When we talk about tea accessories, some inexperienced tea drinkers immediately think about exotic Chinese/Japanese tea ceremonies and the tea accessories used.
They are some extreme tea accessories of course, often for collection purpose that fall into this category. There also others designed for practicalities, specific accessories for specific teas with very valid reasons. For example:
- We (Chinese) always use small teapots as these ensure the teas are freshly brewed and severed. A big teapot on the other hand has a tendency to soak the teas.
- A glass teapot is recommended for green teas as the young tender leaves create an underwater phenomena during the brewing. It is a visual enjoyment as well as a good opportunity to inspect the quality of the leaves.
- A Zi Sha teapot (purple sand teapot) if often used for teas that require a ‘good brew’, such as Oolong tea, black tea and pu-erh tea. The micro-cavities in this unique clay allows teas to breathe through the teapot wall during the brewing process. It has thus gained it reputation to be the premium clay for premium teas in China for almost as long as the history the teas.
- We also use small tea cups that are in glass or with white inner lining for drinking. This is for the convenience of inspect the tea brew. A premium tea’s brew should be brightly clear, in whatever colour the tea is supposed to be in.
- The tea infuser all-in-one is designed to be used in the office (you therefore would not need a tea set in a limited space) or those drinking alone at home that need frequent topping up.
As you can see from the above examples, tea accessories have their very own practical purposes and functions. By selecting the right tea accessories, your tea consuming experience will be largely enhanced. To get the perfect tea accessories for your perfect tea however sometimes can take some time. It is just like teas, everyone has a different taste and preference, but once you have found your perfect spot, it will stay with you for a long time.