Pots and Tea

Two small cups by Yoo Tae-Keun

2012-02-13T06:38:00.000-08:00

During preparation of the TongECha post for this blog, going through our collection, my eyes rested on two cups. Two small, extraordinary goblets created by Korean ceramic master Yoo Tae Keun.

Those cups are the only ones in our collection, where the surface is not bare clay nor glazed. Mr. Yoo has used here, for finishing the surface, the urushi. The Urushi is Japanese term and also the technique is famous as Japanese. Despite that fact there are many historical as well as modern Korean works using Chinesse lacquer three sap to create natural varnish called urushi. As many others, technique of urushi came to Japan from China thru Korea. And as many others, Koreans have used this knowledge and craft in their unique way.

We got those cups as a generous and valued gift during our first visit of Korea from Mr.Yoo. Those cups are not for daily use for me. For their special look and feeling I present them during special occasions. The lacquer gold combination represents luxury. But it necessarily doesn't have to be luxury of wealth. There are also luxuries of time and friendship. The Luxury of freedom. By cleaning, preheating and filling those cups with high-end tea I bring out consciousness of those Luxuries.

Cups are light and with almost not-ceramic touch. I like to use them on more earthy, stoneware saucers. It brings harmony. Shape of the cups is simple and let's say humble. Regardless the urushi and the gold cups still do not protrude. When you raise them up to your lips then the preciousness of the moment shows up.

To meet Mr.Yoo, to see his kiln and to visit gallery belong to those memories, which one will not forget. His ability to follow traditional ways with fresh and modern spirit is admirable. I wish to go this way too...

Pictures of Yoo's kiln, gallery, himself and bowls full of sun....

Thank you for reading!

Firing Under The Moon

2012-01-30T07:07:00.000-08:00

First firing of the year. Waxing moon keeps an eye on snow-covered garden, hills as well as on frozen ponds. Before its edge touch the ground, all cones are going to be tired and I will go to bed.

Fire and Snow. Lights and Shadows.

Tong E Cha

2012-01-17T01:07:00.000-08:00

I have spent this morning with Korean tea. Partly oxidized Korean teas are mostly called Balhyocha. In this case, leaves are not only oxidized but also pressed or shaped to kind of ball. This gave name to this tea - it is called Tongecha - cake tea. According to Matt, it is quite new thing in the world of Korean teas. I was aware that Czech supplier TeaMountain offer this tea, but before I got to buy it, my dear Spanish friend Antonio give me chunk of those interesting leaves. Magic globalization! Tea going from Hwagae valley situated in south of Korean peninsula to Czech Republic, thereafter to Barcelona tearoom and then back to middle of Europe as a friendly gift.

Leaves are dark, small and lively looking. I removed them to small porcelain jar. After a while smelling to this jar I found dark, but sweet and very clearly speaking fragrance. When in many balhyocha you will find spicy or even sharper tones, here it is almost clear, dark chocolate.

Pressing of the tea is light so it didn't surprise me that even first brew was strong. But not too strong, it couldn't kill liveliness and vibrancy of the tea. Second brew become more smooth and filed my mouth with thick taste. The kind of taste, which brings me back to the childhood - candied fruits coated by dark but sweet chocolate.

It was interesting to contemplate how the tea slowly changed thru brews. The chocolate was still there. The aroma of chocolade changed with every cup. It went from heavier orange - citrus aromas over resin and light peprmint to violet or other sweet flowers fragrances. Smelling to empty cup was story itself or no less then irreplaceable part of main tale. The content of the empty cup was colorful and sweet in the way which reminds me best wui oolongs I had. The empty cup was full. And if I have missed that than my tea session would be poorer.

For high quality of those leaves speak (among others) their stamina. I haven't found a break point among brews. Liqueurs become slowly lighter but still sweet and fragrant. The seller says that you can prepare ten, full-blown brews. I confirm that. However, good water, right utensils and tranquil attention is needed for that. This tea is worth it.

Thank you for reading.

