It’s Sunday afternoon.
Choice of book: Aaron Fisher’s The Way of Tea; I am on Chapter 10, ‘Tea Ware’.
Choice of tea: Assam black tea
Mood: Pensive
Reasons: Plenty. For one, it’s a hot summer afternoon. Two, my research seems be headed in a direction different than what I initially hypothesized.
A week ago, my editor and I were talking over a cup of tea, trying to understand the psyche of the ‘ostentatious’ tea drinker. In our roles as advocate for everything tea we have met quite a few eccentric tea lovers who insist on protracted tea rituals and a table full of paraphernalia that frankly make lesser tea-mortals gawk in wonderment.
They subscribe to that famous Henry James tea quote: “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hours dedicated to the ritual known as afternoon tea”. Not minutes, he said HOURS!
Amazed at the thought of ‘tea hour(s)’ we pondered over the ritualized notions of tea. Does it really take a table full of fine China and fancy-looking tools to enjoy a good cup of tea? And if so, how do regular tea-loving people ever get to this state of tea-actualization?
And so here I was, with the aforementioned book in my quest for understanding what really makes a perfect cup of tea – the tea or the tea ware? (Did you know that Japan actually has seven tea bowls from the 1300s considered national treasures for their awesome tea steeping qualities?)
It’s been rather quixotic, reading this book. I was excited to find out (if and) how certain tea pots, kettles, cups and such lend themselves to the art of tea. Does their ‘form’ really lead us to this state of ‘tea transcendence’ or is just some hokum we have been made to believe? As I started on Chapter 10 of aforementioned book, I felt sure to hit upon some answers.
Page 159: “Most tea lovers find that as their experience, discrimination, and understanding of tea grow, they invariably start leaning more towards simplicity and function. Tea ware becomes a matter of which cup, pot, kettle, etc. can enhance the flavor, texture, or aroma of their teas – which are also becoming more refined, rare, and often expensive.”
The masters seem to concede that the choice of tea ware really does affect how you taste and experience the tea, which makes me want to rethink the use of my dollar store tea cup. But before I can take drastic measures, I arrive at this,
“Of course no amount of function can outshine the skill and focus of the person through which the ceremony flows. Tea brewed ever-so-simply by a master will be still more delicious than that brewed by a beginner with the best tea ware.”
The chapter goes on to elaborate how everyday tools are just as capable of producing a fine cup of tea and that if you do indulge in the pageantry of things – the fine china, the ambient décor, the delicate handling of the gaiwan, and the works – they can greatly enhance the experience of tea making and drinking. Yet they are anything but a necessity.
Over these few months, we, at Teabox, have been experimenting with tea accessories from all over the world. And I have enthusiastically tried them all in a bid to find those that will suit a modern lifestyle, which in all honesty, has no consideration for ceremonious tea hours. You can, as they say, ‘be a sage in the mountains far more easily than in the city.’
So, here’s my wish list for things that will make my tea ritual rise above the ordinary and make it pleasurable even in sloth.
1. A direct immersion tea maker or infuser
Who says you cannot have a fine cup of tea in less than 15 minutes? Especially when you have a meeting to rush to first thing in the morning and cannot take out the porcelain tea pot, strainer and tea cups. An infuser saves you the trouble of laying out an entire table full of things and yet relish a cup of loose-leaf tea.
Lazy quotient: 4/5
Pros: Easy to steep and pour. Suits clumsy hands. Ideal for steeping for two.
Con: It’s pretty nearly faultless. The only thing you need is a tea mug/cup to go along.
2. A infuser-included tea cup
This is as all-in-one as it gets. You steep and sip out the same little tool and apart from spoonful of fine tea, there is nothing more you need. Maybe blessings of the weather god. But not a necessity.
Lazy quotient: 5/5
Pros: It’s very handy. Suggests good sense.
Cons: Being a single-serve apparatus, it’s for the solitary indulgence.
3. A travel tea maker
If you spend half your life on-road and hate sipping on tea-bag tea, a portable tea maker may just be the thing to put on your must-buy list. Look for one with a sleek make so that it fits in your car’s cup holder or just as easy to carry in your backpack.
Lazy quotient: 3/5
Pros: Suggests good sense. Perfect for outings – casual or otherwise.
Cons: You need a mug to carry along for the pour. And a bag to discard leaves. But it isn’t a deal breaker when you know you can steep your favorite tea no matter where you go.
Now there are tools far tinier and simpler out there, like the pincer or loose paper bags, but I find they do not allow leaves to unfurl as well as a proper tea maker would. And it makes a world of difference.
As I finish the chapter, I find myself toying with a new thought. Perhaps you don’t really need the assurance of fine tea ware to experience the art and beauty of tea. It’s the intent that makes a world of a difference. If you find yourself feeling calm just at the sight of fine china then be it so. But a cup of hot water and some tea will do you right just as well.
Page 162: Remember the Soul, Forget the Bowl
A samurai once asked a tea master about his opinion on some fancy tea ware. While he begged to be excused, the samurai insisted that the master share his thoughts. “You all seemed to have missed the point,” he began. “The value of a piece of teaware is reflected in the tea it makes and the state of mind it brings about, not whether it is expensive or cheap, new or old.”
