Gong Fu Tea|chA - Episode 6 - Teapots and the Clay They're Made Of (famous types of 紫砂 / zǐshā) 

Thank you for the timestamp tags!

​@@TeaHouseGhostadd them to the description, so they show up automatically as dividers on RU-vid!

qhodave thanks so much!! We're so glad you are loving the show! We will for sure keep putting out episodes!

bobbyport ii

Thanks so much for watching! Glad you dig the show!

J Robb Wilson more on the way soon!!

Chao Zhou pots are so cool! Awesome that you have one! I also got a Mary Cotterman pot like the one shown in the video for Phoenix oolong and I love it!

can i use chao zho for tie guan yin oolong?

gracias mi amiga!

This is the way in Chao Zhou. Tiny tea pots made from very nice, special clay.

So Zhan means "cup," which may be why your searches return cups more than teapots. Your teapot is likely referred to as Jian Yao in Chinese, which means "Jian Kiln" and refers to a distinctive place and glaze. Is your teapot glazed on the inside? There is a good likelihood that this teapot is made from clay that is not optimized for yanging, and so does not necessarily need to be dedicated to one type of tea. Thanks so much for watching and for reaching out!

So glad you like the show! As for vendors of yixing teapots, all of the vendors So Han gets his wares from are in China. I don't have a personal favorite website or somewhere you could find one online that I know of, but many people have posted thoughts on this on various forums and places (reddit, fb, etc.). If you're specifically interested in wares So Han gets, you can email him at teamaster(at)westchinateacompany(dot)com

@@TeaHouseGhost Thank you very much!

That's rad!

That level of specificity with regard to dedicating your teapot is really up to you! I have one teapot dedicated to Shu Pu'er broadly and another that I have dedicated only to Thunderstruck Phoenix Oolong.

@@TeaHouseGhost Thanks a lot!!

I had this same question! Commenting to hopefully push this thread up.

I don't really use the teabrushes much myself, and neither does So Han, so we don't really have a great recommendation for you, but I imagine art brushes are fine 🤷

So glad you like the show! Mary Cotterman is not currently selling or making Chao Zhou pots, I'm afraid! After several years living and working in China, she's back stateside these days working on other stuff.

Tea House Ghost茶館鬼 thanks For the reply - looking forward to more videos from you in the near future...

I believe So Han got this shirt from a purveyor of hemp clothing in Dali in Yunnan, China.

Thanks! All the more reason for me to visit the mother country!

West China Tea sells some, periodically. Enthea Teahouse in Portland might have a few. Other than that I can't vouch - haven't been shopping around recently, myself 🤷

Oh yeah 8 Immortals is great!! I think my favorite is Lei Gong Da, or what we call Thunderstruck.

No you do not need to do anything before using it. Some people like to preseason it, which you can do by simmering it in tea, but also seasoning is something that happens over time by making a similar type of tea in the same teapot over and over and over again.

Being that they come from Xishiangbanna down in southern Yunnan, I'd say my favorite tea to match it with is Sheng or Shu Pu'er. But really they're lovely pieces for any tea you want to dedicate it to ☺️

If you're finding it difficult to do quick pours with this teapot, maybe consider using it to make something like Shu Pu'er or Aged White Tea, which don't require such short steeps

Thanks!! The song at the end (and there beginning) is a song called Ever New by B. Glenn Copeland.

@@TeaHouseGhost OK ' is that chinese Word you are singing about,?

@@fredmakoto318 oh oh oh! Right - my bad. This episode has So Han singing a song at the end called 東方紅 (Dōngfāng Hóng | English: "The East Is Red") - you can read about it here: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_East_Is_Red_(song)

Also, for clarity, we didn't include this song as an endorsement of Mao Zedong or his actions - mostly just trying to spur interest in Chinese history and culture.

@@TeaHouseGhost m yes thank you so much , it was this song, i find it very interesting about chines culture content thats why i ask it , i saw wikipedia link , very great thank you so much for sharing, of course i inderstand your clarity very well , dont worry and i hope hear others from him ^^

The specificity of dedication is, of course, up to you! Though Nixing will yang slowly, it will yang, so mixing Yan Cha and Dancong Cha in one teapot may muddle the flavor, but it also might make for a cool combo! I've never tried it! Let us know what you choose! Love the 茶 pun, my friend! Cheers from 茶-ustin, Texas!

