5 UTENSILS FOR PREPARING TEA YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF

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Maybe you didn't know, but the teapot is not the only container in which tea can be prepared. In this text, you will get to know 5 containers for preparing tea that you may never have heard of.

The way you will prepare your tea determines which container you will use.

The type of tea will determine what material the container will be made of.

Teapot

A teapot is the most famous vessel for preparing tea. When people, in the west, talk about making tea, it is the first thing that comes to mind. There are two types:

1. for heating water
2. just for steeping tea

Teapots that are used for heating water can also be used for steeping tea, i.e. as a universal teapot. Such teapots are made of cast iron, a special type of ceramic or glass. With them, it is also important what kind of heat source you have: an open flame, an electric plate or an induction plate. Depending on the heat source, they will also choose a teapot made of the appropriate material.

You cannot boil water in teapots that are only used for steeping tea. You will soak tea bags or tea leaves in a strainer in them, which you take out when the tea has steeped enough. These are made of porcelain, ordinary glass or special ceramics with porous walls.

Ceramics with porous walls it is especially good if you steep one type of tea in such teapots, because after a while the essential oils from the leaves are absorbed into the walls and each subsequent preparation of tea has a stronger aroma and taste.

And instead of the teapot, you can place the tea bags (real tea lovers avoid them) in the cups and pour the already heated water from the teapot over them.

This is especially true when you have special cups. For example, the ones you recently bought in a store where, due to the high prices, obično you just come to watch.

A typical teapot with a volume of 0.5 liters or more is used for the Western method of preparing tea for two, three or more people.

But real tea lovers use tea in leaves or in powder, and that's where things get much more complicated, but also more interesting.

The teapot can be much smaller in volume than the previously mentioned one. That kind of thing teapot koristi se za gong fu (kun fu) način pripemanja čaja.

In addition to different volumes (70 - 150 ml), there are also various shapes with a longer or shorter spout and a wider or narrower opening.

Uz čajnike Teapots usually come with a strainer that you can use to soak tea leaves inside the teapot. When the tea is ready, just remove the strainer together with the leaves. You can also use the strainer on the opening of the cup, when pouring tea into the cup, to prevent leaves from getting inside.

Some teapots have a strainer inside, at the beginning of the spout. colander. From them, tea can be poured straight from the teapot into the cup. The problem with this type of strainer is that they often get clogged, slowing down or preventing the pouring of tea and are more difficult to clean than removable ones.

The famous yixing teapots whose specific production from a special material goes back to the 15th century.

Do you know what Caydanlık is?

If you've never been to Turkey, meet the first of 5 tea vessels you've never heard of. In Turkey, tea is prepared in a specific way with the help of Caydanlıka, double teapot, or teapot on the floor. With this device you can really prepare tea masterfully . In the lower teapot, water is heated until boiling, while in the upper one there is black Turkish tea in small pieces, almost in powder form.

After the water boils, the tea in the upper teapot is heated. Pour boiling water from the lower teapot over the tea in the upper teapot, which we then cover and return to the lower, larger, teapot and reduce the temperature. Let it simmer for another minute. Finally, strain the tea into cups. If it is too strong, we can dilute it with hot water from the lower kettle. Such tea is served with sugar cubes or something else sweet (eg rahat lokum)

Gaiwan

Gaiwan is a container for preparing tea with a lid and a saucer in which to soak tea leaves. There is no handle, and the edge is slightly curved outwards for easier pouring of tea. They are mostly of smaller volume 50-200 ml, the most popular are those of 70-160 ml.

They are made of the same material as teapots (large and small). It is designed for gong fu style of leaf soaking. It is less often used for broken leaves, but for a tea lover skilled in handling a gaiwan, this is not a problem either. To pour the tea after soaking the leaves, use special technique so a little dexterity is required, but after just a few pours you become a real expert.

Naziv gaiwan ima više značenja: posuda s poklopcem, šalica s poklopcem ili posuda za vruće namakanje. Višeznačnost izraza ima svoje korjene u korištenju ove vrste posude kroz kinesku povijest i tradiciju, kada se čaj pripremao i pio iz iste posude. Takva, vešenamjenska posuda tada se zvala chawan – zdjelica za čaj. Svoj konačni naziv, gaiwan, posuda je dobila tijekom Ming dinastije (1368-1644) slijedom inovacija u ritualu i pripremi čaja. Alternativni naziv na kantonskom jeziku je: cha-zhong-posuda za čaj bez poklopca.

Shiboridashi

Shiboridashi , is an unusual container for preparing tea similar to an ashtray with a lid. It is the Japanese, shallower and wider version of the gaiwan. There is a place on the edge adapted for pouring tea. Its volume varies as with gaiwan, mostly 50-200 ml. The method of preparing tea is the same as for gaiwan.

A variant of Shiboridashi is hohin. Hohin (in translation: treasure bowl) is deeper, has a rim adapted to the lid and a built-in strainer.

Material from which it is most often made: ceramics (clay), porcelain, metal and very rare glass.

