11 basic teawares introductions to help you start learning tea

Basic Teawares For Drinking Tea

When you start learning tea, you will strange to everything. Especially you walk into a teaware shop and look at all kinds of teawares, you will feel confused and hard to choose. Here are several basic teawares introduce for reference.

1.    Teapot

A Ceramic Teapot

A teapot is a tool for steeping tea, one of the essential and basic teawares. It’s mainly used to steep tea, but also you can drink tea alone with a small teapot directly. There are hundreds of primary forms of teapots, with many different shapes and patterns. The material of teapot is also more, and mostly to a purple clay teapot or porcelain teapot.

2.    Teacup

A Ceramic Teacup

After the tea is steeped, it needs to be placed in a cup and ready to drink. Different kinds of tea can be placed in different cups, which common materials are glass and ceramic.

Teacups also have many kinds and size. The best choice is the teacup which has white or light skin inside or the glass one.

3.    Cover bowl

A Green Porcelain Cover Bowl

The cover bowl is a kind of tea bowl, and it consists of a cup, saucer, and lid. There are many different materials of the cover bowl, such as glass, white porcelain, and ceramic. Among which white porcelain cover bowl is the most common.

In recent years, glass cover bowl has become popular in the tea market. People mainly use them to steep green tea and can appreciate the color of green tea.

4.    Tea holder

A White Porcelain Tea Holder

Tea holder is a tool for placing the tea which is ready to steep. Tea holder according to the material to classified: bamboo, wood, porcelain, pottery, and so on. The most common is the white porcelain tea holder because it can see the shape and color of tea more clearly, and the bamboo one looks more beautiful.

Classified according to the shape, there are types of a circle, semicircle, arc, polygon, etc.

Tea holder is a simple, beauty, and practical teaware.

5.    Fair cup

A Glass Fair Cup

The primary function of the fair cup is to make the tea soup of the same concentration in each guest’s cup, to be fair and impartial, hence the name.

There are glass, white porcelain, purple sand, and so on of material. Fair cups of glass and white porcelain are most commonly used, with the most significant advantage of being able to observe the color and concentration of the tea.

When using fair cup, just pour the tea into the fair cup slowly, keep the concentration of the tea in a level, to help the guests to drink at any time.

6.    Water heater

A Electromagnetic Water Heater

Heating water is one of the most critical procedures in the process of making tea. Mastering the skills of heating water and temperature control plays a crucial role in steeping a successful cup of tea.

Therefore, the water heater is also one of the essential teawares. There are aluminum, iron, glass, and other materials. Due to the increasingly developed cash technology, there are many types of water heaters on the market, such as electric aluminum water heater, alcoholic glass water heater, electromagnetic water heater, and so on.

7.    Saucer

A Green Porcelain Saucer

The tea saucer is mainly used to make the teacup become more comfortable to hold and prevent scalding hands.

Classified according to the material, there are types of bamboo, wood, porcelain, cloth art and so on. Also, different materials of saucers match for different materials of cups. For example, wooden, bamboo and porcelain saucers are mainly used to place a porcelain or ceramic tea cups. Cloth art coasters are used to place glasses teacups.

8.    Tea props

Tea prop is called by people “tea art six gentlemen.” They are tea tools caddy, teaspoon, tea needle, tea funnel, tea tweezer, and tea stirrer.

Tea props are usually made of black rosewood, iron pearwood, bamboo, and other materials, among which those made of rosewood are the best.

9.    Tea towel

Tea Towel

A tea towel is a tool used to clean water or tea stains from a teapot and the teacup. The tea towels commonly seen on the market are usually made of cotton and linen cloth, which are more absorbent.

Tea towel entirely according to personal preferences and tea table color to decide, there is not too much demand. Also, tea towels should be washed with water immediately after use to avoid bacteria breeding.

10.    Tea can

A Porcelain Tea Can

A can is used to store tea. Classified according to the material, they are made of purple clay, porcelain, tin, paper, and glass.

