The purple clay used in purple clay pots is actually a general term for iron-rich argillaceous siltstone, also known as five-colored soil. It can be divided into four major categories: purple clay, red clay, green clay, and duan (segment) clay. Each category has its own subdivisions, with different colors and clay properties. Different clays have different mineral structures, which means they should be paired with different teas. Let's take a look at how to pair them to achieve the best results.

Purple Clay

Purple clay is a purplish-brown color and is a commonly seen type of purple sand clay. It is extracted from the original purple clay mined in the Huanglong Mountain mine in Yixing, Jiangsu. Purple clay is a layer within the jia clay stratum (a mixed argillaceous silt soil that is mainly purple), composed primarily of hydromica, varying amounts of kaolinite, quartz, mica chips, and iron. Due to its high iron content, the particles in the clay are larger, and the structure is looser. The body of the pot shows a double-pore structure, allowing good air circulation through the pores. With long-term use, its characteristics become more pronounced, making it an excellent material for pot-making, helping to maintain water temperature and preserve the color, aroma, and flavor of Tea when brewing.

Brewing Recommendation: Oolong tea is most suitable, while Pu'er ripe tea, Tieguanyin, black tea, etc., are also good choices.

Dicang Qing (Bottom Trough Clear)

Dicang Qing comes from the lowest layer of purple clay and is highly praised by potters throughout history. It is a premium raw material and has been used in classic works for hundreds of years. Dicang Qing is a high-quality ore of purple clay and is a co-existing ore of purple and duan clays. Its most distinctive feature is the presence of several white spots or patches in the raw material. These white areas are aggregates of minerals such as quartz, commonly known as “chicken eyes.” When forming, the clay is slightly brittle, but it has a sandy quality during production and a wide range of firing temperatures. After firing, distinctive features emerge, with some white star points appearing on the surface of the purple clay pot. The clay is fine and pure, with a firm, delicate, and glossy texture after firing, showing a brown or liver color. After seasoning, it becomes as smooth as jade, with an ancient appearance.

Brewing Recommendation: Various series of Pu'er tea, unroasted oolong tea (lightly roasted series), Longjing tea, flower tea, Biluochun tea, black tea, green tea, etc.

Qingshui Mud (Clear Water Clay)

Qingshui mud is a category of purple clay, also called “qingshui sha,” which is a pure purple clay ore with a high content of hematite and mica. After firing, the clay color is harmonious, the clay quality is fine, and the breathability is strong, with fewer impurities than other clays.

Brewing Recommendation: Various series of Pu'er tea, unroasted oolong tea (lightly roasted series), Tieguanyin, black tea, green tea, White Tea, etc.

Red Clay

Red clay belongs to argillaceous siltstone, with a mineral composition of kaolinite, iron oxide, quartz, and muscovite. The raw material appears in various shades of red and yellow, with a uniform texture. After firing, it is glossy and bright, with a red hue that has a slight orange tint. Due to varying iron content, the color of the fired red clay may be red with a hint of yellow, yellow with a hint of red, or red with a hint of purple, showing hues like cinnabar, cinnabar purple, or haitang red, with a vermilion color that shines with apricot yellow and is not garish.

Brewing Recommendation: The tea brewed is smooth and harmonious, with ample aroma, making it perfect for oolong, Tieguanyin, rock tea, Pu'er, etc.

Zhu (Cinnabar) Clay

Zhu clay is a type of red clay but differs from regular red clay. It is a type of argillaceous mudstone, hard in texture, found at the bottom of tender clay layers. The raw material often appears in light white, light yellow, or golden yellow colors, turning a cinnabar-like color after firing, hence the name Zhu clay.

Brewing Recommendation: Using a Zhu clay pot to Brew Taiwanese high Mountain tea, Tieguanyin, Longjing, dark tea, etc., with a light fermentation focus on aroma, enhances the fragrance notably, creating a tight and smooth tea soup with a long-lasting aftertaste.

Hong Pilong (Red Skin Dragon)

Hong Pilong is generally found beneath the yellow stone layer, with a reddish-brown clay color that turns red after firing. Hong Pilong contains relatively higher amounts of quartz and more mica impurities, providing good breathability. It is easy to handle when brewing tea, user-friendly, and the temperature is simple to control. With more frequent use, it becomes increasingly ruddy, making it a popular choice for brewing tea.

Brewing Recommendation: Raw Pu'er tea is most suitable, while ripe Pu'er tea, oolong tea, black tea, etc., can also be easily managed.

Jiangpo (Slope-Reduced) Mud

Jiangpo mud is a co-existing ore, containing duan mud, red mud, and a small amount of purple mud, making the finished purple clay pot rich in particles, with obvious sandiness and a mature appearance. Jiangpo mud is extracted from shallow layers, with a harder clay nature. The ratio of sand to powder is approximately 7:3, making it difficult to form into a pot but giving it excellent breathability. It is naturally oily, producing a glossy and smooth purple clay pot, which becomes even more lustrous and pleasing to the touch after seasoning.

Brewing Recommendation: Unroasted oolong tea (lightly roasted series), Tieguanyin, and Pu'er tea are ideal pairings.

Benshan Green Mud (Mountain-Source Green Mud)

Benshan green mud is the green mud ore produced in Huanglong Mountain. This mud is a type of sandy argillaceous mudstone, with a blocky structure, low ore content, and larger particle size, located between layers of purple clay, extracted as a “clay within clay” form, making mining challenging and yielding very little of this precious material. Its mineral composition includes hydromica, kaolinite, quartz, and a small amount of iron oxide. After firing, the body of the pot is relatively loose.

Brewing Characteristics: Brewing tea with it is gentle and smooth, with concentrated aroma, and the brewing time is easy to control, allowing one to brew a great cup of tea with ease, making it the best helper for tea tasting.

Duan Mud (Segment Mud)

Duan mud is originally called “lao tuan ni” (old conglomerate mud) and is a co-existing ore