapot "sweats". This pot should be able to absorb teas and season pretty quickly.
Quality: The pot has been fired at a high temp and made of good quality clay as it gives off a good metallic "ping" when tapped with it's lid. The surface is matted and smooth with no blemishes which gives in a "silky" feeling when rubbed. The teapot hints that it has been shaped with a hand tool as you can see outward scraping lines. When heated with boiling water, the smell is like that of "hot stones". I am satisfied that this teapot is made with good quality Duan-ni. Phew!
Insulation: This teapot is able keeps the water hot much longer than a ceramic Gaiwan especially when it has been heated up. This characteristic is important when I am trying to extract every ounce of flavor from the tea leaves after 4 - 5 steeps.
Pouring performance: The water flows out in a nice small stream from it's spout with little or no drip. However 1 or 2 drops of tea does leak from the lid seal when emptying a full pot of tea. The teapot is still air-tight as I can stop the flow by covering the hole at the cover. I give it a 7 out of 10, deducting a point for the minor lid leak.
Brewing: I dont think this pot is suitable for my High Mountain Oolong Tea as it seems to "absorb" the subtle flavors leaving me with a flatter and slightly bitter tasting Oolong. However it does bring the best out of my High Grade Long Jing Tea as I find that the smell of the "Hot stones" compliments the flavor of the Long Jing nicely. Yixing has more even heating compared to the porcelain Gaiwan, thus teas steeped in a Yixing Teapot is more rounded and has more body especially for stronger tasting teas.
Overall: I am extremely pleased with this little teapot of mine. Aesthetically, quality, construction and Performance, it scores high. I give it an overall 8/10
Enjoy the pictures below and let me know if you found this review helpful.
Quality: The pot has been fired at a high temp and made of good quality clay as it gives off a good metallic "ping" when tapped with it's lid. The surface is matted and smooth with no blemishes which gives in a "silky" feeling when rubbed. The teapot hints that it has been shaped with a hand tool as you can see outward scraping lines. When heated with boiling water, the smell is like that of "hot stones". I am satisfied that this teapot is made with good quality Duan-ni. Phew!
Insulation: This teapot is able keeps the water hot much longer than a ceramic Gaiwan especially when it has been heated up. This characteristic is important when I am trying to extract every ounce of flavor from the tea leaves after 4 - 5 steeps.
Pouring performance: The water flows out in a nice small stream from it's spout with little or no drip. However 1 or 2 drops of tea does leak from the lid seal when emptying a full pot of tea. The teapot is still air-tight as I can stop the flow by covering the hole at the cover. I give it a 7 out of 10, deducting a point for the minor lid leak.
Brewing: I dont think this pot is suitable for my High Mountain Oolong Tea as it seems to "absorb" the subtle flavors leaving me with a flatter and slightly bitter tasting Oolong. However it does bring the best out of my High Grade Long Jing Tea as I find that the smell of the "Hot stones" compliments the flavor of the Long Jing nicely. Yixing has more even heating compared to the porcelain Gaiwan, thus teas steeped in a Yixing Teapot is more rounded and has more body especially for stronger tasting teas.
Overall: I am extremely pleased with this little teapot of mine. Aesthetically, quality, construction and Performance, it scores high. I give it an overall 8/10
Enjoy the pictures below and let me know if you found this review helpful.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
My First Zisha Teapot
So I got duped in Zhu Hai due to my lack of knowledge and experience, but I won’t go down the same path twice.
My research on “Yixing Zisha” made me even more intrigued and amazed at this mineral clay as well as with our Chinese history and traditions. My desire to get a good Yixing Teapot grew stronger the more I researched. One of the things that really attracts me to Zisha Teapots is the fact that I can actually “groom” it and make it better with each use. To me, good Zisha Teapots are functional art pieces, with lots of depth and dimensions not found in any other kind of teapots. Pick one up and you may just fall in love with it, but be warned that it could be the start of an expensive collection.
I stumbled on to the website of “Cozy Teahouse” located in Macau whilst looking for reputable Zisha Teapots retailers.
Ben and German are the friendly owners of Cozy Teahouse. They demonstrated good experience and knowledge relating to Chinese tea in particular Pu-erh tea and Zisha Teapots. On a regular basis, they visit Yixing Province to purchase teapots as well as to contact Master Teapot Artist.
During my visit, the availability of mid-range teapots was limited, about 20 pieces. They had more collection pieces available, but they were out of my price range.
I finally selected “Humpty Dumpty”, an egg colored Yixing Teapot for my Oolong Tea. I am now a happy tea man.
PS: Humpty Dumpty is the one on the right if you are color blind.
My research on “Yixing Zisha” made me even more intrigued and amazed at this mineral clay as well as with our Chinese history and traditions. My desire to get a good Yixing Teapot grew stronger the more I researched. One of the things that really attracts me to Zisha Teapots is the fact that I can actually “groom” it and make it better with each use. To me, good Zisha Teapots are functional art pieces, with lots of depth and dimensions not found in any other kind of teapots. Pick one up and you may just fall in love with it, but be warned that it could be the start of an expensive collection.
I stumbled on to the website of “Cozy Teahouse” located in Macau whilst looking for reputable Zisha Teapots retailers.
Ben and German are the friendly owners of Cozy Teahouse. They demonstrated good experience and knowledge relating to Chinese tea in particular Pu-erh tea and Zisha Teapots. On a regular basis, they visit Yixing Province to purchase teapots as well as to contact Master Teapot Artist.
During my visit, the availability of mid-range teapots was limited, about 20 pieces. They had more collection pieces available, but they were out of my price range.