Cones

2012-01-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

For today I chose more or less solely ceramic topic. There were several questions lately: To what temperature do you fire your pieces? How many hours do you fire? Every time, when someone new sees us around the kiln during firing there is a question: How do you know, when to stop? And I every time start to replay with opening one of our peepholes...

What you can see in such peephole depends on temperature and your "ability" to see. What you should see (among others) is holder or stand with what is called cones or more precisely pyrometric cones. I talk about small pieces of ceramic, which potters use for measuring of heatwork (combined effect of temperature and time). Although it can seems to be kind of not easy to get for "first lookers" the principle is simple and quite natural.

First cone melted down, second one start to soften...

Cones are made from mixture of ceramic materials (the number of cone determines temperature -time value which can show during firing). More precise and wider definitions you can find reading Wiki. What maybe you can miss there is written between lines: for firing of ceramic is temperature as important as time. You can fire with thermometer, pyrometric cones or with other equipment, but than you will need to watch your watch. Basic benefit of cones lies in ist ceramic nature - it measure heatwork not temperature. For example: when thermometer shows actual temperature 1260°C for let's say one hour then cone 10 (1320°C when rise-up of temperature is 150°C/hour) starts to show us that its time is coming. It shows us how pots (clays and glazes) are feeling. And that is what I am interested in. How my pieces inside the kiln feel not what temperature is there.

Cone 6a in the midle of the kiln has just touch base...

In most cases we use five cones in three peepholes. There are three cones in hottest part of the kiln (06a, 9 and 11), one 6a in the middle of the kiln and one 6a. in coldest part of the kiln. First cone which start to react to rising temperature is 06a which should refer to 960°C. In this time we know that we should start first stronger reduction period. This 06a cone is usually down after around four hours of the firing (not counting several hours of pre-heating). Then after another eight-nine hours, the cone 9 starts slowly go down. Here more slowly means better - it is period, when pots need time to ripen. This cone nine should refer to temperature around 1300°C. After two aditional hours or so cone eleven goes down. Here it is already very difficult to see those cones - it is "white heat" and you need some experiences to recognize what is going on in there. This cone eleven refers to 1350°C. When this final front cone is down we start to watch cones thru peepholes in the midlle and in the back. Depending mostly on how tight the kiln is loaded after one up to five hours also the last 6a (1250°C) cone is down. This "firing curve" is not from school handbook but based on experiences with several hundred firing of different kilns. Each single firing is then our teacher for work in the future. And the best time to learn is during unloading a kiln we have fired. We can see mistakes we have made as well as ways to improve.

Thank you for reading and Happy New Year!

2006 ZhangPing Shui Xian

2011-12-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

This morning I opened two new bags - first with tea I got some time ago from Chawangshop. Second one arrived yesterday - new charcoal as food for my "water heated on charcoal" project. Both tea as well as charcoal would deserve more space than this short post. I can promise that as my experiences with charcoal will grow I will happy to share with you more.

Zhangping Shui Xian is rather rare oolong tea. Maybe I was not looking dutifully but I know only about Life in Teacup where you can purchase such tea on the "west". Reading description on Chawangshop and going thru posts on blog of Life in Teacup you can come to know about origin of this interesting oolong. I have not tried it yet so I was exited to see what is inside the very nice package.

just wet fingers and ink is smudged...

I cut this five years old small square brick in half, and put it in to my 90ml teapot. It was maybe too much tea for it. I don't mind to drink strong tea. But as I was enjoing it in my cup I was aware that behind its full body there are covered fragrances. So next time, the second half of the "brick" will be cut again in to the half.

Although brews were strong, let's say powerful, there ware still many flowery and sweet, fruity scents. Roast of this tea is not so strong like with traditional Wui ShuiXian but you can still feel it. Probably those five years of age, created it the tea heavier hints of plums and dry apricots, which this tea has left in my mouth.

