Why are teacups always so small?

[nonc_ron]

Little rant on my part but it has a purpose...

I can get a few matches by crossing vendors but I don´t particularly like the idea of paying separate shipping from overseas...especially since teaware is recomended to go by EMS.

I´m poking at the idea of a 90 to 150ml gaiwan or little porcelain pot and maybe a kyusu that´s 200-300ml....would really like pretty cups that match in size for drinking alone...but they are hard to find!

Ditto! Ditto! Ditto!, And when you find exactly what you want, it's
Out of Stock! I have a folder in my bookmarks named "Out of Stock S****"
(stuff ) Every couple weeks I go down the list to see if anything has come in. I've been doing this for about 2 months.

[Robert Fornell]

Well........... there may be a few cultural factors.

In Japan, where the portions of everthing tend to run "small", visiting someones home and when they offer tea, it is usually served in a yunomi which would be smallish by our standards and would only be around 1/2 to 2/3 full, as the host wouldn't want to make the guest drink a lot of something they might not like, while at the same time offering the guest the chance to compliment the host by asking for okawari, or a re-fill.

Then again in Kyoto, if the host offers the guest a re-fill, at which time one should refuse, that means it's time to leave.....

Best,
R

[nickE]

One of the reasons that I prefer smaller cups, which I don't think has been mentioned yet, is because they help cool the tea faster.

I especially find this useful for shengpu. I brew it in a yixing that retains heat very well, which is both good and bad. Shengpu needs the water to be as close to 212F as possible (IMHO) to extract all the flavors. However, this means that when you pour into cups, it'll be WAY too hot to drink. Because of this, I first pour into a glass fair cup, then I distribute the tea into my 50ml drinking cup. This cools the tea down to where I am able to drink it without taking very long.

I personally find it more pleasing to drink from a smaller cup, and it often seems that I lose some of the taste and fragrance if I use a larger cup.

This is the other reason why I prefer smaller cups.

[entropyembrace]

So far I´m thinking of going with this pot...

http://www.o-cha.com/green-tea/tokoname ... -k231.html

and this cup

http://www.o-cha.com/Arita-yaki-Teacup-16507.html

from the dimesions it should work out okay...and for style it´s my #2 from O-cha´s selection

I really like this cup too but from the dimensions I´m not sure it will be very useful :s

http://www.o-cha.com/Arita-yaki-Teacup-16505.html

Still thinking about a gongfu for one setup for oolongs but the Japanese style wares go first...It´s Chip´s fault he got me hooked on sencha with the OTTI

I feel like I NEED MOAR SENCHA!

and with the weather getting warmer I´m not craving the roasted oolongs as much...

[Chip]

eeeexcellent!

As the world turns, so do the teas of our lives!

[nickE]

eeeexcellent!

Can't help but read it in a Mr. Burns voice.

[Marco]

Nice choice entropyembrace. I realy like the kyusu.

Well........... there may be a few cultural factors.

In Japan, where the portions of everthing tend to run "small", visiting someones home and when they offer tea, it is usually served in a yunomi which would be smallish by our standards and would only be around 1/2 to 2/3 full, as the host wouldn't want to make the guest drink a lot of something they might not like, while at the same time offering the guest the chance to compliment the host by asking for okawari, or a re-fill.

Then again in Kyoto, if the host offers the guest a re-fill, at which time one should refuse, that means it's time to leave.....

Best,
R

Oh I have to add something.
I drank some sake with a Japanese host. Got it in a nice wooden and square pot. And they filled it till it was more than full and the sake ran over the edges This has been intentionally and so I asked why.
They told me it has to - otherwise the host is a stingy person.

So it differs from filling 2/3.

Different countries - different customs.

ciao
Marco

[Alex]

This is a nice 120ml I bought for the wifey

http://www.yuuki-cha.com/Japanese+Teacu ... aki+Teacup

check out their range.

[JBaymore]

........as the host wouldn't want to make the guest drink a lot of something they might not like, while at the same time offering the guest the chance to compliment the host by asking for okawari, or a re-fill.

Then again in Kyoto, if the host offers the guest a re-fill, at which time one should refuse, that means it's time to leave.....

It is so much fun trying to explain this kind of stuff to people who do not "know" Japan and the Japanese.

best,

.................john

[nonc_ron]

Well...... there may be a few cultural factors.
In Japan, where the portions of everthing tend to run "small"

But I'm not in Japan or China. In the US we like cups big.
What cultural factor prevents them from giving customers what they want?
From my point of view it would be good business sense.
(I'm not mad, I just like complaining )

[entropyembrace]

Well...... there may be a few cultural factors.
In Japan, where the portions of everthing tend to run "small"

But I'm not in Japan or China. In the US we like cups big.
What cultural factor prevents them from giving customers what they want?
From my point of view it would be good business sense.
(I'm not mad, I just like complaining )

I just want cups the size of my pots because I´m antisocial

[AdamMY]

Well...... there may be a few cultural factors.
In Japan, where the portions of everthing tend to run "small"

But I'm not in Japan or China. In the US we like cups big.
What cultural factor prevents them from giving customers what they want?
From my point of view it would be good business sense.
(I'm not mad, I just like complaining )

I'm somewhat confused by some of these comments. Granted I do not have a Giant collection of Japanese tea ware, but I like to think that mine is definitely not a small collection.

I had a Hagi Show and tell with Chip when I was living closer to him a few months ago, and granted some cups, even those labeled as yunomi, which he was showing off were a bit diminutive due to western standards. But then I look at other pieces which even when 1/2 to 2/3rds full hold roughly the equivalent of a standard western coffee mug.

So Nonc_Ron, I say just look around, they can be found in many different sizes.

[nonc_ron]

I just want cups the size of my pots because I´m antisocial

Exactly, and I have a 6oz Gaiwan

[JBaymore]

What cultural factor prevents them from giving customers what they want?
From my point of view it would be good business sense.

The Japanese studio artists and small production facilities making most of the wares you are seeing in specialty tea places and galleries are making them for the Japanese market.... not for the export Western market. The stuff gets exported because many people outside of Japan like the work. So the fact that it is designed to Japanese cultural tastes and concepts is not a liability from a business standpoint.

There is plenty of export ware designed for the Western market. It is mass produced and you can find it in major chain stores in the USA. Mugs and teapots and such.

A lot if that export production work used to come from Japan.... and was pretty good work both in design and execution..... but China basically killed that business in Japan. The ceramic industry in Japan is in a real mess becasue of cheap Chinese production. Japan imports a lot of cheap production pottery from China now. You would be amazed at the number of production pottery facilities that used to be flourishing in Japan that are completely gone now. I have a slide show that focuses this subject. All happened in a span of about 15 years. Some places look like ghost towns....with greenware still sitting on racks and equipment rusting.

best,

...............john

PS: And AdamNY has a point. I have Japanese drinking wares that vary all over the place in volume.

[brad4419]

Every time a nice small teapot shows up somewhere teachat members buy them up too quickly Its the teachat void where nice teaware goes in but will never be seen again except in pictures