How to Brew Tea with a purple clay Teapot? This question might make many teapot enthusiasts smile, as it seems as simple as placing the tea leaves in the pot and adding boiling water. What's there to ask?

In terms of brewing tea, that's certainly correct. However, when using a teapot, we often don't just use the teapot itself. There are various accessories for brewing tea, such as dry brewing stations and wet brewing trays, which lead to different methods of brewing.

This is where the distinction between dry brewing and wet brewing comes into play.

Both dry brewing stations and wet brewing trays originate from Chaozhou Gongfu tea, a tea ceremony that is one of the few in China to have remained uninterrupted throughout history. Therefore, most modern brewing methods and tea ceremony forms come from Gongfu tea.

The origin of the dry brewing station can be traced back to the teapot stand used in Gongfu tea. Later, due to the need for pouring water over the teapot, wet brewing trays were developed. In recent decades, they have become popular across the country and are now mainstream.

Wet Brewing Method

Let's start with the wet brewing method. As mentioned earlier, because of the need to pour water over the teapot, wet brewing trays were introduced. The core feature of this method is the ability to freely clean tea utensils and leaves and pour water directly onto the tray.

The common type of wet brewing tray today is made of synthetic resin (bakelite), available in various sizes and shapes, including square and round. These trays typically have multiple drainage grooves in the center and a corner connected to a flexible tube for drainage.

On this tray, you can place your teapot, tea utensils, tea leaf container, and other tea-related items. When brewing tea, you can pour water over the teapot and wipe it with a tea towel—this is the essence of wet brewing.

The advantage of wet brewing is that both rinsing the teapot and pouring water over it are convenient and can be done directly on the tea table. Everything can be accomplished smoothly and elegantly right at the tea table.

Dry Brewing Method

The main difference between dry brewing and wet brewing is that in dry brewing, you do not pour water over the teapot or spill water. A small dry brewing station is used, simply to hold the teapot.

There are many options for dry brewing stations, including those made from purple clay, porcelain bowls, old wood, and more. They can be chosen according to personal preference, offering a rustic charm.

When using the dry brewing method, in addition to the dry brewing station, it is best to also have a water basin. Since you do not pour water over the teapot or spill water in dry brewing, rinse water and spent tea leaves can be disposed of in the water basin.

The dry brewing method allows for the maximum cleanliness of the tea table, without tea water spilling everywhere or steam rising. It is easier to tidy up and allows for the free replacement of bamboo mats and tea towels, adding to the fun of setting up the tea table.

When choosing between dry and wet brewing, everyone has their own preferences. Currently, wet brewing remains the mainstream, but an increasing number of people are using the dry brewing method.

What is more commonly seen is the combination of a wet brewing tray with a teapot stand. Regardless, it all comes down to personal choice.

If conditions permit, why not try both methods? Changing your brewing style can change your mood and surely provide a different experience. See which one you prefer.

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