I finally selected “Humpty Dumpty”, an egg colored Yixing Teapot for my Oolong Tea. I am now a happy tea man.
PS: Humpty Dumpty is the one on the right if you are color blind.
I Got Scammed
I want a Yixing pot. I see them selling in many teashops in Hong Kong, China and Singapore. So how hard can it be to find one?
Apparently, harder than I thought. Armed with nothing more than desire, I got scammed at Zhu Hai. I came across a Chinese tea shop that sold tea and they had some traditional chinese teapots on display. So I happily picked out a dark brown one for RMB100 (S$20). Yippee!!
That "Yippee!" was short lived.
I begin searching the internet for information on “Fake Yixing Zisha” teapots which confirmed that I had indeed purchased one made of some kind of inferior clay. The teapot gave off a weird (terrible) smell even after boiling and brewing tea in it. Upon closer inspection, it had concentric circles on the inside and only 1 seal chop at the base of the teapot.
Smell and concentric circles, sounds like no big deal, but this are 2 certain signs that it is not Yixing Zisha. I will do a post on "How to chose a Zisha Teapot".
Based on appearance alone, I still like this teapot though I will never brew any tea in it again (see "Buyer Beware!!"). It has a chubby round shape and a pleasing dark purple color. It even has some sought of "patina" look to it. This teapot will be my educational tool for beginner teapot collectors like myself.
Apparently, harder than I thought. Armed with nothing more than desire, I got scammed at Zhu Hai. I came across a Chinese tea shop that sold tea and they had some traditional chinese teapots on display. So I happily picked out a dark brown one for RMB100 (S$20). Yippee!!
That "Yippee!" was short lived.
I begin searching the internet for information on “Fake Yixing Zisha” teapots which confirmed that I had indeed purchased one made of some kind of inferior clay. The teapot gave off a weird (terrible) smell even after boiling and brewing tea in it. Upon closer inspection, it had concentric circles on the inside and only 1 seal chop at the base of the teapot.
Smell and concentric circles, sounds like no big deal, but this are 2 certain signs that it is not Yixing Zisha. I will do a post on "How to chose a Zisha Teapot".
Based on appearance alone, I still like this teapot though I will never brew any tea in it again (see "Buyer Beware!!"). It has a chubby round shape and a pleasing dark purple color. It even has some sought of "patina" look to it. This teapot will be my educational tool for beginner teapot collectors like myself.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Buyer Beware!!
There is a whole industry of tea producers and teaware manufacturers in asia that are targeting tea drinkers and enthusiast. While this means that there are a whole range of products for consumers, we are also susceptible to cheats and frauds as unscrupulous merchants attempt to sell inferior and at times even hazardous products to us. In this highly competitive tea and teaware market, I will like to caution “Buyer Beware” attitude to all tea lovers. Do your research extensively before parting with your hard-earned money.
Just to highlight some of the potential dangers and pitfalls in purchasing tea and teaware, please see below:
1. Intentionally misrepresenting the quality and age of the tea leaves by using various over fermentation techniques or “reviving” expired tealeaves by roasting them again.
2. Using inferior clays to make “Zisha” teaware. Unscrupulous manufacturers add lead and other harmful materials to achieve the metallic sound of Zisha Teapots and to make the clay suitable for molding. Using such teapots could cause lead poisoning, cancer and who knows what not, because as the tea steeps in the pot, toxic contaminants in the clay seep into the tea.
3. Fake Antiques or imitation pieces. As with all valuable items, there is a robust counterfeit market. Some known techniques of aging teapots is by using shoe polish, rubbing dirt and even burying them in soil for a period of time. Not only are these items inferior, they maybe dangerous to use. Neither should you judge the authenticity of a teapot by name seals as these are also easily imitated.
4. Mixing inferior quality tea leaves with good quality ones and market them as High quality tea leaves.
5. Selling tea leaves that are grown using high level of pesticides.
I will try to update the above potential dangers for readers as I learn more. In the next post, I will relate my own experience of being cheated.
Kung Fu Tea
For the sake of my expensive "High Mountain Oolong Tea", I learnt the art of preparing tea "KungFu" style. Money is also a great motivator.If you want to know what is Kungfu Cha about, please see here
To me, brewing tea Kung Fu cha style is enjoyable and calming. My wife thinks I am wasting my time, but to me it makes sense to brew tea "Kung Fu" style because the tea leaves are less likely to be over steeped (over steeped tea taste bitter). Also, I gain a more relaxed state of mind and body after a tiring day at work as the process is quite meditative and calming (eg. watching the steam rise, sipping the tea, appreciating the fragrance). Kung Fu Cha makes me take time to appreciate the simpler pleasures in life. Tea becomes more than just a beverage when done the "Kung Fu" way.
I forgot to mention that it is also a good way to pass advertisment time when watching televison programs.
Some basic equipment is required for practical and aesthetic reasons. But generally the equipment are not expensive (though one has the option of going high end). Below is my entry level teaware which cost about S$35. If you are interested in purchasing one set, email me (Singapore Only).
A New Beginning
My passion for chinese tea started in December 2008 whilst on a Taiwan holiday.Thanks to an unplanned toilet break, we made a stop at a tea farmer’s shop that specializes in farming Taiwan Oolong Tea. This is a picture of the tea farmer, he was very warm and friendly (much like his Oolong).
Though not an avid tea drinker at that time, the fragrance and flavour of the Oolong was soothing and awakening. I probably did not know it back then, but this was the beginning of a new passion and love for chinese tea and traditional teapots.
With a can of quality Oolong tea in my hands, I embarked on my research to know more about “Gongfu Cha” and “Yixing” tea pots which I will share with you in the next posts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
