Why and how to raise a pot? (4)

4th topic, how to raise a clay pot?

Very first step is to season a pot. Clay pots were fired at lower temperature usually remain an earthy smell. Seasoning a pot is to rid of earthy smell. Brush new pot with clean toothbrush under water. Submerge cleaned tea pot in a large clean (oil free, odor free) cooking pot filled with purified water, bring it to boil and "cook" for 30 min, rinse hot teapot under cold water. For good quality clay pot, it should be good to start brewing tea. If clay smell persist, repeat boiling and cold water rinse a couple more times, add tea leaves to boiling water during last boil, let teapot steep in tea over night, rinse in the morning before brewing tea.

Step 2, find a suitable tea for the pot. In order to find out what tea can be enhanced by a clay pot, it's best to compare flavors of the same tea with same quantity, water, temperature and timing in a gaiwan and clay pot side by side. Gaiwan brings out the true flavor of a tea, both good and the bad. By comparison, if tea brewed from a clay pot taste better than gaiwan, then it is meant to be a pair. In most cases, it takes a few hit and miss to pair up a pot. Brewing a few different teas in the same pot will not intermix flavors of the subsequent tea while it's new. Raising a pot takes time and attention. If you do worry about that, just re-season the pot again by boiling then rinsing in cold water, repeat until you can't smell any flavor.

After you decide what tea to brew with a clay pot, the lengthy process of raising a clay pot will begin. I posted a short version of how to raise a clay pot here.

External raise can be done with various methods: polish with cotton cloth after pouring tea over exterior, or brush with tea then polish/dry with cotton cloth after each use, or rub with bare hand and tea then polish/dry with cotton cloth after each use. Each pour of tea is an additional layer of essential/tea substance deposit on top of each. Polishing/buffing is to evenly distribute these deposits. This step is to improve the cosmetic of a teapot, it has very little to do with the flavor of tea.

To conclude it all, the purpose of raising a clay pot is to enhance the flavor, improve the exterior beauty of a pot, extend the over all tea experience and a measurement of how obsessive you are about tea.

Clay pots are best for oolong and pu-erh. Green/white/yellow/herbal tea do not require the use of clay pot. Black tea is better in china ware. Porous pots are better with ching xiang fragrant greener type of oolong and new green pu-erh, ie duan ni or purple clay. Less porous pots are better for heavier roasted oolong, older/ripe pu-erh, ie zhu ni, xiao hong ni or chao zhou zhu ni. This is only a rough guideline. There are exceptions to rules, and there are surprises to exceptions. Experiment every possibility with every imagination.

Why and how to raise a pot? (3)

3rd topic: how tea impact the clay hence improves tea itself - why raise a clay teapot?

Now that we have an idea what clay can do to tea, what can tea do to clay? Dissoluble substance of a leaf as we can observe is not colorless. Tea stain is dried such dissoluble substance. We can smell aroma of such substance dissolved in water, we can taste the sweetness/bitterness/astringency of such substance dissolved in water. Fragrance is from distinctive essential oil of a plant. Lavender oil, rose oil or tea oil are all essential oils of its own species. When dissoluble substance and oil are released from a leaf into water inside a clay pot, sip through tiny air hole among clay, when dried, the substance stays in the pores (storage cabinets). More usage of the tea pot the more deposits will be stored away. Polishing a pot is to evenly distribute these essential oil, hence the shine on the exterior. This is cosmetic enhancement of the clay pot appearance.

It's commonly known to use one pot for each specific type of tea, similar in flavor and roasting method. The logistic is to accumulate similar substance in "storage", when making tea, these deposit will be redissolved again some what, hence enhance the tea flavor and aroma. Kinda like cooking a chicken with chicken broth. It's not a myth that a well used clay pot can make fragrant tea with only water. Ceramic and glass wares are not porous materials, therefore can not store away these flavorful substance, neither can they neutralize or react chemically with tea, therefore they can not enhance nor diminish tea flavor, however reflect true flavors.