If I would like to sound romantic I could say that this tea reminds me "taste of old China". From its package, thru look of dry leaves to sweet aftertaste. But this is just my personal impression - what do I know about it? But it was pleasant mixture of misty, quiet morning and tea leaves what made my day. Hot water in my kettle was slowly gurgling - just one step to happiness. It is decent and interesting tea worth to try. The seller says that "this tea is very good for long term storage". Who knows? But even now there are signs of (semi)aged oolongs and that is good thing.
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For those who are interested in to my new charcoal experience I have, for now, just few words and couple of pictures. I have tried few different charcoals and, till today, as the best work coconut briquettes. Today morning I used "single kind", high quality, Czech oak charcoal. Ok, producer labeled it as "high quality". But truth is that there are rather bigger, nice pieces and chunks. Charcoal is clean and without dust, which makes smoke and smells during burning.

For lighting it up I used gas burner. I leave charcoal in original, bigger pieces and I was afraid how it will work. After five minute on gas and another ten, waiting, if " the light up" was sufficient, I have my first cup in fifteen - twenty minutes. It was faster then I was hoping for!

Having still enough hot water I have enjoyed six infusion for another forty five minutes. Everyone who uses charcoal for heating water for tea, talks about impact on quality of the tea itself. I like how it works! But I have to make the whole process of preparing charcoal, heating water and brewing tea more calm and get routine. Then I will be more free to see and feel how it improves my tea. For now I can say: It is way worth to be started.

Thank you for reading.

Note: To everyone who would like to learn about heating water by using charcoal fire I can recomment to read and stay tune to Mattcha's blog.

Comparing two CNNP Shu from 2002

2011-12-08T15:04:00.000-08:00

I find a comparing teas as good opportunity to learn. Few tea samples putted in to the line always strain my senses. I use to have troubles to assort my observations. Sometime when I received pile of samples I got lost - drinking them thru several days or even weeks brought to me many great and inspiring tea sessions but also some confusion. My gustative memory is not so perfect and it is not easy to compare tea in my cup with another which was there few days ago. So I have decided to create few, more or less the same, testing sets. I know about standard competition sets, of course. But for my nature, testing with those set was always somehow cold or too laboratory to me. So I have made an attempt to create an alternative.

Sets I have made are quite small...

Shibo can hold about 70-80ml of water...

Created from technical porcelain and glazed just by Czech feldspar, those small shiboridashes and cups reflect fragrances in the way which makes me happy. Brews are softer then from most of hard, white porcelain competition sets I have tried. I have taken them out of the kiln in "tea arrival days". In days when couple of boxes with many teas in them have arrived to our doors. Great combination - I have used those testing sets many times since that !

Two teas, which have urged to be prepared next to each other, were from Gingo of Life in Teacup. Both are from 2002, both produced by CNNP. The 7581 brick is like old familiar friend to me. Like someone who I like and enjoy to be with. In the sample pouch was hidden its brother, piece of The Golden Brick. So let's put them next to each other...

Big difference between those brothers you can already find when looking on dry leaves. The French Export 7581 brick is made of bigger, thicker leaves and stems make it look wild or disheveled. The Golden Brick Shu fulfils its name - small leaves are nice looking and streaked by golden leaves.

The Golden Brick The 7581 French Export Brick

The difference between leaves is even clearer on pictures of wet leaves. Dark, almost black 7581 compare to brown gold Golden Brick. Smelling to those wet leaves, I have found the basic personalities which went thru the tasting like a fiber. Lighter, fruity and flowery Golden Brick in one shiboridashi and more dry, woody - nutty, like green almonds fragrances of 7581 in the second one.

After first quick infusion...

The Golden Brick The 7581 French Export Brick

After fifth infusion....

The Golden Brick The 7581 French Export Brick

If this comparing should be a competition or race, then during first two infusions The Golden Brick was the leader. But as I said before, I knew what is inside of 7581! Leaves of The Golden Brick show its beauty - brews have full body and strong fragrances. My mind was still looking for names of flowers to link those fragrances with. Chrysanthemums? Honey orchids ? Very tasty, that is for sure.

As you can see here, colors of those teas in cups are very similar to each other. But not smells, tastes or mouthfeels...

Cup with 7581 started to captivate more attention in second infusion. In third and later brews it become strong but smooth potion. Dry, woody mouth feel with green almonds tastes and long after taste. Hints of resin and forest flowers. On other hand The Golden Brick started to loose its power. Maybe it is just judgment originated from my personal love for character of 7581 brick. I can also imagine that there is a million tea lovers who will always pick The very nice Golden Brick. And I enjoyed it too. But my heart belongs to Shu from 2002 produced under CNNP and labeled as 7581 French Export.

