Purple clay Teapots are powerful tools for brewing Tea, and to make the most of their performance, one must understand both the pot and the tea. As the saying goes, “one pot for one type of tea,” different pots pair with different teas. Here we will use six types of clay materials as examples to explore how to best match pots and teas to achieve optimal results.
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Today, from the perspective of clay properties, we will explain how to correctly match purple clay teapots with various teas to enhance the flavor experience!
【Original Segment Mud】
Original segment mud appears as a pale green layered mineral that turns a milky yellow after firing. It is found within the strata of Yellow Dragon Mountain, coexisting with purple clay, only a few centimeters thick, situated between the upper layer of purple clay and the rock plate. This material is characterized as having “more bones than flesh.”
Brewing Recommendation: Oolong Tea (lightly roasted series) and green tea are perfect matches, as well as Tie Guan Yin (moderately or heavily roasted series).
【Bottom Trough Purple Clay】
Purple clay can be divided into three categories: top, middle, and bottom trough clays. Bottom trough purple clay is found at the very bottom of the purple clay layer. Its quality has been highly praised by potters throughout history, making it the preferred choice and a classic material for famous teapots over the centuries. Due to its location at the lowest level of the purple clay deposit, it is exceptionally pure, fine-grained, and has a stable coloration, appearing brownish. It is widely used by renowned contemporary potters.
Brewing Recommendation: Pu'er series, oolong tea, Longjing, flower tea, Biluochun, black tea, green tea, etc.
【Original Purple Clay】
Original purple clay is extracted from the purple sand ore mined from the Huanglong Mountain mine in Yixing, Jiangsu Province. The high iron content in the ore leads to the formation of fire spots and small melting points in the produced teapots. The clay contains larger particles and has a loose structure, which results in a dual-pore structure, giving Yixing purple clay teapots excellent heat conduction and insulation capabilities, ideal for preserving the temperature, color, aroma, and taste of tea during brewing.
Brewing Recommendation: Oolong tea is the most suitable, while ripe Pu'er, Tie Guan Yin, black tea, and others are also good choices.
【Red Clay】
Red clay is a type of clay within the category of purple red clay and is considered a premium variety. Although the supply of red clay ore has visibly decreased, as long as there is red clay, red clay products will continue to exist. The key to appreciating its beauty lies in the speed of “slurry emergence” and its “luster.”
The fired clay exhibits a warm, orange-red hue. Hot water instantly reveals its delicate, fresh red characteristics, which are mysterious and captivating. Like a lotus standing tall in a pond or a winter plum blooming in snow, it stands out from the crowd, enchanting tea enthusiasts. With prolonged use, it becomes increasingly lustrous and develops rich, layered changes, presenting an irresistible beauty. It imparts a fine water quality when brewing tea, and the changes are immediately noticeable after just a few brews. Over time, it can develop a texture akin to jade.
Brewing Recommendation: Tie Guan Yin, Taiwanese high Mountain tea, raw Pu'er, oolong tea (lightly roasted series), etc., are all suitable.
【Red Skin Dragon】
Red Skin Dragon is the name of a type of purple clay. It is typically found beneath the yellow stone layer and has a reddish-brown color that turns red after firing. Red Skin Dragon has a relatively higher quartz content and more mica impurities, providing good breathability. It is easy to handle when brewing tea, has great user-friendliness, and the temperature is simple to control. The longer it is used, the more it reddens, making it a versatile tool for brewing tea that is appreciated by both the sophisticated and the casual enthusiast.
Brewing Recommendation: Tie Guan Yin, Taiwanese high mountain tea, Pu'er tea, oolong tea (lightly roasted series), Longjing, black tea, etc.
【Jiangpo Clay】
Original Jiangpo clay contains a mixture of segment mud, red mud, purple mud, and other coexisting minerals. After firing, the deep “orange-red” base is dotted with colorful, coarse and fine, deep and shallow red and yellow stars. The process of making it is complicated due to the presence of iron oxide melting points, sand popping, and uneven coloring, resulting in fewer finished products. It has a strong earthy feel and, with prolonged use, reveals its full potential, becoming smooth and dignified.
Brewing Recommendation: Oolong tea (lightly roasted series), Tie Guan Yin, and Pu'er tea are the perfect trio.
The geometry of pots and the myriad ways of tea: different clay materials require matching with different types of tea. Only when the purple clay and the tea complement each other can they truly bring out the best in each other, resulting in a more fragrant Cup of tea.