Instructor Introduction
Wang Lin
Wang Lin is a teacher at Ziyang Vocational Education Center in Shaanxi Province, an outstanding instructor in the Shaanxi Provincial Secondary Vocational Skills Competition, and a top teacher at the municipal level in Ankang. She is also a national-level tea-tasting technician and tea art technician, as well as a senior etiquette trainer certified by the China Vocational Training Association. Wang has won third place in the national skills competition for teachers, first place in the Shaanxi Provincial skills competition for teachers, and first place in the Shaanxi Provincial secondary vocational school micro-course competition.
Selection of Tea Utensils
01
Fusion of Tea, Water, and Fire
“Tea is nourished by water, water is given form through vessels, and the Infusion is completed with fire. All four are essential and cannot be absent.” The importance of tea utensils was mentioned by tea lover Xu Chishu in his work “Tea Notes” as early as the Ming Dynasty. From this, we can see that choosing the right utensil to Brew good tea is very important, as the correct choice often enhances the nature of the tea; conversely, it can alter the taste of the tea.
Advantages of Glass Cups and Covered Bowls as Main brewing Utensils
Green tea, not having undergone Fermentation, retains the green hues of fresh leaves both in its processed form and when brewed, characterized by “green dry leaves, green infusion, and green infused leaves.” When enjoying green tea, one can savor its refreshing and sweet flavor, as well as appreciate its graceful appearance.
For brewing green tea, we recommend using a glass cup.
The glass cup is hard, clear, and quick to dissipate heat. Using a glass cup as the main brewing utensil allows one to observe the tea leaves swirling and slowly unfurling in the water during the brewing process.
For slightly coarser green teas, a Porcelain covered bowl can be used for brewing. The elegant shape of the covered bowl, along with any painted designs, adds aesthetic value. This can help cover up the less than perfect shapes of the leaves while highlighting the beautiful color of the infusion and the clear, high fragrance.
03
Selection and Usage Methods for Water Pots, Six Gentlemen of Tea Utensils, and Other Tools
You may have noticed that simply having the main brewing utensil isn't enough to conveniently brew tea, so we need to prepare some additional auxiliary tools:
1. First, there's the water pot. Since green tea should not be brewed with too hot water, as it can scald the tea buds and ruin the fresh taste, it's best to use a glass water pot with good heat dissipation. You can choose either a side-handle or a handle-over-top pot based on your preference for handling.
2. To conveniently dispose of used water, we need a water basin. The material of the water basin should match the main brewing utensil and water pot to avoid an unbalanced tea setting.
3. A tea caddy is used to store tea leaves, but it's not convenient for handling the leaves, so we need a tea scoop and tea tray. If you're using a covered bowl, you'll use a tea pick when flipping the lid.
The set of tools you see here is known as the “Six Gentlemen of Tea Utensils,” which includes: a tea tool holder, tea pick, tea tongs, tea measure, tea spoon, and tea funnel.
The tea tool holder is for storing these tools; the tea pick is used to flip the lid of the covered bowl or to clear the spout; the tea tongs are for handling smaller tasting cups; the tea measure is convenient for scooping tea from the tea caddy and also serves as a measuring tool; the tea spoon is for transferring tea from the tea tray into the main brewing utensil; and the tea funnel increases the area for adding tea to the pot, preventing the leaves from spilling out. After understanding the functions of these tools, you may realize that some are unnecessary for brewing green tea, so in setting up the tea table, it's sufficient to have what you need.
Simplicity and Elegance in Displaying the Tea Setting
In summary, the selection of tea utensils is determined based on the characteristics of the tea and the number of people drinking. The auxiliary tools used should be just enough. Tea leaves are free from additives such as pigments, fragrances, and preservatives, making them healthy and natural. Therefore, when selecting tea utensils and arranging the tea setting, we should aim for simplicity, elegance, and naturalness.
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