Thank you for reading!

As addition I have released here one more (imperfect) picture of my new testing sets. Here with this year's shengs which I enjoyed yesterday, together with my friend. Tea and water, charcoal and teapot, cups and friendship...

The "French Autumn" sets II -after firing

2011-11-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

We were again very busy in our studio and I couldn't found few minutes to take pictures of those new "French sets". Today I finally did it...

This post will be again more about pictures then about words. I hope you will enjoy them. Every question, observation or comment is welcome. For now just let me say that the French clay, which we have brought from our trip, is not only very nice to work with but also wonderful in the fire. I like the almost black -rusty color. But as I have expected it is not for the hottest parts of our kiln. We fire pretty high and also in quite strong reduction. And this combination is usually crucial for high iron clay bodies. We use several clays with similar iron base like this French one and we have to fire them in colder parts of our kiln. You will see on few pictures below what may happen if such clay is over fired in heavy reduction. It is walking on the edge...

Without glaze...

Seeing pieces like this I often recall a Masakazu Kusakabe's exclamation during unlouding kiln with him " Look, look - such a wonderful crack! So natural"

Thank you for reading.

The "French Autumn" sets - part I.

2011-11-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

Sharp reader of my blog has probably caught promise I have made here. I have mentioned my plan to share with you journey of the red stoneware clay from Dordogne River to our kiln. At first, I thought about to make few tests, then create few teapots and share with you the "best of" it. But then I realized that it could be interesting for some of you to see those first tea sets before firing. And so I dicided to show you those unfired pieces without knowing final results. Kiln has been lighted today and will be preheated overnight. The firing should end during tommorow night. Pictures, which you can see here I took (still with red fingers) a week ago.

If those cups will survive each will hold around 50ml of tea...

Here you can see drying white clay. I got chunk of this white clay together with the red one from Meyssac potter Laetitia. This one is kind of majolica clay (for low temperature) from Limoges region. I decided to use it as a white slip - an under glaze decoration. Dry clay has been crushed, than mixed with water and sieved thru very fine sieve.

Two teapots were "painted" with Limoges white clay. I left the third one "naked" - without slip and without glaze, just clay and fire.

No matter how many firings I already have done - pure excitement - I still like it.

Thank you for reading.

Misty morning with raw coin from 80'

2011-10-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here, and it is getting already cold. We had white frost every morning last week. But today morning was a bit warmer. When I went out there was mist walking around and also some brave bird tried to sing. Being aware that this can be one of the last chances, I have took my tea table outside.

With basic equipment and mist around I decided to open one of the treasure bags which arived from Taiwan a month ago.

Stephane Erler write to me this note: "The puerh coin is probably made of plantation buds. What's interesting is that they were stored inside a real bamboo stick. Nice packaging! Quite smooth, but by far not as powerful as the mid 80s loose raw puerh I've described recently. (I have only 1 coin left in my inventory!)"

Raw puerh which is about 25 years old is not common visitor in my cup. These, to coin shaped leaves, are brown, small with very light flowery scents. Pressing is rather strong and I was glad to realized how it fits to my small yixing pot.

First quick infusion (after one rinse brew) was very light, alive and pure in my mouth. I have put lid on the side and sniffed a bit. When steam reached my nose I smiled. It is like start to read a new book and after first page you know- I am going to enjoy this adventure. Scents of nuts mixed with resin and woods are intense and force me do sniff again and again. This repeat after each infusion but after fifth it getting to be more subtle. And I started to believe to my mind which found there also fragrances of sweet flowers. I found the complex of fragrances surprisingly similar to scents I know from much younger LiuBao I have.

Second brew was already full bodied and also darker in color. Mouth fell is rounded and smooth. On taste profile participate tints of coffee chocolate.

Third...

...and fourth cup

After six infusions I have taken a break. Energize but calm I went to studio to get back to this tea during evening.

The boiling teapot still works...

