Purple clay Teapots are naturally made for black tea. To use a purple clay Teapot, one must drink black tea. To truly appreciate fine black tea, a Purple Clay Teapot is essential.
— Ye Zhaoyan, Yixing Black Tea
Yixing Black Tea
Yixing purple clay teapots have won the affection of tea lovers due to their unique properties: they are both breathable and absorbent, capable of retaining fragrance without overpowering it. The Yixing black tea has a distinctive chestnut aroma and ripe fruit scent with fresh, rich, and mellow flavors that leave a lasting impression on all who taste it. When brewed in a locally produced Yixing purple clay teapot, the tea is bright and clear, while the pot itself becomes lustrous and appealing through the nurturing effects of the tea.
Brewed with Yixing black tea
The first people to drink Yixing black tea were the makers of purple clay teapots in Yixing. It can be said that Yixing black tea is the perfect companion for purple clay teapots, and when combined, they complement each other beautifully, bringing out the best in one another. However, the fame of Yixing purple clay teapots overshadows the Yixing black tea, which remains relatively unknown.
Yixing black tea is harvested just before and after the Qingming Festival, and the leaves are processed immediately, mainly using one bud and one leaf or one bud and two leaves. The tea has a tight, fine appearance with visible downy hairs and a dark lustrous color.
Boil spring water and infuse fresh black tea leaves. At the moment the water meets the tea, you will undoubtedly experience the refreshing aroma from the leaves that have been dormant throughout the winter.
Cover the purple clay teapot and allow the black tea to blend intimately with the clay. After a few minutes, the Yixing black tea transforms, acquiring not only a delightful fragrance but also a depth and stability that comes with time.
This tea, imbued with literary charm, intoxicates the senses even before tasting. Holding the Cup and savoring the tea, the aroma is not ordinary; the bitterness is sweet.
Yixing, one of China's most renowned ancient tea regions, is famous for its Yangxian Snow Bud, and later introduced Yangxian black tea. Its development from green to black tea aligns with the evolution of Chinese Tea processing methods. The earliest record of Yangxian tea appears in the Eastern Han dynasty text, Tongjun Record, which mentions “good tea is produced in Xiyang, Wuchang, and Jinning (Yixing).” During the Three Kingdoms period under Sun Wu, Sun Quan governed in Yangxian, and Yixing tea became renowned in the Jiangnan region, known as “Guoshan tea.”
Lu Yu, the Sage of Tea, during his research for The Classic of Tea, noted that the Yangxian tea grows “on the sunny cliffs and in the shade of forests, with the purple leaves being the best, followed by the green ones,” and he praised it as having “a world-renowned fragrance suitable for the imperial court,” further enhancing its reputation.
In the Song dynasty, Yangxian tea was favored not only by royalty but also by literati and scholars. The great writer Su Shi served as the governor of Huzhou and had frequent contact with Yixing. Later, he was exiled and lived in Yixing, where he developed a deep connection with the tea and teapots.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, as the economy and society developed, the production and business of Yixing black tea matured, making it an essential part of everyday life for ordinary people, widely enjoyed throughout the countryside.
In the afternoon, brew a cup of Yixing black tea. As the flavor lingers between your lips and teeth, the aroma fills the air around you, like delicate threads leading your thoughts far away, leaving you feeling refreshed and relaxed.
Purple clay teapots are naturally made for black tea. Over time, nourished by tea and water, the purple jade and gold sand reveal their inherent luster and transparency, simplicity, vitality, and artistic charm. Once this beauty is revealed, it becomes irresistible.
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