@@TeaHouseGhost thank you for the quick reply. Haha I'm too much a purist/noob get into combos haha. Maybe some day.. I'll dedicate this Nixing pot to yan Chas other than DHP then. Thanks again for everything 😊

They're not bad. My biggest gripe with iron is that they get hot to the touch. So hard to hold with boiling water in em

You certainly can! Go nuts! No yanging!

TimothyKaosuツ at the Teahouse it's like half Elementi kettles and half this other weird knockoff Bonavita lol

I can't speak to the specifics of comparing/contrasting Dai script with Burmese or Thamil script, because my knowledge of each is very limited, but it would be interesting to know how much overlap is in that venn diagram!

I have not!

@@TeaHouseGhost I've seen some but the only question I have is how good they'll retain heat

An easy way to answer this would be "what grows together, goes together" - that is to say Chaozhou clay teapots, having been developed in the Phoenix Mountain area and thus cultivated as an art form around this kind of tea practice, are really good for Dan Cong Cha. That being said, any kind of clay can be used for any kind of tea of you like the matchup! For example I have an Yixing clay teapot, that was made in Chaozhou in a Chaozhou style that I use for Thunderstruck (a dan cong).

@@TeaHouseGhost thanks a lot. I had this clash in my head Yixing vs Chaozhou....

In many cases some amount of leaf particles making it into your gongdao bei is just part of the game, but if you're not one who likes having leaves in your cup, you can always pour through a strainer! Enthea Teahouse in Portland Oregon sells really nice ones I believe! Lots of folks do it this way

@@TeaHouseGhost thanks!

Here is a link to her Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/MaryECotterman Here is a link to her insta: instagram.com/m.e.cotterman?igshid=409ww8jnx8j9 Also Guan You sells her wares so you can contact them at contact(at)guanyinteahouse(dot)com

You may select at your discretion anywhere along this gradient! For example, I have a pot that is for Nannuo Mountain Shu Pu'er and another pot that is just for Thunderstruck Phoenix Oolong.

Hi! I haven't used a Duan Ni clay teapot yet myself, although they look beautiful! I'm sure it's a fine choice for your first teapot if you are drawn to it! As far as what tea is dedicated to it - that's entirely your choice! You can dedicate any teapot to any type of tea you want. What type of tea would you like to make in this teapot?

I was thinking about da Hong pao but i also heard opinions that this clay is better for light oolongs like Ti kyuan yin or something like that So im a little bit confused now.

@@gusmic5759 Da Hong Pao is always a great one to make in a teapot! Really the choice of which tea to dedicate a pot to is all about you and your relationship with your teaware and the tea you like to make. I'd say for your first teapot, choose a tea that you like to make a lot, so you can start to yang the clay! What works for some won't work for others. There's no right or wrong way to go about it.

Thank you very much for answer and for your videos!❤️

Unsure exactly where So-Han got this cloth. Somewhere in China. He picks up lots of fun stuff on his travels.

Each time you use it, it seasons a little more. I don't know if I would say there's a threshold where "it's seasoned now" - though there is a legend about Yixing clay pots that if you steep the same tea in one every day for 1000 days, that on the 1001st day you can pour just water into the pot and out will come tea.

@@TeaHouseGhost Oooooo 😮

A useful analogy!

@@TeaHouseGhost 😊

Time to get more! 😝

In glass or glazed tea pots, yes. You can use any tea after any other tea.

​@@TeaHouseGhost thank you!

Really impossible to say without seeing/feeling/hearing the pot as far as the degree that it is genuine Yixing Zhu Ni. Typically they sell for twice that at baseline, or can definitely be more expensive, but it's not out of the question to find a seller offering them for that price. Choice of tea is yours my friend! If that's what you'll love making in it, then that's the right choice!