Different kinds of tea should be stored in different tea cans. For example, Pu ‘er tea best use purple clay can; Green tea is best stored in tin cans; the appearance of herbal tea is beautiful, can choose the glass to store, can be easy to appreciate.

11.    Tea tray

A Wood Tea Tray

Tea tray mainly used to place the teaware, Tea trays are primarily used for placing the teaware, and some have the function of treating cold tea and wastewater. Generally, the size of the tea tray is mainly determined by the number of tea drinkers and teawares, and you can choose the size of the tea tray according to the number of tea drinkers and teawares.

After reading these introductions, whether we are steeping tea for the first time or not, we don’t need to be confused about choosing the various teawares.

4 Kinds Of Japanese Tea And How They Picked And Process

Japanese Tea Pursues A Spiritual “Tao”

The so-called Japanese tea is a general term for traditional tea in Japan. Among them, the most common is Sencha, in addition to Gyokuro, Bancha, Hojicha and so on.No matter which kind of tea, is processed from the tea tree.

Types of Japanese Tea

In Japan, the most common type of tea is “Sencha.” “Sencha” in a broad sense refers to all Japanese teas except Matcha, but if viewed from the cultivation method and quality of tea, it refers to the tea between the high-level tea Gyokuro and the low-level Bancha tea.

It may say, Gyokuro, Sencha, and Bancha are different kinds of tea. Gyokuro and Sencha are cultivated in different ways; Sencha, which processed from the young leaves of the tea trees, and Bancha is processed from the mature leaves.

Gyokuro

Gyokuro

The high-grade Gyokuro looks bright green, leaves are soft, and the leaf stalks will become needle shape(commonly known as “sword”) after rolling with fingers.

Gyokuro tea with a strong impact of fresh and sweet, accompanied by a special smell – the aroma from the covering process.

Sencha

Sencha

The shape of Sencha looks like needle, tight and feel heavy, less difference in length and thickness. The color is showy deep green, and the surface is bright. The tea leaves smell fresh(and something smell from baking). The drink tastes sweet and a little bitter, but the two tastes are harmonious, make you feel clean and fresh.

Bancha

Bancha

Took from the open air tea garden, the leaves relatively thick and mature, not suitable for processing for Sencha. Use the same way with Sencha processing, but compared with other kinds of tea, it is relatively low-grade.

Hojicha

Hojicha

Hojicha tea is made by baking Sencha tea and Bancha tea and is divided into several grades according to the quality of raw tea. Baking significantly reduces bitterness and gives Hojicha tea a robust aroma, which is often served in winter restaurants.

So when we are talking about “green tea,” what “green tea” means

“green tea” originally meant tea that was non-fermented, in fact, almost all the tea in Japan is non-fermented tea. So all the Japanese tea can be called green tea.

Production Process of Japanese Tea

After the tea leaves are rolled, the tissue will be damaged and oxidized. However, because Japanese tea (green tea) is non-fermented tea, so to prevent the fermentation of tea, first of all, the picked tea should be immediately heated treatment, inhibit the fermentation of tea (fixation). In the fixation process, Chinese green tea is usually using the “Frying” way, while Japanese green tea generally using the “Steaming” way. “Steaming” is a unique way of fixation Japanese tea, and then through “Rolling” tea to shape, at the end to dry the tea after the production is completed.

Japanese Tea Garden

Japanese tea picking time

Japanese tea is generally classified according to different picking periods:

Second Picked (June 1th – July 31st)

Third Picked (August 1th – September 10th )

Fourth Picked (September 11th – October 20th )

Autumn-Winter Picked (October 21th – December 31st)

Winter-Spring Picked (January 1th – March 9th)

What’s the best way to steep black tea? Follow these 6 steps!

Steep A Cup Of Good Black Tea

Black tea is a common tea drink, some high-grade black tea is expensive, if not steeped in the right way, will make the taste of black tea a grade lower. So how to steep black tea? following the 6 steps below, steep a cup of good black tea is no longer a difficult thing.

