Yixing Tea Pot and Teas

[Aeyal]

I was considering buying Yixing teaware. But I read in the Mariage Freres book that Yixing teaware is motly fitting for teas high in tannin such as Assam, whereas for lighter teas such as Darjeeling, China etc it is better to use cast iron, porcelan or glass. Any input on this ? What teas do people use in Yixing? Would it fit ? I usually drink Darjeeling, Yunan, or oolong and green teas. I wonder if Yixing would thus come in handful in our household.

[teaspoon]

From what I've heard, Yixing teapots absorb the flavor of whatever tea you brew in them, so a lot of people only brew one kind of tea in each Yixing pot. I think, but I'm not certain, that Yixing pots are often used for oolongs. Does anybody with more experience with these pots have any input?

~teaspoon

[George]

Yixing tea pots are generally great for almost any kind of tea. The fact that it absorbs the essence and flavor of the tea is a plus. It is true that most tea fanatics use these pots for oolong but this is generally because the pots are made in an area of China where oolong tea is very popular. Thus the strong correlation between oolong tea and yixing pots. I personally bought two yixing pots recently and I love them. The irony here in my opinion is that the smaller the yixing pot, the better. It offers a better tea session for two people. Think it over. To fill two standard size yixing tea cups (they are small), you only need a little bit of water in the pot to steep the tea. Therefor for two people, you only need a little bit of water. Pouring too much water into a pot will mean that you will leave some water behind inside the pot after pouring and this will over oversteep your leaves for the next round. The idea here, dont leave water behind, add just enough for that steep to enjoy.
Yixing pots are usually genuine and have a signature at the bottom indicating an authenticity by the artist who made it. They are made from a mixture of red, purple, and standard clay from that area. The reason that its special to that area is because of the fine sand granules inside the clay that give it the perfect consistancy for shaping, steeping, and loving. I dont think i'll ever use another kind of teapot again. -g