Yixing and Oolong - the idiot guides

although arguably the best oolong tea comes from Taiwan, the best pot for the job comes from China. Yíxīng tea pots refer to the small decorative, unglazed teapots that sell at astronomical prices. kuk and betaal for the best, only if you have something worth putting into it. for everyone else you can pick up a crappy imitation one at your local "China town",

There is much rambling about which pot to use for which grade/origin of oolong tea, but here is my idiots guide to Yíxīng teapots.

As a rule of thumb the lower grown or "rougher" the oolong tea, the "rougher" your pot should be. more absorbent pots will help to absorb astringency in the tea. smoother oolongs tea require less tampering around with, and one can happily choose even a glass pot, or fine gaiwan for prep' that wont be absorbent at all. try not to mix your pots and teas, if you can keep a dedicated pot per tea type. that way you will get a great cup of oolong instead of a drink that is more confused than David Bowie.

When judging the quality of Yíxīng teapots the following can be done:

• Tap the pots lightly together: the ceramic should make a distinctly metallic sound.


• Look at the fit of the lid into the pot, it should be flush and appear seamless.


• Fill the pot with water, place the lid on, and begin pouring the water. it should pour smoothly


• While pouring, place your finger over the hole on the lid, this action should stop the flow of water immediately and completely if the lid is well fitted.

Yíxīng teapots come in a number of colour shades, and you can even pick up a beautiful purple one if you are lucky. As the clay from the region gets depleted expect the cost to go up.

prep' for your Yíxīng teapot

Like a marriage, a new pot must be gently introduced into the relationship. one would not cock a leg and blast out a cloud of noxious vapours at a new bride any more than one should unceremoniously begin stuffing their pot with tea.

fist submerge your pot in cool, clean water. then bring the water up to a boil. the longer you expose your pot to this, the darker it will become.

later your pot will become as impervious to your slap dash preparations as your centennial wife is to your stained Y fronts and foul smells. gently does it.

A drinking problem?

Yerba Mate is an everyday obsession with me, and I drink it continuously throughout the day, and I love it strong and in the traditional mate (calabash cup). I think some days I might even rival Argentinians, who have had laws passed to stop them from drinking and driving (drinking mate that is). Oolongs are about special times, but the yerba is everytime. To give you an idea of the love I have for the tea, let me take you with me (in thought ) to the average meeting I might have.

“Hi mr/mrs/notsurewhatyouare blab bla, thanks for taking the time to meet me, can I interest you in some tea? mate?” by this stage I’m either pouring or commandeering the persons staff to get cups, water, no not so hot (get it to the “crab eye” bubble stage – in my head)not hot enough, and generally ignoring any protests about how they may or may not have drunk enough for the day.

We talk, more often than not, I talk more than them, examine some tea, smell it, poke around the leaves, the pros and cons, slam CTC a little. Now comes the embarrassing part, if the person leaves their cup partially un-drunk. My eyes keep skipping down to the yerba simmering in there cup, getting stronger, and inevitably heading for over infused status. If it’s a delicate green tea in their cup, the whole episode plays out the same way but with a frantic pace as my heart beats out the 3 minutes infusion time, while the cup remains undrained.

By this time the client/supplier/whatever is starting to notice my repeated warnings of “ why don’t you finish up that mate?” or “don’t you like the tea?” “its going to get too strong” rising in tempo and progressively peppering the conversation more and more. Conversation starts to break down as concentration on the topic erodes, and any pretense of my interest in anything other than the cup slips away.

Now you may think, this guy is exaggerating, but there are quite some number of people out there, by now, who may slowly shake their heads and be reminded of the broken sentences ending with “ are you going to drink that already? Cause if you aren’t I will!” followed by my slurping down the remainders of their cup.