Brown Betty’s Asian Cousin, Yixing

Nearly everyone I talk to knows what a brown betty teapot is but not many know about the Yixing teapot, and that is sad.

The Yixing teapot is a beautiful pot, made of a special clay that comes from the area around Lake Taihu, in China. The clay, because it is made up of iron, quartz, and mica, is naturally a purple color. Zisha, the clay, retains heat very well, but also absorbs the flavors of the tea that is brewed in it. Over a period of time the pot is infused with the flavor of the tea. There is an old Chinese saying that after several years using your teapot you are able to brew a cup of good tea in a Yixing teapot by just adding boiling water! Because of this absorption you should have separate pots for different teas.

The Yixing teapots are still made the same way they were during the Sung Dynasty (960-1279), by hand and by individual artisans who have been trained by older artisans. In this way the traditions of the Yixing teapot are passed down through the generations and the artistic integrity is maintained.

If you decide to get a Yixing, the care is similar to a Brown Betty. The pot is unglazed, and fired at lower temperatures than porcelain, so it will withstand extreme temperature changes. The pots should not be washed but rinsed carefully with boiling water. Just allow to air dry and then put it away carefully. Keep the teapot away from strong odors, like onion, garlic, or cleaners, because it will absorb the the odor and then infuse the tea with the taste of them. The teapot will be ruined.

Before you use your teapot for the first time you should do the following:

• Wash the teapot in a clean pot of water.

• Heat the pot gently in the water.
• When the water just begins to boil, put a handful of tea into the water.
• Allow to boil gently for about five minutes.
• Remove the tea leaves in the Yixing teapot.
• Boil the teapot slowly for another 30 minutes. T
• Take your Yixing teapot out and dry naturally away from harsh sunlight

If you would like to read up on the Yixing, more about the history and manufacture of it, I wrote and article, The Art of the Yixing Teapot, that goes into more detail. In fact, it was writing that article that caused me to become interested in the teapots. I had no idea how unique they actually were.

Image:Morguefile.com