Kyusu

[chado.my.teaway]

Why Kyusu is the best for green tea?

[David R.]

Why Kyusu is the best for green tea?

I'd say a gaiwan is best for green tea in general. A kyusu is "best" for japanese green teas because it is the local and traditional tool do so. It also has a good filter to deal with the most fragmented sencha (fukamushi type). And finally, a kyusu is beautiful !

[chado.my.teaway]

Yeah, Japanese. Thats only reason? Maybe some fuction it has?

[dshu]

Personally, I feel that the side handles on kyusus make it easier to control the pour, allowing one to pour more slowly and carefully, which i think works best for most japanese greens.

[Chip]

When I first got into Japanese teas and saw the Kyusu, it had instant appeal ... I like its design, the different ways to hold and pour, the way the screens vary to accomodate most any Japanese tea, and they just look really cool.

Of course, it seems natural that someone drawn to Japanese teas will favor the Kyusu or Shib or Hobin ... while perhaps someone really into Pu-erh or high fired oolong is likely to really get into Yixing. The pot becomes an extension of the teas we enjoy. And this often extends into the culture and teaware arts/crafts.

For Chinese greens, and virtually any non Japanese tea for that matter ... I currently move more towards Chinese wares.

Etc.

[gingkoseto]

Whaaat??? I thought a small kyusu is the best for oolong...

[saxon75]

Not sure if this really belongs in a new topic or not, but this sort of dovetails with something I've been thinking about lately. Which is, how much difference does the type of brewing vessel really make in terms of how the tea tastes? I can see where the aesthetics and ritual around each type of vessel will change the experience, but in terms of taste it doesn't make much sense to me that the vessel will make a big difference in terms of the tea itself, notwithstanding the difference between porous and nonporous materials.

It seems to me that an unglazed kyusu (made of good clay) and a yixing pot of comparable size should produce very similar results. And likewise, a glazed kyusu, a porcelain gaiwan, and a glass pot with strainer should also produce similar results, assuming they all hold the same volume. But I've never actually tried it, so I don't know for sure. Is there really a big difference, or is it fairly subtle? Or is the difference mainly in the aesthetics and feel?

[Chip]

coulda, shoulda, woulda ... didn't.

There are so many variables that come into play with the type of pot, materials, screen type, etc ... not to mention how aesthetics can "enhance the tea experience."

A kyusu does not guarantee the best cup of sencha as all the factors come into play. But it is a great headstart.

Many members have said over the years, the Japanese have created the kyusu to brew their teas. It stands to reason that these have proven to be very successful for this purpose or perhaps they would easily import teapots from China, etc. ... which actually they do but for the more price point conscious market.

[saxon75]

It seems to me that Japanese people mainly use the kyusu rather than Chinese teapots because that's their tradition, one that stretches back hundreds of years. Cheap international trade is relatively recent compared to the history of tea in Japan, and Japanese culture places a particularly high value on tradition. I don't have any data or studies to back this up, but it's in the same ballpark as "it stands to reason."

But, say for a lighter oolong, which it seems like the consensus would be to brew in a gaiwan. Practically speaking, if you used the same tea, the same leaf/water ratio, the same brewing time, and the same water, would you expect tea brewed in a gaiwan to taste markedly different from tea brewed in a glazed kyusu? Serious question. And I'm by no means discounting the aesthetic aspect nor the connection to tradition--I can totally see why that part is important. I'm just wondering about the more quantifiable aspects.

[futurebird]

Isn't "kyusu" the Japanese word for teapot, even those with a handle opposite the spout rather than on the side? Though it seems in English the word has come to only mean those teapots with "sideways" handles.

I drink every kind of tea from time to time and I do not own one of these side-handle'd kyusu. I think once can get similar results with a porcelain gaiwan (though maybe with a strainer) or a porcelain teapot. But If I'm wring I'd love to know.

If I drank more greens I'd get one. They seem very convient with their large mesh strainers and simple design.

[Chip]

I had asked Toru of Artitic Nippon about this not too long ago ...

Hi Chip,

I never thought about the definition of kyusu so much!

I guess Kyusu has a wide meaning and the definition might not be as accurate as "teapot".
One encyclopedia says it is a pot with handles for brewing tea.
Another says it is a teapot.
There was one definition which classed it as "a pot with a handle on side for brewing tea".

In my actual store when our customers ask for kyusu, I figure that they are referring to
teapots with handles on the side. Back handled teapots are called "ti-potto". Back handled
Chinese teapots are called "chako" which is the Japanese pronounciation for Chahu.
Dobin are called dobin. When people come to a store like mine, I guess they have to be
specific with what they would like to buy, by asking for a Shiboridashi or a Houhin.

>Although it is easy to simply call them by their specific name, but what if on a table
there were examples of many types of Japanese teapots. Would it be OK ... proper ... to say,
"On this table are many examples of different styles of 'Kyusu?'" Yes, in my store
all the teapots, kyusu, houhin, shiboridashi are in the kyusu sect.

So to summarize, "kyusu" can be used to refer to a side handled Japanese style teapot
or as a blanket term for Japanese teapots in general. Actually usage probably depends on where you are
in Japan as well . It's not an easy question to answer!

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

Toru

[Teaism]

I'm just wondering about the more quantifiable aspects.

IMHO, I guess the 3 very basic quantifiable aspects are the tea ( e.g. its quality and amount used) , the water (e.g. its quality and temperature) and the interaction between the two (the steeping time and the speed of the pour etc.).

The rest including the teawares are variables . If you try hard and long enough, you can control the variables, to get your perceived brew. You can almost get the same result with the understanding of these 3 basic qualtifiable aspects irregardless what teawares you use. Teawares are just part of the vehicle for the whole journey. Of course teawares contribute to the overall journey and experience of the tea ceremony in aesthetic and tradition. So kyusu does contribute to the overall experience of a Japanese tea ceremony, but not necessarily on the quality of the brew.

[Tead Off]

If I drank more greens I'd get one. They seem very convient with their large mesh strainers and simple design.

I'm not familiar with every type of Japanese kyusu made, but many of them are not thin walled, not unglazed, and not Tokoname or Banko clay. Many other types of teas can be made successfully in side handled pots from Bizen to Hagi. I also use Seong il's Korean side handled pots for oolongs and puerh teas with great success. I would venture to say that most Koreans are thinking about green teas in their pots, but this is a very limited view of the capabilities of many kinds of teapots that can brew different teas very well.

[tingjunkie]

Yeah, Japanese. Thats only reason? Maybe some fuction it has?

Anyone else going to read all of c.m.t's posts in Yoda's voice from now on?

Kidding. I have no doubt your English is infinitely better than my Polish.

[chado.my.teaway]