Contents

1.    Prep

Know your teapot. Measure the teapot’s capacity with a measuring cup to determine how much water to pour into it.
Usually, 360ml water is need by every 3-5g black tea; it can steeping about two cups of tea(in fact the water in each cup is about 150~160ml, the tea leaves absorb the other part.)
If you use the teapot only for single-person, you may use about 150ml water.

2.    Boiled Water

Use fresh water, it better that has just flowed out of the tap. Usually, soft water(means water with a low mineral content), can most bring out the aroma of tea complete.
So, if the source of water in your home, is not soft enough, you can use filtering equipment to get the best water.
Also, control the temperature of the water, which has a certain impact on the taste of tea.

3.    Put in tea leaves

Teapot for two-person needs about 3-5g tea leaves one time, and 1.5-2.5g for the single-person teapot.
Increase or decrease the amount of tea as necessary. For example, finely ground tea leaves, because of the large contact area between water and tea leaves, the dissolution rate of tea liquid is relatively fast, so the amount can be relatively reduced; The larger and complete tea leaves, because the water and tea contact area is small, the dissolution rate is relatively slow, the amount can be appropriately added.
Secondly, many elegant and fragrant style tea, such as spring picking Darjeeling, they can highlight the aroma, with using less tea.
But unless you use a unique electronic scale, it is difficult to measure well accurately; so usually by visual inspection and experience. Basically, more loose, more complete tea leaves can be put more, and finely ground tea leaves are put less.

Take Each Step Seriously

4.    Water injection

Complete-fermented black tea requires a high enough water temperature to adequately stimulate the aroma of the tea, usually at least 95℃ or above. So it is best to pour water quickly into the teapot after the water has boiled to get the right temperature.
When pouring hot water into the teapot, try not to inject it from the center. Let the water column slightly skew to one side of the spout to make the tea spin, looks beautiful, and send out a pleasant aroma.
The primary steeping time is 3 minutes, depending on the nature of the tea leaves, the fine tea leaves steep time is shorter (2~2.5 minutes), complete and large tea leaves can be slightly longer (3.5~4 minutes). You can use a timer or an hourglass to help to time.

5.    Pour out the tea

Hold the teapot in one hand and the filter in the other to strain the tea leaves. Keep the right practice on using the filter, do not place the strainer directly on the cup so that it touches the soup. Because, if it is people drinking tea together, it will make each other’s tea contaminated with each other, it’s not polite seriously.
During the pouring, the tea leaves are still steeping, so if the teapot opening is larger, the action should be slow; A teapot with a small opening can be faster.
If you need to pour more than one cup of tea, and want to ensure the same concentration of tea in each cup, you can follow the British tea etiquette, by gently shaking the pot before pouring, but the effect is not significant.
Besides, according to the Chinese tea etiquette, first pour all into the justice cup, and then pour the tea in each cup; Or take a long, thin spoon and gently stir it around before pouring, making sure the consistency of each cup is about the same.
Finally, it is very important to pour out all the tea.
The last few drops of tea, are the essence of the whole pot of black tea when thoroughly steeped, and are even said to be “Golden Drops,” do not waste it ever. When the “Golden Drop” drops into the cup, the color and luster of the whole cup of black tea will instantly look better.

Enjoy The Nice Black Tea

6.    Steeping again

If you want the second round, pour the boiling water into the teapot again according to the previous steps. However, the steeping time can be appropriately increased by 1~1.5 minutes. The flavor of the second round tea will usually be lighter; the aroma is not obvious. However, if you want to be able to continue steeping more times, you can slightly increase the amount of tea in the first round, and shorten the steeping time, leaving more flavor for the second and third round.

The difference between ceramic teaware and porcelain teaware

Varied of Teaware With Different Material

The common teawares on the market are made of various materials, such as ceramic, porcelain, glass, plastic, etc., among which ceramic and porcelain are the most common. Ceramic teaware is popular in eastern countries, while in Europe porcelain teaware is popular.