Vessel	SHIBORIDASHI	HOHIN
The main difference	It does not have a built-in strainer - it can be used to prepare teas with large leaves, because the lid retains the leaves	Built-in strainer – Can be used to prepare teas with smaller leaves
Differences in size	Shallow	Deep
Differences in shape	Similar to a bowl, plate or ashtray	Similar to a cup with a vertical wall
Differences in tea preparation	Tea leaves have less space to spread-unroll	Tea leaves have more space to spread-unroll

Kyusu

This container for preparing tea is the reason for many controversies. Some claim that kyusu is actually the name for all types of Japanese teapots. The adjective next to them tells how they differ, where their handle is located and what kind and shape it is. But Kyusu is most often a Japanese teapot/kettle with a handle on the right at an angle of 90 degrees to the spout. There are also special versions for those who prefer the handle on the left.

This original shape makes it easier to pour while sitting on the tatami mat, because in Japan, traditionally, the host sits across from the guest and does not pour the tea from the side or behind the guest.

Materials from which it can be made: ceramics (clay), porcelain, metal. The most famous are those made of clay from Tokoname, where there is also the eponymous , a world-renowned institute for making Japanese tableware of all kinds, but most often for tea. The volume ranges from 130 to 330 ml.

Every quality Kyusu must meet certain conditions. First of all, you should have a high-quality, fine filter installed inside, at the beginning of the spout, and not a removable strainer at the opening where the tea leaves are placed in the container. This is the only way to allow the leaves to release their aroma and the tea to reach its full potential.

It is also important that it has a wide opening at the top so that the used leaves can be easily removed from the container. The handle placed on the side is very ergonomic, so the one preparing the tea does not strain his wrist when lifting it, as in the case of ordinary teapots, especially if they are of a larger volume. The handle designed in this way also allows for better control when pouring, so the possibility of unnecessary spillage of tea is significantly reduced.

Chawan

Chawan is a ceramic (clay) container for preparing powdered tea - Matcha. It is used in the Japanese tea ceremonyi. Kao i sam Matcha čaj može varirati kvalitetom pa tako i cijenom, od onih, za obične “smrtnike” sasvim prihvatljivom do pravih umjetničkih djela, astronomske cijene.

A whisk (Chasen) and a spoon (Chashaku) made of bamboo are usually used with this vessel. A certain amount of powdered tea is taken with a spoon, while the tea is gently mixed with a whisk, and then foam is created, which further enhances the taste and aroma of the tea.

The bowl should be deep and wide enough so that the tea can be properly stirred and frothed. The width is necessary so that the whisk can move quickly in the shape of the letter "W" and create a fine foam, and the depth is so that the whisk can reach the bottom and mix all the powder well.

The dimensions of this tea bowl range from: height 11.5 to 13 cm and diameter 6.5 to 8 cm, Chawanis of unusual dimensions can also appear on the market: 4.5 cm; height 9 cm

Samovar

Samovar je najkompliciranija posuda za pripremu čaja. To je metalni kotao koji se tradicionalno koristi za zagrijavanje i kuhanje vode u Rusiji te u drugim zemljama Srednje, Jugoistočne i Istočne Europe, Jugozapadne Azije i Kašmiru. Starinski samovari prava su umjetnička djela. Voda u njima grijana je ugljenom, dok noviji, moderniji, za tu svrhu koriste električnu energiju.

Mogu biti različitih oblika: sferni, cilindrični, bačvasti, te u obliku urni. Glavni dijelovi su: metalni spremnik sa slavinom, “dimnjak” odnosno vertikalna šupljina za stavljanje žara od drvenog ugljena koja se proteže kroz sredinu i ide prema vrhu kako bi se osiguralo strujanje toplijeg zraka prema gore, podložak, ventil za paru, ručke. Na vrhu se obično nalazi zasebni mali čajnik za pripremu koncentrata čaja.

When the water in the boiler boils, the lid loudly warns us with its rattle. There is a saying about this that the lid first rustles, then murmurs, sings and finally thunders.

Materijal od kojih se izrađuju uvijek je metal: bakar, bronca, mjed, srebro, zlato, nikal, kositar ili nehrđajući čelik.

If it is used for preparing tea, its most common capacity is 3 to 5 l (it can be smaller - about 1 l), while in the past, it could reach 400 liters if it had the function of economically obtaining hot water, as an important part of the Russian household.

U samovaru se čaj priprema tako što se prvo napravi jak koncentrat čaja (umjesto 1 stavi se 5-6 žlićica čaja), koji se razrijedi određenom količinom vrele vode iz kotla, ovisno o ukusu, najčešće u omjeru od oko 10:1; voda : koncentrat čaja.

U modernim vremenima, samovar se uglavnom koristi zbog održavanja tradicije. A antikni postižu cijenu i do nekoliko tisuća dolara.

See how a samovar is used to prepare tea in restaurant or for making the famous tea from Kerala.

AUXILIARY ACCESSORIES

Every tea lover is proud of his tea accessories, which, in addition to various containers for preparing tea, also include auxiliary accessories.