These 3 articles briefly explains why the need or desire to raise a clay pot. The next article will talk about the techniques in raising a pot.

Why and how to raise a pot? (2)

2nd topic: how does a clay teapot impact tea?

Clay is made up of minerals, it can neutralize chemicals dissolved in water and tea. Wonder why natural spring water taste great and crystal clear? Evaporated water is pure water, however on the way up to the sky and coming back down to earth as rain or snow, dirty dust and chemical vapor polluting our air attache itself to tiny water drops. Rain become solvent of these unwanted substance drips back down to earth, runs through miles of rocks in river beds and streams, naturally filtered by these rich mineral deposited stones and rocks.

A clay pot is similar to a rocky river bed, pores allow tiny air hole to increase oxidation, porous clay teapot can oxidize and neutralize dissolved chemicals/minerals in water/tea, hence improve taste of liquid in pot. However by doing so, it may also diminish flavor of tea depending on dissolved substance of a particular type of tea leaves. That's the reason why some tea taste better with certain clay type and some don't. The same tea pot may not be good for every tea.

Everything revolving tea is not absolute due to element variations, so much like life, therefore our endeavor of preparing a cup of good tea is never ending. It's a perpetual pursue of experiments.

Why and how to raise a pot? (1)

Yixing clay was first used to make teaware in Song Dynasty, wasn't until Ming Dynasty it became popular and well spread in tea culture. To understand why Yixing teapot is superior compare to teapots made with other materials, follow topics are to be acknowledged but not limited to them:
1st of all what is Yixing clay?
2, how does a clay teapot impact tea?
3, how tea impact the clay hence improves tea itself - why raise a clay teapot?
4, how to raise a clay pot?

1st topic: what is yixing clay?
Soft clay discovered between rocky layers of mountains in Yixing region. 3 main types of clay: purple, green/yellow, red. All have high content of iron. Soft clays are left in open fields for months and years to be dried and corroded natural. Corrosion is to break up large chunks of clay into small pieces for further break down. Grinding pebble size clays into small grain size sandy clay, then soak in water for a days or even years to "ferment", the longer the better. Depending on the need and finishing texture of teaware, various size of sandy clay are used for wanted results. Sifter is used to sift therefore group similar size sandy clays before using. Number of "eyes" is number of holes of the sifter per square inch, ie 40, 80, 120 eyes, the larger the number, the finer grains they are. Pot makers mix large grains of actual sands for texture and color contrast in appearance. By theory, large grains of clay and/or mixed with sands produce more porous teapots.

Purple is most common, medium porous, green/yellow is most porous, red is the least. Purple clay varies in color by firing temperature, "fermentation" and contents of clay from different rock layers. 2 pieces of exact fermentation from the exact same batch, 1 fired at 1120 degrees is more brownish purple, the other fired at 1150 is darker brown purple, at 1200 degrees the color is a lustrous dark chocolate purple with higher pitch in sound. Purple is a general concept only. Green clay is earthy green in color before firing, becomes earthy yellow after high fire. "Little Red Clay" is similar to Zhu Ni but from 2 different mountains, Zhu Ni is no longer available for mining. Both red clays make beautiful pot and tea, even though Zhu Ni is the most sought after due to rarity for 2 main reasons. It's no longer available on earth and pots made with such clay has low success rate in finishing products. 25% shrinkage after high fire made it difficult to have perfect shaped teapots, not to mention cracked defects or imcomplete products. Pot makers were and are reluctant to make them. This does not mean Zhu Ni must be better than Xiao Hong Ni in brewing tea.

Lao An Shun - Zhang Yan Ming's dad

1 of 2 most famous pot making families in the Chao Zhou region is Zhang's 章氏. Zhang Yan Ming teapots can be found easily, some are collectible items. Beautiful hand made pots, but takes longer to raise. 100 sessions of tea drinking should do the trick. If 3 sessions in a day, 3 days drying after 3 days usage, which will take about 2 months of drinking and polishing to give it a luster shine and great flavor.

