What is Purple Clay Teapots?
Purple clay teapots are also called Yixing clay teapots because purple clay only comes from the town of Yixing in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu. Yixing teapots are well known for bringing out the best in tea's taste and color.
Yixing teapots are meant for use with black and oolong teas, as well as aged pǔ’ěr tea. They can also be used for green or white tea,
but the water must be allowed to cool to around 85 degrees Celsius
before pouring the water into the pot. Yixing teapots absorb a tiny
amount of tea into the pot during brewing. After prolonged use, the pot
will develop a coating that retains the flavor and color of the tea. It
is for this reason that soap should not be used to clean Yixing teapots.
Instead, it should be rinsed with fresh water and allowed to air-dry. A
studious tea connoisseur will only steep one type of tea in a
particular pot, so as not to corrupt the flavor that has been absorbed.
Traditionally, some Chinese would pour the tea from the spout directly into their mouths.
Yixing teapots are smaller than their western counterparts as the tea is often brewed for only a few seconds before it is served to guests. Reusing the same tea leaves multiple times, the first brew of the tea leaf is usually used only to clean tea, teapot, and cups and is not to be consumed. Chinese people traditionally drink from cups that hold less than one ounce of liquid and are simply repeatedly filled
so that they may cool rapidly but can be ingested before the tea becomes cold.