1. Container for cooling water
2. Gong Dao Bei
3. Cjedila
4. Žlićice
5. A whisk
6. The base-tray on which tea is prepared

Container for cooling water

If you want to fully enjoy the charms of your favorite tea, it is extremely important to pay attention to the temperature of the water in which you will steep it. If you don't have experience with this, you can initially use a thermometer when heating the water or electric devices for heating water that you can set to a specific temperature.

On the other hand if you don't feel like using any of the above, you can estimate the water temperature in two ways.

The first is that, while the water is heating, you should judge the temperature the water has been heated to by the bubbles or shaking of the water, stop the heating and immediately use it at that temperature.

Another way is to heat the water until it boils, and then cool it down to the appropriate temperature. Both methods require experience, and believe me, it's not complicated at all.

Although you can cool the water in any container, even in the accessories for preparing tea or cups from which you will drink the tea, which is very useful, there are also special containers for that purpose. In Japan they are called "Yuzamashi". They are very similar to Kyusu with no lid or no lid and no handle.

Gong Dao Bei

Gong Dao Bei or Cha Hao is the Chinese term for vessel of righteousness. It is a special vessel for preparing tea into which it is strained after steeping gong fu method . Cha hai is the name for the same dish in Taiwan. They are usually smaller in size because they only need to accommodate the amount of liquid contained in a gaiwan or small teapot. The bowls come in various shapes and designs, part of the rim is adapted for pouring tea.

Why is it called the vessel of righteousness? Because tea prepared in a gaiwan or small teapot has a weaker taste at the top and stronger at the bottom where the tea leaves are located. When the tea is poured, the first cup would get the weakest tea and the last the strongest. However, if we pour the tea into a vessel of justice, the tea is equalized there and everyone, justly, receives tea of equal strength, with a uniform and persistent taste.

Whether we will strain the tea when pouring or just pour it into the Gong Dao Bei (Cha Hao) depends on the size of the leaf. Larger leaves do not need to be filtered separately if we pour the tea from the gaiwan, because with a little dexterity the lid stops them. For smaller or broken leaves, it is advisable to place a strainer on the Gong Dao Bei, so that some mischievous leaves (or part of leaves) do not escape into the container. Absolutely nothing bad would happen if we swallowed it, but it's still nicer to enjoy the liquid itself than to have to move the paper around in your mouth. Small teapots usually already have a built-in strainer at the beginning of the spout.

Most common materials are glass, porcelain and ceramics.

If you are making tea just for yourself, Gong Dao Bei is not necessary, but it is certainly practical. Once you enter the world of tea, you become not only a tea lover but also a kind of collector of tea accessories, so you try to collect and use real works of art, for the atmosphere that comes with preparing and drinking tea, which becomes a real ritual.

But for the vessel of righteousness you can use any type of vessel that will suit the purpose. You just need to remember that you can pour all the tea from the vessel in which you prepared the tea into the vessel of righteousness so that there are no leaves that will soak in the remaining water longer than necessary, resulting in a bitter and unpleasant taste of the liquid remaining in the Gong. Gave it to Bea.

Colander

There are colanders of various shapes and designs, from ordinary ones to very imaginative ones. It serves to prevent tea leaves from getting into the cup. They can be purchased individually, but are often supplied complete with the kettle, if the kettle does not have a built-in filter at the beginning of the spout.

They can be made of various materials: ceramic, metal, plastic, glass, bamboo...

Teaspoons

Of course, any teaspoon can be used for dosing tea, but when you already have all the accessories for your tea ritual, then even a small thing like a teaspoon should be in a special design so that the experience is complete.

Among the tea spoons we can single out Chashaka; A spoon for Matcha tea powder made from bamboo.

A whisk

A unique tea whisk - Chasen, used only for the preparation of Matcha tea. When matcha is prepared in Chawan, with a whisk like this, the powder is first mixed with light movements, and then with quick movements in the shape of the letter "W" foam is created, thus enhancing the taste and aroma of the tea. The Chawan-Chasen-Chasaku set is used in the Japanese tea ceremony.

It is made of bamboo, and the quality of Chasen is determined by the number of bamboo threads (16 – 120). The more threads, the better quality Chasen is and of course more expensive. The standard Chasen has 64 threads.

In order to maintain its quality, it is kept on a special stand Kusenaoshi.

The base-tray on which tea is prepared

When preparing tea, it always happens that some hot water or tea is spilled, especially if you prepare it in the gong fu way, when it is necessary to spill the water with which you heated the pots or the first water with which you "awakened" the leaves. That is why it is desirable to have a tray with a container into which you can pour all that "technical excess".

This type of tray, as well as other accessories for preparing tea, can be a real work of art and can serve as a decoration in your living room, with one great advantage: if it is properly made, it will not be damaged when hot water or tea is poured on it ( tein stains) because it is designed for such "exhibitions" and protected in an appropriate manner.

They can be made of wood (bamboo), metal or a combination of these two materials. In both cases, the material from which the tray is made must be adequately protected from water/tea, so that it is not damaged. Pouring water from the tank (decanter) should be as simple as possible.

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