Lao An Shun is a brand name owned and made by the father. Rumor has it that pots he made 20 some years ago was so thin and well balance, it won't tip over placing over water with lid on, floats like a boat. I have not tried it with this pot, but tempting.

Yu Hua Long - Fish Dragon

Tea, a love potion

When drinking tea, my mood is usually at peace, or slightly happy, some times even a little dreamy especially alone. When I truly enjoy a seating of tea, relaxation and the calming effect are what I want to achieve most of the time.

Once in a while tea makes me think about life. Some one once said there are only 2 things we human live and long for: pride and love. Of course that's after we are fed and clothed. Eat better, dress better, live in a bigger house, drive a faster car makes us proud (not necessary happier). Drinking good tea is prideful to a tea connoisseur. Yeah, you know you are, don't deny it! Finding good tea is some what like love, you hear it, you see others own it, and you may even have a taste.

Can love between a man and a woman be more like an affair of a tea leaf and water, selflessly devote all that they have without reserve. Water contributes its pureness, its fluid liquid bodily texture, embracing each and every leaf. Leaves wholesomely give away its lively freshness taste, aroma, nutrient to water which allows it to dance and expand any way it wishes to. Tea, a concoction of love between a leaf and water in my cup. A love potion?!

Human are selfish creatures. We want, we fear, we reserve. True love is a lot like rare tea, limited stock, except it's a lot rarer than rare tea.

Kung fu is not Kung fu

Kung Fu is known to many as martial art. Kung Fu tea therefore is related to martial art by default. Perhaps tea drank by martial art practitioners is called Kung Fu tea?! Perhaps tea must be drunk while making Kung Fu moves?!

Kung in Kung Fu tea is different from Kung in Kung Fu in Chinese writing and meaning. Although both pronounce the same, they actually take on different meanings.

Kung Fu Tea : 工 /work/worker/skill/profession/trade/craft/labor
Kung Fu: 功 /merit/achievement/result/service/accomplishment

"Raising" Yixing pots

An unclear subject in this part of the world far away from the region where clay pots were made: how to raise an Yixing pot?

3 basic ways:

1, internal raise - brew tea without pouring and polishing (slow, lid and pot might become different in color)
2, external raise - pour tea over exterior and polish (temporary and clog outside pores)
3, internal and external raise - brew tea and pour tea over exterior (fastest and common)

Contrary to common belief - soaking pots in tea over night to speed up the raising process, one shall rinse with hot water after finish using the pot then let dry in air. Another common belief is use the same pot continuously for a long period of time, on contrary, clay must be dried completely before absorbing new layers of tea oil. Use pot for 3 days and let dry for another 3 days before using again. It takes about 3 days for clay to dry completely inside and out, by inside, it is between the 2 out side surfaces of the wall.

Wash your water

When I first heard of the concept of washing water, I was dumbfounded. The idea appears as controversially undoable, yet brilliantly genius!

Most of us "serious" tea drinkers are aware of water is the mother of tea. Without good water, even the 50's pu-erh would taste less than average. While there are many bottled water companies claim to be the purest or best spring water on earth, do we trust them enough to put our precious tea leaves on line? Especially when we are away from home without any idea what brand to trust, washing your water before brewing tea is the next to best solution although it takes some time and effort.

Obtain several spring waters by different makers and from different regions, mix them all in one large container, preferably clay or ceramic ware, let it rest for 6 hours, use only the top 3/4 without disturbing the bottom portion. Here you have "washed" clean water for your tea.

Minerals from each bottled water react to each other, also neutralize PH balance. In some cases, condensation of the residues is visible, noticeably cloudy and thick at the bottom 1/4.

Love your tea? You can love your tea even away from home!

Tea is magic?

