Coconut cup and a question about teapot

[Rainy-Day]

Hiya, here's a coconut cup I carved out of a coconut with my own two hands, at great risk to myself (the saw I used wasn't really meant for this work and I had no vise grips):



I really like certain green teas in it.. they taste much better, I was surprised how much difference it made. Some other greens don't taste as good in it (vs. a regular cup). The best matches were a cheap teaspring Long Jing and similar teas like Yellows also from Teaspring.

Anyway, I have a question about this yixing: is it a bad match for senchas? At this point I don't have a kyusu and probably won't for a while, so this is one is the most suitable for senchas that I have because of the size (about 5.5-6oz) and it has a clay mesh at the spout. I bought it in ten ren in brooklyn a long time ago. I have no idea what type of clay it is, if you can see in the photo, it's light beige colour, and I wonder if anyone can comment if it's a good pot in general, what types of puerhs/oolongs is it best for, and anything else you can say!

thanks..

Edit: I should add that the cup developed small cracks & leaks a bit but nothing too serious. I used it for about half a year and it's holding up so far.

[Victoria]

That cup is very cool and unique. I love that.
Not to mention the colors are beautifully harmonious!

[Rainy-Day]

Thanks! The best thing about it is it creates a forest-like feeling when drinking the tea, almost like you're in a rain-forest, sitting under a tree and sipping tea.. with a glass or porcelain cup you feel like a part of civilization. Maybe there's also some connection between coconut and the tea leaves because both are parts of a plant. It has an interesting and strong effect on taste: it makes flavour notes much stronger, e.g. if I'm drinking a bitter/sweet cup of shincha, it becomes much more bitter and sweet at the same time. So, it doesn't work too good for such teas. Some Long Jings are very subtle and they benefit from this effect.

[Sam.]

That's really a neat idea. I wonder how long a coconut shell cup will last before you have to make a new one. I'd like to make one but I just know that I've chopped off a few fingers.

[Rainy-Day]

I think it will last many years because it cracked after first few uses and then it stayed the same since then. You're right about chopped off fingers, though, as I was working on it, I kept thinking how stupid and dangerous it is and how I should stop if I have any sense at all. Turns out, I don't.

[Rainy-Day]

Yep but I think they're all treated with water sealant, some kind of lacquer I guess. I think it will probably affect the taste of tea. Also part of the taste effect is from actual wood fibers of the coconut in contact with tea. I tried drinking tea from a wooden cup treated with lacquer - the type they sell in chinese stores that are meant to be used with cold/slightly warm soups. The tea tastes terrible!

I doubt the plain coconut cups are sold anywhere precisely because they'll crack - even if you just drink water from them. But for me small cracks are not a big deal, the tea just leaks a little bit in the 2nd bamboo cup.

[xuancheng]

Anyway, I have a question about this yixing: is it a bad match for senchas? At this point I don't have a kyusu and probably won't for a while, so this is one is the most suitable for senchas that I have because of the size (about 5.5-6oz) and it has a clay mesh at the spout. I bought it in ten ren in brooklyn a long time ago. I have no idea what type of clay it is, if you can see in the photo, it's light beige colour, and I wonder if anyone can comment if it's a good pot in general, what types of puerhs/oolongs is it best for, and anything else you can say!

I personally wouldn't drink a green tea from an Yixing. Lots of people would agree with me. However, you will find people who enjoy this pairing.

I have a colleague who is from Hangzhou, I actually took the time to introduce myself because he was holding an Yixing pot. I told him I had several, (just to get him to admit that) he had 30! His pots were all modern, made by 'famous masters' and ranged from several hundred to several thousand (USD) in price.

I was thinking, with all these pots, he must enjoy a great range of teas. It turned out he drank exclusively Longjing and Ginseng oolong with the occasional TGY. I nearly had to bang my head against the wall, because in my world view, you wouldn't use a zisha pot for any of these teas. You might use a nice zhuni for TGY, but not for longjing and certainly not for Ginseng oolong.

The point of the rambling anecdote is that an Yixing pot will make a change to your tea, and only you have the authority to decide if it is good or bad.

I have never had Japanese green tea in an Yixing, although it sounds like it might be worth a try even where a Chinese green might not work.

[Rainy-Day]

xuancheng: yeah, I in fact never use yixings for greens, haven't done that even once. But sencha is completely different from chinese greens. The issue is, I don't have anything that could brew senchas in a practical, comfortable way, so I had to use yixing or nothing at all. It actually comes out pretty nicely.

I already used this same pot for many different puerhs and darker oolongs, but never for the same type of tea for a long time so it's not really seasoned. It's my only yixing (well, I actually have a smaller very cheap red clay yixing but I think I ruined it by forgetting tea in it for a week+ once - it has a spoiled smell now).

So until I build up a small collection of yixing pots, and get a kyusu as well, I have to use this yixing for all these teas I mentioned. For chinese greens, whites, yellows, green oolongs, blacks I use two large glass pots.

[Tead Off]

Why not use a purple yixing pot for green teas? If reduction fired purple clay is supposed to enhance flavor, it seems appropriate.

The 1st tea master I met years ago in Hong Kong, suggested I buy a small, flat, porous red yixing pot for Longqing. I used it for years successfully but I cannot find it now. Maybe buried in a storage closet. This thread has reminded me of it and now I long for it.

[Chip]

Yixing tends to mute already subtle greens. I know this from personal experience.

[Tead Off]

Yixing tends to mute already subtle greens. I know this from personal experience.

Many kinds of yixing clays, Chip. My current favorite for greens is bankoyaki. I really want to find that missing pot so I can compare.

BTW, how do those Bizen pots do with greens?

[Chip]

Yixing tends to mute already subtle greens. I know this from personal experience.

Many kinds of yixing clays, Chip. My current favorite for greens is bankoyaki. I really want to find that missing pot so I can compare.

BTW, how do those Bizen pots do with greens?

It is a pretty common commentary about the Yixing and greens, but there could be a good one for greens out there. I used one exclusively for Long Jing every day for hundreds and hundreds of brews. When I switched to a gaiwan, I found the gaiwan brew much better on the first try. I was kind of stunned how noticable it was.

The new/old Bizen Houhin-s have not been used yet. I am still in the just getting to know them stage.

The Bizen Kyusu is still in the honeymoon stage. I use it but not extensively, and only for asamushi.

[Tead Off]

Chip, greens are not a strong point of mine as far as my desire goes for tea. I strongly favor oolongs. But, I've drunk my share of Chinese greens.

Do you own any banko teapots? If you do, I'd be interested to hear how you like them with greens. I haven't found anything better.

I've never liked gaiwans. I don't think porcelain does anything for tea. My experience is exactly opposite yours. Brewing in good yixing clay is wonderful. But, I do like to drink from porcelain cups. Nothing like high quality, thin porcelain against your lips.

[Chip]

Well, I WILL own a good Banko one day, hopefully sooner than later. So I cannot comment on them. I hear all good things.

Porcelain is just a good neutral brewing vessel. They won't mess up my tea and they may not help it either ... it is a bit of a "wash."

I do not like to drink from an unglazed cup, but it can be clay to porcelain, gotta be glazed. I do not care for the feel of exposed clay on my lips at all.