This tea fits to autumn colors and moods very well. I also feel that drinking and learning from really aged, mature teas is quite important. Important for me as someone who like puehr tea and who would like to make my tea sessions deeper. It is good to have the experience to know where our young teas can go. I always become aware that the magic of good aged puehr tea is not in its look, taste, smells or mouth feel. All of this can be great but there is something more why we love it.

Have a sun in your cups, no matter how misty or rainy your morning is!

Thank you for reading.

Terra Mano

2011-10-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

After quite busy summer we decided to accept nice invitation from France. Terra Mano is name of festival hold every year in small town in Corréze deppartment, Meyssac. We were invited to participate on festival and also to spent few day before festival in this wonderful area. We needed vacation and it was pleasant to leave our daily routine behinde us. But I took this traveling, as I usually do, more like oportunity to learn and bring new inspirations in to my live.

Back home, I remember people and their lives more then sights. I am always more curious to see how craftsmen work then lie on the beach. Hearing story of a castle I see lives of people in the landscape around. We enjoyed stay in the area very much. It was great to watch how local potters throw on the weel. It was factinating to see how glassblower is blowing in to a pipe, creating wonderful vase. Farmers in walnut orchard are picking up this year's wealth. There are goats on slope and goats cheese on the table. Driving thru vineyard in the morning we enjoyed red wine during evening.

There are few villiges in the area called "red stone villiges" From pictures you can see why this nickname. What fascinates me as a potter was the clay used by local potters. It is stoneware with almost the same color as those sand stones houses around - iron red.

The clay is mined by Dordogne River and it was joy to try work with it there. Such joy that I asked Meyssac potter Laetitia to give me chunk of this "Dordogne treasure" to try it at home. I am looking forward to see how my hands and our kiln are going to deal with it. At the top of my head I have few tea pots named "French Autumn" (I know, not too inventive...). And the process have already started. So please, curious reader, be patience and stay tune.

Thank you for reading...

To slow your tea down...

2011-09-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

This tea session was insired by post on one of my favorite tea blogs..... "...drink tea and enrich your life. "

Time- an early morning in late summer. The autumn was already in the air...
Place- heart of the Europe. Under birch threes on our garden...
Water- tap water. Running there from uplands around...
Fire- old camping gas cooker
Tea- 1998 Gan Xiang Jiu Yun cake...
Pots - teapot specially made for heating water. New clay labeled as suitable for cooking- unglazed inside. Then bigger but delicate cup, plate and stoneware flask for water...
Flowers- natural lawn around...
Music- birds...

Just half-filled teapot Is going to be enough...

Yes, charcoal fire is nicer and probably better for tea then this gas burner...next time. The teapot already survive
repetitive fire, and that is good. After many trials here is finally clay which seems to work.

Waiting for the tea...

...I look around exploring hidden beauty.

The brew is thick and tasty

Something sweet before second "infusion"?

The flask, created by our friend, was given to us many years ago...nice for cold water.

To enjoy tea this way is worth to try. If you will choose proper time and place, water and fire, tea and pots, flower and music then you will smile then as I did. I believe in it.

Thank you for reading.

The Healer

2011-09-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

You have probably been there...from time to time it happens. You meet tea which brings new perspective into your tea world . I have experienced that with mature leaves from Guangxi province - completely new taste profile, unknown story. But most notably there was kind of energy I haven't experienced so strongly before.

The tea I am talking about is 1980's Liu Bao Tea from The Eccense of tea

Dry leaves, as you can see above, are not perfect. I mean if you don't know that we are talking about aged liubao here. There are some stems, broken leaves but also nice whole leaves and some of them are still slightly pressed into some kind of chunks- probably as a remnant of traditional storage in bamboo basket. The first clue of this beeing something special you probably are going get (as I did), when you will sniff to those leaves. Aged aroma is sweet, mellow and oak-like fragrances prevail.

First infusion...