Contents

The common point between ceramic teaware and porcelain teaware

The ceramic teaware is an important invention in the Neolithic age. It started as rough clay ceramic, then evolved into a more solid hard ceramic, and at the end developed into glazed ceramic.

Ceramic Teapots

Ancient ancestors invented ceramic and porcelain based on analyzing the properties of different clay and summarizing their experience in the process of long-term firing. Therefore, ceramic and porcelain have many similarities:
1.    They are all made from malleable clay that has been burned at high temperatures.
2.    From the selection of raw materials, screening and refining, processing mud making, casting and forming, to kiln roasting and other production processes, the two are the same.
3.    They are all objects of daily use and decoration

Europe Style Porcelain Teaware

Despite the close connection between ceramic and porcelain, there are also essential differences as follows:

1.    Ceramic came before porcelain.

Ceramic began to be made in primitive societies, while porcelain products appeared in the first century AD. Earthenware and porcelain use different raw materials of clay. Earthenware takes clay, which is widely existed in nature, as the raw material of clay. Porcelain is made of a rock-like mineral such as porcelain stone or kaolin, and it will be stronger after made.

2.    Earthenware and porcelain use different glazes.

Ceramic usually does not glaze or use metal lead as a fluxing agent low-temperature glaze, after burning water absorption, strong air permeability, surface hardness is poor; Porcelain is mainly made of high-temperature glaze with oxidant as flux. After firing, the glass has a firm texture, surface densification, strength, and hardness are much improved, and water absorption is weak.

Ceramic Teaware

3.    Ceramic and porcelain are sintered at different temperatures.

Ceramic can be divided into low-temperature ceramic and high-temperature ceramic. The sintering temperature of low-temperature ceramic is below 1000℃, while that of high-temperature ceramic is generally between 1000℃ and 1100℃. Porcelain needs to be sintered at a high temperature, usually between 1200℃ and 1400℃.

4.    Ceramic and porcelain have different characteristics.

Influenced by the firing temperature, the ceramic preform body is divided into two types: incomplete sintering or complete sintering. The preformed body of porcelain is sintered, so its strength is generally higher than that of ceramic, and it has light transmittance.
Generally speaking, purple clay ware also belongs to the ceramic category, but generally, because of its unique position in the teaware field, it is usually classified into a single category.

Porcelain Teacup And Saucer

Modern ceramic teawares are popular with the public, because of their natural and straightforward shape, convenient firing, comprehensive source, and low price. Especially in some indigenous tribes, it is still in widespread use.

The influence of steeping times on tea taste

Steeping Times Can Influence The Taste Of Tea

Do you know the influence of steeping times? How many times should we steep the tea in the same pot? It will decide the tea taste very much.
We often see people drinking tea like this:
Some people put only a little tea in a cup, and steep it, again and again, one pot of tea can drink all day;
Some people only steep one round, and steep again for the next;

How Does The Steeping Times Affect Tea Taste

Although can not say that their approach is wrong, but the times of tea steeping is exquisite, according to the specific tea varieties vary.
According to the research, the precipitation rate of various active components in tea is different. After steeping a pot of tea, the easiest to separate out are amino acids and vitamin C, they probably in the first round can be separated; Caffeine, tea polyphenols and soluble sugars followed.
That is to say, during the first two times of steeping, these easily precipitated substances have been incorporated into the tea.

How Many Steeping Times Is The Beat For Green Tea

Take green tea as an example. When steeped for the first time, the soluble substances in the tea can be separated by about 50%. When steeping the second time, it can precipitate about 30%. When steeping the third time, it can precipitate about 10%.
Therefore, the more times of steeping, the lower the precipitation rate of soluble substances. I believe that many people must have the experience, the more times green tea steeps, its taste will be almost the same as plain water.
Usually, high-grade green tea can only be steeped 2 or 3 times, because the leaves are relatively tender, too much steeping will affect the quality of the tea; in the case of a black tea bag, it can be steeped only once; Oolong tea can even be steeped more times, reaching 5~9 times; as for the old Pu’er, some kinds can steep more than 20 times, because the material contained in it is very slow.
In addition to the number of steeping times, the steeping time of tea has a lot to do with the effect of beneficial ingredients contained in tea leaves.

