A good cup of tea not only relies on the tea itself, but also on good water and tea utensils. The ancients said, "Water is the mother of tea, and utensils are the father of tea," which means that no matter how good the tea itself is, without good water and tea utensils to cultivate and preserve or enhance its aroma and effectiveness, its health benefits will be greatly reduced. Here, let's talk about the father of tea - tea utensils.
Throughout history, people have paid great attention to tea utensils in order to seek greater enjoyment in the process of tasting tea. They not only pursue exquisite appearance, but also different materials that can provide great sensory pleasure and help absorb the essence of the tea. It is this factor that makes tea utensils an important part of tea culture.
In ancient times, there were many types of tea utensils, with more than twenty types of tea brewing utensils mentioned in the "Classic of Tea". Today, tea utensils have been greatly simplified. However, if you want to make a good cup of tea, you still need to choose tea utensils that match the tea. According to different materials and textures, the main types of tea utensils include Yixing clay utensils, pottery utensils, porcelain utensils, enamel utensils, bamboo utensils, lacquerware utensils, metal utensils, jade utensils, and glass utensils. So how do we match them with tea? The following two aspects can be taken as reference:
1. Vary according to individuals
For example, for elderly people and young people, older people pay great attention to the charm of tea and want to keep it warm and fragrant. They have more time to savor tea slowly, so they prefer using teapots such as Yixing teapots, porcelain teapots, and golden teapots. Young people, on the other hand, prefer the refreshing and intoxicating aroma of tea and may not have much time to savor it. They often use tea cups such as ceramic cups, metal cups, glass cups, and insulated cups. Of course, different personalities have different requirements for tea utensils. The literati in ancient times paid special attention to the "elegance" of tea utensils. It is said that the famous poet Su Dongpo in the Song Dynasty even designed a lifting-type Yixing teapot for his own tea enjoyment. In addition, many ethnic minorities will also follow their own tea drinking customs, boiling or brewing tea in a pot and then pouring it into a large or small bowl to drink.
2. Vary according to tea
In general, when drinking black tea and green tea, the color, aroma, and taste of the tea are very important, so teapots, cups, or bowls with covers can be used for brewing. When enjoying delicate green teas like Dongting Biluochun, West Lake Longjing, and Huangshan Maofeng, glass cups or white porcelain cups can be directly used for brewing and drinking. For broken black tea or Gongfu black tea, porcelain teapots or Yixing teapots can be used for brewing, and then poured into white porcelain cups for better color and aroma. Oolong tea focuses on "absorption", so Yixing clay utensils are the best choice. For flower teas, many of their effects lie in their aroma. To maintain the aroma, you can use a teapot to brew the tea and then pour it into a porcelain cup or glass cup, or directly use a covered porcelain cup or glass cup for brewing. If using medicinal herbs to brew tea, especially the stems, roots, and seeds, it is best to use an insulated pot or cup to steep them, so that their active ingredients can be better released and achieve the desired health and healing purposes.
In conclusion, choosing tea utensils for tea drinking and health preservation is a form of knowledge and even a science. Choosing the right tea utensils for good tea not only allows the tea to have a lingering aroma and captivating color, but also maximizes its health value. We can also deeply feel the charm of tea, increase sensory enjoyment during tea tasting, and make our mood more pleasant and calm, thus experiencing more joy from it.