Now that I am in business, exposure to the public allows me to view tea through non-tea-drinkers' lenses. The general questions if not the first question is health related. Do you have a tea that helps "my condition"? Do you have teas that can get rid of my tummy fat? Do you have teas that help me loose weight so that I don't have to exercises? Which tea burns more fat? Which tea has the most anti-oxidant? Do you have a brochure that list what kind of tea does what for your body? I think your tea will fly off the shelf if you can describe this tea looses weight, that tea lowers blood pressure... etc etc..... We use that as a guide to buy tea.

My business might triple if I were selling herbs instead of tea and I might be more successful as an herbalist than just a tea drinker. And if I were lacked of conscience, I should false advertise or maybe over stretch the benefits. Oh, some one actually asked if we serve opium in the back!!!!! Oh boy, I should be rolling on a Rolls Royce only if that was true, and don't forget the blink blinks looking like a pimp. Oy!

Aside of all jokes, tea can be very beneficial to human body in moderation and suitable for your health condition. I don't feel like repeating what I tell people day in and day out about how tea can effect one's body with just a "green tea", the most popular term. The questions made me realize how long the road is ahead of me to spread the knowledge about tea, especially the art of tea. There will be many many lectures before I can reach my favorite topic.

Leaves of the 50's red lable

My baby nephew and niece under the cherry tree

Since the opening of the tea lounge, time is a scarcity (not that it was ever not), visiting my family has not been on the schedule for weeks. I miss my niece and nephew tremendously. My mom is bit edgy when I don't show my face once in a while. The only time I get to see them is on days they come to visit. My niece is happy to have her tea party and snackies on the platform. How cute they are under my cherry tree. I wish I could spend more time with them especially when they are little. Missing their days of growing up is a heavy price to pay. I made a request to have my sis-in-law to taking them and my mom to visit this Sunday. Lovely!

Pictures of the Pu-erh event

Pictures of pu-erhs we tasted yesterday.


Will, Louise and guest.


Sean, Nick, Mindy and Mr. Liang in pink.


Jonathan, Danica and Guang. $5 if you could guess whose choppers are in the back! :P


90's green big tree, 2nd infusion I think.


90's green big tree leaf.

I'll post more details when I have more time.

Hand held yixing roaster

I picked up this little gadget a couple of weeks ago. Some time ago, I tried re-roasting old leaves on the stove with pleasant result. When I saw this little Yixing clay roaster, my curiosity got the best of me.

After weeks of hectic schedule of the opening and other business matters, I finally remember my new toy. The description says roasting fermented or semi-fermented tea before brewing can enhance the aroma and intensity of the flavor. 4 teas were roasted this afternoon. I am tea drunk now. I must had 12 different kinds tea today. The first one I roasted was a 9 yrs old loose imperial cooked pu by menghai. The result was very dramatic in flavor and aroma, especially the smoothness. The second one I tried was a 2006 lao banzhang. This is the one that got many of us high at our LA tea tasting. The reason I wanted to roast this cake is to soften the edgy rawness and hopefully the "drunken effect". The flavor turned out smoother and sweeter, less fragrant, but the "drunken effect" was very much present like the previous tastings. I then ventured to black tea, Jiu Qu Hong Mei. I like this black tea as is to begin with. It's the chosen one for the reason that it is my favorite black tea among my current stocks. Smooth mouth feel with lotsa plum like sweetness. I thought roasting it might enhance the ripen plum aroma. Turned out, it did not make much difference. The 4th was a 2000 yiwu zheng shan green cake. This cake was over dehydrated in my previous tastings. Dry fall leave like smell with the look to go with it. It was not my favorite, in fact disappointing when I tried it the first time. After roasting the imperial loose pu with good result, I thought this might be the right choice to test with. Wow, I was right about that. The taste improved 3 folds. The aroma, the smoothness and sweetness all came out much nicer than before. The dryness is still there tho. I think I'll unwrap the extra tissues, let it expose to the marine layers for another month, then try again. It might do wonders next time.

Over all, I am very happy with this new gadget!

