The Yixing Tea Pot

 One of my favorite things to collect other than bonsai of course are other Japanese and Chinese items that truly only most collectors would appreciate and collect.

 I have always loved tea and of course I drink it a lot and although I drink mostly organic and or herbal teas as I do not like the caffeine in the teas most commonly found in the local grocery. I do however buy special teas found the world over and enjoy most all of them.

 As a collector I started collecting these special tea pots about two years ago and have several now in my own private collection and enjoy them on display because of some of the truly awesome styles and ornate carvings that they have on them.

 The Yixing Tea Pots originated from china and were made from the clay in the Yixing area in Eastern China in the province of Jiangsu and the clay is sometimes called purple clay and does come from Yixing China.

 These pots and the tea drinking practice from them dates clear back to the 15th century and truly tea drinking personally or as a ceremony can still be found today the world over.

 Although unless you have really deep pockets do not hope to find or buy an original Yixing of that time period any time soon. Although you can still purchase Yixing Tea Pots for your self because they can be found in many different locals all over the world and if you do your own research you will find them.

 I personally will not promote any special place to purchase them or find them here as that is not what I intended in this article, more over I did want to let you know that they are indeed a very nice collectible and that they are in point of fact more desirable for tea drinking than your normal or average tea pot simply because of there unique qualities and ability to absorb the flavors.

 Now what is special about these tea pots you might ask? Well its that being of this special absorbing  clay substance that allows these particular tea pots too absorb the flavor of the tea being consumed from that tea pot.

 It is very important that if you do purchase one for your self be sure only too use one type of tea per pot and never mix or brew any other type of  tea in that pot ever. This will allow that particular tea pot a chance to absorb only the flavor of the tea being used and eventually in time it will permanently do so. Then it will also become seasoned too that flavor and special aroma for the entire time you use it.

 It is said that if indeed you only brew one type of tea for that pot for many years eventually it will take on the flavor all on its own not even requiring that you use tea grounds or leaves any more to brew that tea. Simply add your hot water and let it steep until its ready brewed and then enjoy.

 Although I can not attest to this personally as I have not had any of my pots long enough or ever used them enough yet to have had this so called phenomenon happen. There are people that do swear by it though and say its absolutely possible given time.

 Another way to of course heighten the entire process in my opinion would be to submerge the entire tea pot in the special warm tea in a much larger container so as to cover the entire tea pot in the liquid and then just let it sit for several hours as the clay material from that region is very porous and will absorb naturally any of the flavor and aroma of the teas used.

 Makes sense given the nature of the tea pots made of Yixing clay. Pictured above are some Yixing Tea Pots and styles and this picture is from public domain and not mine. There are many pictures too be found on the internet and so enjoy looking around and perhaps you will find your own special pot and treasure.

 One of my favorite teas in these pots is Money Pod Picked Oolong very expensive tea too say the least given where and how it originated. The monkey picked Oolong tea got its name literary because it was picked by monkeys yes sounds phoney I know but trust me it did actually happen long ago.

 As the monks in areas of China planted the tea trees they never expected the tea trees to grow to such tall heights so as the tea trees continued to grow even taller the monks could no longer pick the most tender leaves and or even begin to reach them.

So guess what?

Well the monks actually trained monkeys to go to the top of the tea trees and pick the most desirable leaves for them and in turn the monks fed and cared for the monkeys so it was a win win for both involved. That then is how we arrived at the name Monkey Picked.

 Now I doubt that this particular practice is still being carried out today by monkeys however we still do have a tea called Monkey Pod Picked Oolong. This is a very fine tea and if you ever get the chance when out and about then try some but this special tea is not to be confused with all the other Oolong teas available. There are cheep Oolongs and there are expensive ones so buyer beware of what your purchasing.

Here are some of my most recent Yixing tea pots purchased. Never mind part of my kitchen stove in the background but anyway this gives you some idea of whats out there to collect and enjoy if you have the desire too.

 Please also bear in mind because of the nature of these special pots never use them in a Microwave oven and do not wash them out with any soap as this will truly destroy the flavor absorbed and ruin the pot for any further use and if by chance you use a tea bag in the place of natural leaves and or products then be sure to remove your tea bag from the pot as soon as it has steeped never leave tea leaves or bags in the pots after use as it will cause mold and also ruin the pot simply let it dry out naturally and then replace the lid and wait till the next use.

 The best natural way to brew special teas for these pots is to heat your water to the desired temperature for steeping the tea and use a glass container of some sort to heat the water in and if you can stay away from your city's tap water by all means use a bottled water for better taste and purity.

 In time when your brewing special teas you will learn that some will need to be hotter than others while some if you get them too hot it will also destroy the flavor and make the tea bitter and not very good tasting at all and believe me it takes a little effort to make just the right pot and get just that right taste but in time you will get the hang of it. Then its all worth it on a cold winters night like tonight to sip a lovely tasting special imported tea as you sit back relax and enjoy your evening.

Thanks, for reading,
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2013 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: h.yearout@gmail.com