Puple Clay Tea Pots - what is good about them?
 

(I have been posting a lot of newbie questions lately, I hope no one minds.)


I am seeing Purple Clay being desirable, is it marketing or is there
some truth to it, and if so, why?


tia,
TBerk

/5/04


>
>
> (I have been posting a lot of newbie questions lately, I hope no one minds.)

Nobody minds.

> I am seeing Purple Clay being desirable, is it marketing or is there
> some truth to it, and if so, why?

Tia,

It's a particular "clay" mined in a particular region around a town called
YiXing, in China. This clay is considered very good for tea partly because,
even fired at a high heat and therefore more glass-like than for example
earthenware, it remains porous. Porosity allows the pot walls to pick up the
molecules of residual tea, improving the flavor of tea brewed in in it as
the pot ages. Therefore, the it ages more gracefully than pots made of other
clays. Some say, undoubtedly rightfully so, that this is not technically a
clay but rather a paste, produced from pulverized rock. OK by me.

In addition, there are traditional forms for these pots that are quite
simple and quite nice. Further, the pots are often made into absurdly
modernistic and animalistic forms that scream look-at-me. These are not
nice. Others' opinions might differ because some people have no taste.
IM*H*O. There is much more to say, but I won't bore you more than is
necessary.

Michael

There is definitely truth to these pots being excellent for tea. I
used to use glazed pots for everything until I finally found an
inexpensive Yixing (purple clay) pot. After an initial seasoning, each
pot of tea gets better and better. The only example I can think of is
a meerschaum tobacco pipe. Like a yixing pot, they are relatively
porous. After being used, the pores are filled with good essences of
whatever has been put in it, enhancing the item for the next use.

Now that being said I have two pots, one for lightly oxidized green
oolongs, and one for darker oolongs like Bai Hao. I still use glazed
ware for pu-erh, greens, whites and blacks.

-ben

Michael Plant wrote:
> /5/04
>
>
>
>>
>>(I have been posting a lot of newbie questions lately, I hope no one minds.)
>
>
> Nobody minds.
>
>
>>I am seeing Purple Clay being desirable, is it marketing or is there
>>some truth to it, and if so, why?
>
>
> Tia,
>
> It's a particular "clay" mined in a particular region around a town called
> YiXing, in China.


OK, Thx (both replies).


btw, My 1st Initial is indeed T, but tia = 'Thanks In Advance'.



TBerk

Michael Plant wrote:
> /5/04
>
>
>
>>
>>(I have been posting a lot of newbie questions lately, I hope no one minds.)
>
>
> Nobody minds.
>
>
>>I am seeing Purple Clay being desirable, is it marketing or is there
>>some truth to it, and if so, why?
>
>
> Tia,
>
> It's a particular "clay" mined in a particular region around a town called
> YiXing, in China.


OK, Thx (both replies).


btw, My 1st Initial is indeed T, but tia = 'Thanks In Advance'.



TBerk