Comments on: How to prime, season and maintain your Yixing teapot http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2008/09/04/how-to-prime-season-and-maintain-your-yixing-teapot/ News from the Teahouse, about tea and more Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:30:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Charles http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2008/09/04/how-to-prime-season-and-maintain-your-yixing-teapot/#comment-129009 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:24:55 +0000 http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2008/09/04/how-to-prime-season-and-maintain-your-yixing-teapot/#comment-129009 Hey guys if you're in search of tips to speed up the patine; here's a trick that works well: When you season your pot, rinse it first with hot water, then apply honey to the whole surface inside the pot (prefer a liquid honey which aroma won't overpower that of the tea); then apply tea leaves of your choice to the inside of the pot using the honey to stick them to the clay, pour hot water, cover and let rest for 24 hours. The progressive dissolution of the honey (more precisely the sugar it contains) against the clay makes its outer layer more malleable and retains more fragrance from the tea which also speeds up the patine. Realize however that the fragrance of the honey is also retained, which can be a good thing for those like me who like honeyed tea:) Hey guys if you’re in search of tips to speed up the patine; here’s a trick that works well:
When you season your pot, rinse it first with hot water, then apply honey to the whole surface inside the pot (prefer a liquid honey which aroma won’t overpower that of the tea); then apply tea leaves of your choice to the inside of the pot using the honey to stick them to the clay, pour hot water, cover and let rest for 24 hours.

The progressive dissolution of the honey (more precisely the sugar it contains) against the clay makes its outer layer more malleable and retains more fragrance from the tea which also speeds up the patine.

Realize however that the fragrance of the honey is also retained, which can be a good thing for those like me who like honeyed tea:)

]]> by: Clay people pot http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2008/09/04/how-to-prime-season-and-maintain-your-yixing-teapot/#comment-116690 Sat, 18 Dec 2010 22:16:12 +0000 http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2008/09/04/how-to-prime-season-and-maintain-your-yixing-teapot/#comment-116690 [...] How to prime, season and maintain your Yixing teapot | Ya-Ya's Tea Sep 4, 2008. Place your new Yixing pot and its lid separately in a big enough saucepan and. inside and outside of both to remove any clay dust and larger lumps.. Some people advocate the development and maintenance of a Yixing. - How to prime, season and maintain your Yixing teapot | Ya-Ya's Tea [...] […] How to prime, season and maintain your Yixing teapot | Ya-Ya’s Tea Sep 4, 2008. Place your new Yixing pot and its lid separately in a big enough saucepan and. inside and outside of both to remove any clay dust and larger lumps.. Some people advocate the development and maintenance of a Yixing. - How to prime, season and maintain your Yixing teapot | Ya-Ya’s Tea […]

]]> by: Jo http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2008/09/04/how-to-prime-season-and-maintain-your-yixing-teapot/#comment-58040 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:01:02 +0000 http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2008/09/04/how-to-prime-season-and-maintain-your-yixing-teapot/#comment-58040 Hi Leong, here are some thoughts on your questions: 1) I have never heard anyone mentioning this. Actually, most tea masters will teach you to pour the water on the leaves, then place the lid on the pot and pour hot water over the pot (sometimes, they advise you to pour hot water over the pot even before pouring the water onto the leaves). 2) I do something similar to that, although in a slightly different way. First off, I pour the foot water (or rinse water of the first infusion) into a faircup and the drinking cups to wash them. Then I discard this tea over the teapot. After I'm finished with a tea, I often fill up the pot (with the leaves in it) with cold water and let it sit over night (it will accelerate seasoning from the inside). Then, the next morning, I pour out the tea, remove the leaves and rinse the teapot with the cold infusion from the inside and outside. It definitely accelerates the shine of the teapot. 3) I think the first steeping (rinse) is not necessarily the most potent water for developing a sheen since it is very weak. In my opinion, stronger (i.e. browner) tea should be more effective for a good sheen than weaker tea. I hope these thoughts might help. Jo Hi Leong,
here are some thoughts on your questions:
1) I have never heard anyone mentioning this. Actually, most tea masters will teach you to pour the water on the leaves, then place the lid on the pot and pour hot water over the pot (sometimes, they advise you to pour hot water over the pot even before pouring the water onto the leaves).
2) I do something similar to that, although in a slightly different way. First off, I pour the foot water (or rinse water of the first infusion) into a faircup and the drinking cups to wash them. Then I discard this tea over the teapot. After I’m finished with a tea, I often fill up the pot (with the leaves in it) with cold water and let it sit over night (it will accelerate seasoning from the inside). Then, the next morning, I pour out the tea, remove the leaves and rinse the teapot with the cold infusion from the inside and outside. It definitely accelerates the shine of the teapot.
3) I think the first steeping (rinse) is not necessarily the most potent water for developing a sheen since it is very weak. In my opinion, stronger (i.e. browner) tea should be more effective for a good sheen than weaker tea.

I hope these thoughts might help.

Jo

]]> by: Leong http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2008/09/04/how-to-prime-season-and-maintain-your-yixing-teapot/#comment-58031 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:36:58 +0000 http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2008/09/04/how-to-prime-season-and-maintain-your-yixing-teapot/#comment-58031 Thanks for the informative information on how to season and maintain a Zisha teapot. Can you please advise me : 1) Whether is it true that "pouring boiling water all over the teapot when brewing tea" should be avoided as it can destroy the sheen and cause uneven color patches on the teapot. 2) It is a good idea to boil a large pot of tea water and use the hot tea water to pour over the entire teapot in order to accelerate the shine of the teapot. 3) Please advise whether brewing or pouring tea over the pot would be more effective in shining the teapot. Tea water will change from a light yellow to reddish-brown color when boiled for a substantial period of time because of oxidatiion. Is the brown tea water as potent as the rinse (1st steeping) tea water in developing sheen for the teapot? Thanks for your attention. Your advise on the above matter is very appreciated. Thanks for the informative information on how to season and maintain a Zisha teapot. Can you please advise me :
1) Whether is it true that “pouring boiling water all over the teapot when brewing tea” should be avoided as it can destroy the sheen and cause uneven color patches on the teapot.
2) It is a good idea to boil a large pot of tea water and use the hot tea water to pour over the entire teapot in order to accelerate the shine of the teapot.
3) Please advise whether brewing or pouring tea over the pot would be more effective in shining the teapot. Tea water will change from a light yellow to reddish-brown color when boiled for a substantial period of time because of oxidatiion. Is the brown tea water as potent as the rinse (1st steeping) tea water in developing sheen for the teapot?
Thanks for your attention. Your advise on the above matter is very appreciated.

]]> by: Tea Escapade http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2008/09/04/how-to-prime-season-and-maintain-your-yixing-teapot/#comment-20601 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:56:27 +0000 http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2008/09/04/how-to-prime-season-and-maintain-your-yixing-teapot/#comment-20601 Great post! Great post!

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