Roasting tea before brewing was a common practice back in the Tang's dynasty. Tea were compressed in bricks at the time. It's a skill to roast the tea then grind into powder before brewing, tea powder was boiled/cooked over open fire at that time. Some minority tribes in Yunnan also roast tea before brewing, each has their own ways of roasting and utensils.

The gang's in da house

Behind the bar are (left to right) Louise, Will, Phyll, me and Nick.


I am extremely thankful to the LA Tea Affair gang whom volunteered their knowledge of tea at my opening tea party. It was such a fun event that some of the customers came back today telling me how much they learned from these guys the day before. A 12 years old little girl came again today and talked the tea lingo she learned from yesterday, sounded like a little tea connoisseur. It's absolutely amazing and funny. It's how I envision LA tea affair will become with a bigger crowd! It'd be great to have more open tea-bar events in the future. A couple (both are teachers) suggested a tea function at the South Coast Botanical Garden or the local library. That sounds like a beautiful idea that I should explore the possibility.

I have to thank CM (front left, next to the orchid)! He's the one took me to the desserts cafe in SD which lead to my own tea lounge. We met in Singapore 2.5 years ago, on a tour bus to the botanical garden which is famous for its 1000+ species of orchids. Yes, I am a tea addict and obsessing over orchids at the same time.

Open House

Story of the name

In case any of my dear readers wonder about the name of my tea lounge Tea Habitat. The process of picking out a name was not immediate. It took about 6 months of writing down every name came to mind on a spread sheet, checking back every week or so to see which one I still like and which ones were taken. Tea Habitat is my final choice and I like it more each time it comes to mind. Human are habitual beings, whether it's good or bad. A habitat is a natural environment to develop a habit or habits, in this case where tea can nourish our body and mind. Supposedly a good habit and possibly an addictive habit. :P

Chinese name on the other hand has a long story. I'll have to explain that later when I am not as tired. Sorry folks, will continue tomorrow. I'll get off work at 5pm. It's a short day! Some how I find that funny.

柒月茶軒 - Seven (fraud prove form) moon tea pavilion, word for word translation. July tea pavilion is a more literate translation. 柒 is the same as 七 . The 3 drops of water on the upper left and wood at the bottom signify livelihood, wood (plants) grow on water, water nourishes plants, tea plants in my case. This is the year of 2007 and I was born in July, tea is one of the 7 essentials of Chinese every day life, "seven things upon door opening, fire wood, rice, oil, salt, soysauce, vinegar, tea". Meaning 7 must haves as soon as the day begins. Tea is the number 7th item. 月 Moon is the first time measuring "unit" known to man. It's closely related to females from the beginning of human history. A monthly event every women must endure which synchronizes with the moon cycles, an inspiration for males to tell time relating to the moon. I think it's quite sacred in terms of human revolution. Other than the planet moon, as a female, I feel like honoring and celebrating the inspiration from women's hardship to the significance of our everyday life, although often neglected, or even unknown to many. 茶 tea, well, it's tea and a must have. :P 軒 pavilion, it happens to be one of the 3 characters in my brother's name. For his name, it means confident and noble. The most common endings of a tea shop are house, chamber, pavilion. All of those hidden meanings combined into 4 little characters. Chinese literature never cease to amaze me, especially my knowledge of Chinese is considered inadequate.

aaaaah, pictures

Timing is everything! I came home around 12:45 last night and found a little package at my door. It's my nikon camera! After more than a month at the nikon repair shop, it made its way back to my hands. :) Here are a few shots of my new tea shop, Tea Habitat. :)

Marine layer and pu-erh

Spring in So-cal is quite humid. Marine layer hovers the beach communities in the morning, which is giving my pu-erh a good dose of replenishment. I can smell the sweet aroma of my pu every time I walk by. Palos Verdes is particularly misty/foggy every morning and evening. You can see rolling clouds on the hill top. As I will transport my stock to that location, they should age really well. One of the cakes was over dehydrated at arrival, I am hoping the moisture will reverse the effect some what.