Black Tea Bag Is Best To Be Steep Only One Time

Any type of tea should not be steeped for too long. It is best to drink it immediately after steeping. Otherwise, the beneficial ingredients will be oxidized, which will not only reduce the nutritional value but also may produce harmful substances.
And, the concentration of tea should not be too high, it will cause harm to the stomach.So, the number of tea steeping not only affects the quality of tea but also affects the health of the body, it can not be ignored.

4 Main Black Tea Processing Methods – Orthodox, CTC, Gongfu, and LapSang

Black Tea

Due to different regions and types of tea, there are many different black tea processing methods. Among them, the most popular and the basic is “Orthodox traditional black tea processing method”, With the exception of a few places, such as China, that have tea manufacturing techniques passed down from history, most of the black tea now sold in mainstream markets around the world is produced in this way.
In addition to the basic “Orthodox” method, there are “CTC”, “Gongfu Black Tea” and “LapSang Souchong” etc. Four main black tea processing methods make black tea having a different flavor.

Contents

• Orthodox Black Tea
  • Picking
  • Withering
  • Rolling
  • Fermentation
  • Refining
• CTC Black Tea
• Gongfu Black Tea
• LapSang Souchong

Orthodox Black Tea

Orthodox Black Tea Processing

Picking

Tea is made from the young leaves and buds which picked from tea trees. High-quality black tea is usually picked from tender leaves and buds.

Withering

The fresh leaves will be immediately sent to the tea factory after picked, evenly spread out and stand, so that the water of tea slowly volatilize and reduce, become soft and easy to roll. The tea leaves also undergo chemical changes as water is lost. Usually, tea will be withering in the room, ventilation equipment is set under the withering trough to provide air and even heat according to weather conditions to improve efficiency.

Rolling

After withering, tea leaves are processed by rolling machine. On the one hand, tea tissues are destroyed, so that the tea juice, tea essence, and fragrance are released from the surface of tea leaves, so that they can be rapidly dissolved in the future steeping; On the other hand, tea leaves are tightly rolled and shaped for packaging and preservation. And the way of tea rolling and weight of different degree of pressure will also cause flavor differences.
In the process of rolling, due to heat generated by pressure and friction, coupled with the release of gum in the tea, easy to increase the temperature of tea and form a lump, so it must be based on the situation from time to time to take out the lump and untie, and continue to roll;This cools the tea and makes the rolling movement smoother.
In contrast to other teas, black tea leaves are chopped during preparation to facilitate steeping, packaging, and transportation. Many are cut at the end of the screening, but more broken black tea is often in advance in rolling steps directly (generally after kneading and then into the kneading machine, kneading cut tea).

Fermentation

The tea leaves will be fermented in warm, moist air after rolled and cut, oxidizing the polyphenols contained in the leaves to theophylline.
Drying: After fermented, tea will be dried at high temperatures to stop the fermentation and to remove water completely.

Refining

The tea leaves that complete the drying process is called “Primarily processed tea “, which must be screened and graded according to the quality of the tea leaves and the size of the leaves. Remove stems by hand or machine, blows away the foreign matter and impurities through the winnowing separator, and packaging to sell.