@@TeaHouseGhost P.S. The _Zhū Ní_ (?) _Lóng Dàn Hú_ came in the mail, along with two _Piān Gǔ Hús_ made of _Yíxìng Zǐ Shā_ that I ordered afterwards. The _Lóng Dàn Hú_ came in a gorgeous red box and a certificate written in Chinese, which I *can't* read (I'm Japanese, and some of the Chinese is handwritten) . The teapot itself does look red and hand-crafted. The sound of removing the lid is high-pitched and resonant like the _Yíxìng Zhū Ní_ teapot in the vid. I also tested the upside-down trick on all three teapots, all of which pulled it off with flying colors. BTW I'd like to send you photos and vids as proof; do you have any mail addresses I can send them to?

@@MrAqr2598 that's great to hear they all passed the tests! I'm not sure how much more assessment we could provide from checking out photos and vids, but you can feel free to send them to teahouseghost(at)gmail(dot)com

Was it marketed as an Yixing clay teapot? Or what kind of clay is it?

@@TeaHouseGhost unfortunately, the owner inherited it from her dad who passed away. She couldn't tell me anything about it. I Found someone who transleted the stamp as 'Zhou Guizhen' which makes me believe it's a fake. It looks like it was made on a spintable but the lid is a very tight fit. So I think it has some worth, but not a true Zhisha. Are there any other steps I could take?

@@iBuzzinga Spun pottery with a tight lid is more common in Chao Zhou clay teaware and some other kinds. Let me talk with So-Han and see if there's anything that might be able to help you. In the meantime, if you want to send pictures to teahouseghost@gmail.com we can take a look.

@@TeaHouseGhost Thanks, you guys are the best!

To my knowledge, the patina left by making tea in a clay vessel like this will not go rancid as long as you take care of your vessel and clean up after each tea session.

Either one! Your choice! For example - I have a tea that is just for shu Pu'er and one that is just for Thunderstruck Phoenix Oolong specifically.

@@TeaHouseGhost thank you for the reply!

@@avriltbdt of course!

My Mary Cotterman Chao Zhou dragon's egg pot cost $200USD. When last I was in China, I also found some extremely nice Jian Shui pots for around $150-$300. So yes, fine handmade pottery can be quite expensive, in some cases even more expensive than this (especially for ones with nice designs). But sometimes even good teaware can be found for relatively cheap...in China. Finding nice Chinese stoneware in the West for cheap is a little more difficult. I'd say for a legit Yixing or Chao Zhou clay teapot, expect to spend around $80 minimum. Dai pottery we found was quite a bit cheaper (and still v good quality!), and Nixing can sometimes be a bit cheaper than it's Yixing and Chao Zhou clay counterparts because of the relative lack of hype around Nixing clay. I will make an important note here that a nice clay teapot is not necessary to do Gong Fu Cha. Anyone can do Gong Fu Cha in a regular old glazed porcelain gaiwan and make amazing tea. A fine handmade clay teapot is inherently a luxury good. So if you're thinking of getting one, it's best to save up and get a good one. Ultimately, the price will be a product of two main factors: the quality of the clay, and the quality of the craftsmanship. A factory-line clay teapot made of good clay can still be a good pot. A handmade teapot made with less-than-amazing clay can also be good, but watch out with bad clay because some bad clays can be toxic. The best, though, is a pot made with good clay by a skilled craftsman.

Tea House Ghost茶館鬼 thanks so much for the reply helps a lot! I just started out and enjoying tea so much. I live in Thailand might not get to go to china but I might go to Hong Kong maybe I can get some teaware while I’m there. On your point about bad quality clay is there a way to tell if the clay is bad quality or toxic?

I'm not sure if I know of any specific ways to tell if a clay is bad/toxic so much as I know how to tell if a clay is good. One of the best layman ways to tell good clay is from the sound, as So Han demonstrates in the video (the sound of pulling the lid off, or tapping the lid, gently, against the side of the pot). Also knowing your suppliers and building a relationship with them helps, so that way you are buying teaware from friends instead of just someone trying to make fast money at market. But I will look into this for you and see if I can find some more info!

Daaaaaang! Bitter!