Kyusu Cleaning Utensils?

[joelbct]

I have learned that Chinese Gongfu-ers typically use wooden implements to pick up cups and clean teapots, such as this nifty set which is on my wish list:



Utensils from Dragon Tea House

Is there a Japanese equivalent for cleaning Sencha from Kyusu after brewing? I realized I need something- I don't want to risk scraping my Kyusu with a metal spoon.

Thank you in advance-

PS, here are some nifty video demonstrations of various Chinese brewing techniques, from sevencups. I love watching the gonf fu brewing, it is like a meditation:

Various Brewing Techniques, including Gong Fu

Gong Fu Brewing

[MarshalN]

A terminology issue -- chadao means "Way of Tea", which, yes, is the same as Chado in Japanese.

I have no idea why these guys called this set chadao. It's like calling a chashaku a "Chado".

[joelbct]

A terminology issue -- chadao means "Way of Tea", which, yes, is the same as Chado in Japanese.

I have no idea why these guys called this set chadao. It's like calling a chashaku a "Chado".

lol, that's funny, I noticed the "Cha" in "Cha Dao" and just assumed "Dao" meant wooden utensils in Mandarin or something

Actually, Yunnan Sourcing calls them Cha Dao also, perhaps "Dao" does mean "utensils" or "tools" in Mandarin...

Regardless, what's the verdict anyway? What do all of you kyusu-users out there use for cleaning spent leaves out of the kyusu?

-Joel

[witches brew]

I use a wooden teaspoon to get out most of the leaves, and then rinse the remaining ones out.

I just looked at an itemized drawing of a mizuya (preparation room) in The Tea Ceremony by Tanaka and Tanaka, and there is no mention of anything like the tools used in gong fu.

[Space Samurai]

I just rinse my teapots out with water when I'm done. A few rinses and no more tea leaves.

[Mary R]

Regardless, what's the verdict anyway? What do all of you kyusu-users out there use for cleaning spent leaves out of the kyusu?

Fingers. I got 10 of 'em...might as well use them for something.

I just scoop out the spent leaves, then rinse the rest out. If I had a garbage disposal in my sink, though...I expect I'd omit the scooping. Spent sencha has an unpleasant texture to the tips.

[MarshalN]

A terminology issue -- chadao means "Way of Tea", which, yes, is the same as Chado in Japanese.

I have no idea why these guys called this set chadao. It's like calling a chashaku a "Chado".

lol, that's funny, I noticed the "Cha" in "Cha Dao" and just assumed "Dao" meant wooden utensils in Mandarin or something

Actually, Yunnan Sourcing calls them Cha Dao also, perhaps "Dao" does mean "utensils" or "tools" in Mandarin...

Regardless, what's the verdict anyway? What do all of you kyusu-users out there use for cleaning spent leaves out of the kyusu?

-Joel

No, I can assure you dao does NOT mean wooden utensils. I don't know where they get these names from... if you say "chadao" to a Chinese I think very few would come up with these sets of tools as the image...

Rinsing a pot sounds like the way to go.

[chamekke]

Is there a Japanese equivalent for cleaning Sencha from Kyusu after brewing? I realized I need something- I don't want to risk scraping my Kyusu with a metal spoon.

Well, I looked in my Japanese-language Way of Sencha book, but couldn't find any pictures showing how the pot is cleaned out. Obviously the cleaning-the-kyusu step doesn't take place in the tearoom (no surprise there).

Every Japanese person I've ever seen uses the simple approach of filling the kyusu with water, swirling and pouring out the wet-leaf/water mixture, and repeating those two steps until no more leaves appear in the rinse water and the kyusu is clean. That's what I do, too.

If tea gets stuck in the mesh and won't come out through rinsing, I just let it dry out. The dried leaf shrinks and falls into the pot, and then I simply shake it out.

[joelbct]

Is there a Japanese equivalent for cleaning Sencha from Kyusu after brewing? I realized I need something- I don't want to risk scraping my Kyusu with a metal spoon.

Well, I looked in my Japanese-language Way of Sencha book, but couldn't find any pictures showing how the pot is cleaned out. Obviously the cleaning-the-kyusu step doesn't take place in the tearoom (no surprise there).

Every Japanese person I've ever seen uses the simple approach of filling the kyusu with water, swirling and pouring out the wet-leaf/water mixture, and repeating those two steps until no more leaves appear in the rinse water and the kyusu is clean. That's what I do, too.

If tea gets stuck in the mesh and won't come out through rinsing, I just let it dry out. The dried leaf shrinks and falls into the pot, and then I simply shake it out.

Thanks, yes I usually use the water swirling approach too, and the let-it-dry approach for the last bit, but I use the leaf for compost, so I have to scoop most of the leaf out before I clean the pot with water swirling. In any case, I like that Chinese set I posted above, I think I may well order it today...

[chamekke]

I use the leaf for compost, so I have to scoop most of the leaf out before I clean the pot with water swirling.

Well, it's another part of the whole sensual experience ... holding a pawful of exhausted tea leaves and giving them respectful burial ... "I honour the leaves that have given up their life for me"

In any case, I like that Chinese set I posted above, I think I may well order it today...

Heh

Had a friend in Seattle who was given some unbelievably delicious Oolong, plus what looked like an ebony chadao set (if that's what they're called), about three years ago. He didn't know what the chadao set was, so he offered it to me. I didn't know what it was either, so I said Naw, no point in taking it home if I can't use it. I think he ended up getting rid of it.

{thuds head against brick wall repeatedly}

See, I don't ALWAYS snarfle the goodies!

[MarshalN]

You can probably find a functional set on ebay for about $5 to $10....

Speaking of which, how do you compost the leaves, or do you just let them go play in the dirt?

[tenuki]

Gonf Fu Brewing

[edit- corrected terminology thanks MarshalN!]

MarshalN, you telling people to spell it Gonf Fu nowadays?!?!

[tenuki]

I compost all my leaves the old fashion way, I throw them on the dirt...

[joelbct]

Gonf Fu Brewing

[edit- corrected terminology thanks MarshalN!]

MarshalN, you telling people to spell it Gonf Fu nowadays?!?!

Lol yah that one was all MarshalN's doing

[joelbct]

You can probably find a functional set on ebay for about $5 to $10....

Speaking of which, how do you compost the leaves, or do you just let them go play in the dirt?

We have a stackable compost crate system, it gets rotated, and I may get some worms for it this season. I think the main rules w/ composting are, as you probably know, of course, no amimal products, no oils, and no citrus, but all other vegetable matter are good.

The dirt yields some amazing large heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes...

PS



I settled on this set, $11 from Imperial Tea Court. I didn't want to deal w/ the shipping or wait time from DTH or YS.