Monday TeaDay 7/28/08 All time favorite brewing vessel?

[CynTEAa]

what kind of flower is that? or is it a flower?

It's called a Blood Lily, Scadoxus multiflorus.

Is it a type of allium?

[CynTEAa]

My white ceramic plain very first "brown betty style" teapot.

Barry's Gold in the pot this morning.

We're heading out of town for a couple days (but I'm taking my laptop). I have a tiny pot and handful of emergency teabags packed. There is a TeaSmith store where I'm headed, so I'll drop by and explore a bit. I'm hoping they have pu-ehr by the cup so I can taste it. Anyone been there or have an opinion of TeaSmith?

Himself has already told me I am NOT to buy another teapot. But those Beehouse pots are just so darn cute...

Have heard good things about TeaSmith and know they are quite particular about their teas and wares. Let us know your experience when you return!

Does 'Himself' have some indulgences you can use to justify your purchase? Such as, "Hey did you really need that pair of cleats for running around the yard?"

My favorite vessel these days is my gaiwan. Small one. Not like that honking two-hander. (It's gorgeous though!)

[Katrina]

I also picked gaiwan for its versatility, but I wouldn't want to give any of them up. I think I probably use my little Bee House teapot most often but love the Yixing and Kyusu for their particular uses.

Victorian Afternoon today. About to pour some iced English Breakfast. Nothing too fancy today. Just trying to get through the day after a few days on the road.

And CynTEAa - I am almost positive Blood Lily is an allium.

[Salsero]

Is it a type of allium?

It used to be included in the Haemanthus genus but taxonomists now place it in the Scadoxus genus with only 9 other species, all natives of Africa. Rumors of its involvement with the Allium genus are grossly exaggerated. This is how malicious gossip starts!

They are in the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. They are also supposed to be poisonous, so onion breath is likely to be -- at worst -- a short-lived problem.

[BonBon]

Kyuusu for me easily. Gaiwan is a close second.

This afternoon: some cheap Gyokuromatsu I'm trying to get rid of and make some more space for better teas.

[augie]

I almost voted Kyusu but I feel the Gaiwan is more versatile.
heres my new gaiwan from dragonteahouse, a 200ml beast.. it's a little tricky to handle but I like it quite a bit and it can even serve 2.

Zodduska: That gaiwan would definately be worth burned fingers, etc . . . WOW! I am going to go check into donating blood plasma this week so I can get me that gaiwan.

[Grubby]

I have a question for those who voted Kyusu:
What kind of teas do you brew in your kyusu? Only japanese greens or what?
(This is not a criticism of your vote in any way, i am just curious)

[Cinnamon Kitty]

I have a favorite vessel per type of tea, but not overall. My kyusu is my favorite for Japanese Greens and my gaiwan is my favorite for oolongs. Otherwise, I use a Pyrex measuring cup and a strainer or an infuser basket in a mug, but those are more practical and are not favorites.

I started with some Oolong #8 this morning and moved to Hashiri Shincha when I got home from work. I then got the bright idea to make a tisane out of fresh chamomile flowers that I found in the back garden. I planted chamomile last year and didn't realize that it would come back, so it was a pleasant surprise to find it still alive and spreading this year. The brew smelled like apples and pineapple and the liquid was a vibrant, day-glo yellow. It tasted fresh, mild, and slightly sweet. I will definitely try this again when more blossoms appear on my plant. Hopefully my experiment with the fresh spearmint leaves is tasty too.

[Geekgirl]

I doubt I could pick a favorite brewing vessel. It really depends upon my mood and my tea... I have favorite cup or two.

Today, I'm drinking matcha (usucha) from my lovely new teabowl.



Posted a bit about my first really good experience with matcha here.

[britt]

If chawan here means matcha chawan, I chose that. A very interactive and unique way of consuming tea, even casually.

[britt]

I have a question for those who voted Kyusu:
What kind of teas do you brew in your kyusu? Only japanese greens or what?
(This is not a criticism of your vote in any way, i am just curious)

I didn't vote kyusu, but what the heck! I'll answer anyway.

Some brew Chinese or other non-Japanese tea in their kyusus, but I brew only Japanese teas in them. I include genmaicha and houjicha, which are quite a bit different than sencha and gyokuro. All of these work well when brewed in kyusu.

IMO Yixings and gaiwans are designed for Chinese teas and kyusu for Japanese teas, so it's best to stick with those combinations that 1000 years of tea history has already given us. The tea and teaware from these two countries are very different from each other, so I choose not to add another variable. However, you can brew tea in anything and if you like it that way, that's what counts.

[Thirsty Daruma]

The gaiwan is almost poetic in its functional and simple beauty. And it's a cultural icon too. To me, no other "thing" symbolizes the broadest definition of tea more than a humble gaiwan. Nope, not even a Brown Betty.

[Chip]

I have a question for those who voted Kyusu:
What kind of teas do you brew in your kyusu? Only japanese greens or what?
(This is not a criticism of your vote in any way, i am just curious)

I used to brew everything in a kyusu, but these days, only Japanese. I don't mind others who use theirs for other teas. I just remember what happened to my kyusu after a few years...nastinesss.

Currently Tao of Tea AliShan from Victoria...THANX. Very good...and different enough from the normal fare from Alishan that I have grown accustomed to. This has hints of cinnamon...and a faint toastiness, but it is still dominated by its mostly green profile. *Likes it...*

[Victoria]

Also brewing the Tao of Tea AliShan, this is just a great priced high mountain oolong. Surprisingly good.

As the tea cools down the cinnamon is very apparent.
Delish!

[augie]

I have a question for those who voted Kyusu:
What kind of teas do you brew in your kyusu? Only japanese greens or what?

Sencha. However, after reading the poll today I realized that I haven't had green since my pot broke. So I went through my stash and found some Houji-Kukicha from Dens and shared a cup with my kid.