CTC Black Tea

CTC Black Tea Processing

CTC is an abbreviation of Crush, Tear, and Curl. It is a method of mass production of black tea in the 1930s with rapid and low cost.
This method mainly uses a special CTC roller machine. After picking and withering, the tea leaves are directly fed into the machine, and the tea leaves are rolled, chopped, kneaded and rolled into very fine round grains at high speed, which is convenient for steeping thick and abundant tea juice in a very short time. According to the actual steeping comparison, one kilogram CTC tea can steep about 400 cups of black tea, but if the Orthodox method, one kilogram can only out of about 200 cups, the gap is very large.
The CTC process method is currently used in India, Kenya and other places, and the tea is mainly used for steeping milk tea or making tea bags. Especially in India, CTC black tea is the most important national beverage due to its low price and good taste. More than 90% of the production and consumption is concentrated in this country (especially the most popular local tea, Masala Chai, must be steeped with CTC black tea from Assam to be tasty).

CTC Masala Chai

Because black tea is basically used to steep into milk tea, in the local, CTC black tea standard test tea procedures are unexpectedly all in the way of milk mixing, determine to match the degree of the high and strong flavor of the top grade.

Gongfu Black Tea

Gongfu Black Tea Processing

This is a popular black tea processing method in China. Its concept is much the same with Orthodox processing methods and procedures, but the refining process in the later stage is more elaborate. It needs to go through the process of Screening, winnowing, selection, re-drying, blending and so on, so as to produce the fine gongfu tea with compact and delicate appearance and elegant flavor.

LapSang Souchong

LapSang Souchong Black Tea Processing

It is said to gongfu tea was evolved from it, which is the oldest black tea making method in China. The process is similar to that of gongfu black tea, except that a process called “Pot Frying” is added after fermentation to stop the fermentation, preserve the polyphenols, and make the soup redder in color and sweeter in the aroma.
“Pot Frying” is usually redone by rolling, called “re-rolling”, to firm up the loose leaves. It is then baked and dried to create a unique aroma.

Say Goodbye To The Tea Stain – Clean The Teaware In The Right Way

Clean teaware make tea drinking feel better

There is a trouble that people who drink tea for a long time must face, how to clean the teaware.

After using for a long time, some people found that there is a layer of the dirt, will form on the surface of the teaware.

What interesting is, some people like the tea stain very much. They think it can prove that they love tea, and believe the tea stain can make the tea taste better; They even do not like the clean teaware, prefer to use the teaware which got a lot of tea stain.

It’s absolutely wrong.

How does tea stain form

Clean teacup with a toothbrush

Relevant studies show tea polyphenols react chemically with metal substances in tea rust when tea exposed to air for a long time. That’s how tea stain form, it will attach to the inner wall of the teaware, and get thicker and thicker.

Scientists have conducted sampling and testing of tea stain and found that tea stain contains carcinogenic substances, such as nitrite. When people use the teaware that contains tea stain, partial tea stain can enter human body gradually, combine with the material such as protein, fatty acid, vitamin in the human body, become a lot of toxic substance, endanger health thereby.

How to clean the teaware

Clean the teaware with a soft brush

The tea stain has become a problem which people must to solve. Then, how to clean the tea stain out correctly?

Many people used to clean with a hard brush or something rough, thinking it can clean them thoroughly. That seems right. However, after such cleaning this way, the situation is often worse. Why? Because there is a layer of enamel on the surface of the teaware, the hard brush will destroy the enamel, makes the tea seeps into the skin of the teaware, thorough cleaning becomes more difficult. Especially the ceramic and porcelain teaware.

It’s not difficult to do the right job.

First, we must develop the habit of cleaning the teaware immediately after having tea.

Once the tea stain is formed, we can put some toothpaste on the surface of the teaware, and wash them after a few minutes. In this way, the tea stain can be clean by a soft brush easily.

Remove the smell of the teaware

Some people found that the new teaware has a smell like earth, and there is a layer of wax on it. In this case, we must use the “boiling way” to remove the scent.

It’s simple. First, take a clean and no smell pan and put the teaware in it. Adding water and heating to boiling for about 30 minutes. Then put the teaware out and cool down.

Be careful not to rinse immediately with cold water. Everybody knows the rule about thermal expansion and contraction.