If I didn't hold myself back then the word mellow is written in every part of my description. From first sniffing, thru smell to wet leaves till savoring of last infusions - there are no sharp edges. Liquor isn't so thick - compare to ShegPu of similar age. Also color is nicely chestnut brown. There are no yellow-brown (sheng) or red-black-brown hues (shu). And here we get to an interesting point - it is better to relieve your mind from comparing to other teas here. Although it is closer to aged Puer then to aged oolongs - by comparing this you can miss some important parts of nature of this tea.

Second infusion...

Sipping this chestnut like liquor I felt calmed and there was spring like water refreshing sensation in my throat. In taste there was woody and sweet tones. Resin of pine wood, oak - using my imagination I felt like standing in a calm morning on the edge of an old forest. In first two infusions there was kind of herbal bitterness in back of my mouth - but without astringency what so ever.

Morning sun helps even to my small, old camera to take decent pictures...

Probably the best part of tea session with the liubao is its impact on your mind and your body. That is why I label this post The Healer. Its energy is soothing, calm. Combination of mellow sensation in mouth and throat with confoming effect on the body make this tea special to me. Here is the comparison with an younger sheng
appropriate: shengs are (in most cases) warm and make my mind sharper on the other hand this liubao cools down and makes my mind calm and quiet.

Like with most well aged teas you can brew it for many times. Enjoing this tea in the morning I have stopped after fifth infusion and go back to continue with few more brews during afternoon. The taste is not changing dramatically thru those brews - even latter, lighter cups were very enjoyable.

Do those left over leaves look black here? If you think so, believe me - it is dark but not black. Study them closelly you can still see that the material was partly oxidized. And if there was fermentation (wodui process) then it didn't "burn" all color down.

Patient reader of my blog could notice new teapot, which I am using here for very first time. It was made for one of my dear customers. It was ready to be pack and send, when I have catch sight of small crack, unfortunately it leaks. So I keept it for myself and devote it to Heicha. It is without glaze inside and I am curious how it will work after catching some patina.

Thank you for reading!

Pots under influence of tea -after firing

2011-08-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Few posts back, I have putted up here a picture of fresh, unfired teapot. I commented it as "I have been drinking too much Chinese tea lately...good for you my new, little baby" Now I would like to show you this teapot after firing. It is with me already few weeks but I didn't find a time to share some pictures with you. (Those weeks were filled with work - we were lecturing few workshops for people, who wanted to learn more about natural glazes and woodfiring. To teach them our experiences and share techniques we use was inspiring and we hope to continue in the future)

As you can see here, I have decided to fire this small pot in the first floor of the kiln, where we use the charcoal technique. And yes, I like footprint of plants on some of my pieces. After experimenting with several different herbs (from our neighborhood), the horsetail seems to be the best. And what is more, it has become very unpleasant weed on our garden, so to use it in wood kiln helps a bit to keep our garden clean.

At first, I was not quite sure what kind of glaze-surface I should use on this pot. Finally I have leaved the interior unglazed. On exterior you can see slip made of ash, kaolin and titanium dioxide…

After firing...

Time to time I decide to try new teapot with tea - to see how new pieces works. How particular clay, fire, glaze and shape combination works with leaves.

Here I went for 07 Da Hong Pao from Gingo. Five grams of this very nice treasure from Wuyi Mountains were enough to make my day deeper. This is DaHongPao as I like it- full bodied, roast is strong but not overwhelming.

Flowery-honey fragrances and strong aftertaste were with me from the very beginning. All is starting from first infusions and (if you are in the right mood) it can be pour and enjoyed like for ever…

The surface of the teapot reminds me one hundred years old relic, buried in the mud. But light and quite smooth interior tells the true – it is bright new pot with its life ahead of it.

Under the steam...

Thanks for reading...

Moving...

2011-07-29T06:36:00.000-07:00

In one of my older posts I have already writen here about tea samples from ChawangShop. One of the samples I have enjoyed was 06 LiuAn basket tea. And 250g bamboo basket of this tea was also in the package which arrived to our place a couple of weeks ago. The fact that I have ordered whole basket bespeak about my impressions from the sample. But sometime it is very difficult for me to judge a tea from 5-10g sample. So I was really curious what is inside those bamboo leaves...I am going to share my finding about this tea in one of my later posts. For now, I just would like to show you the new "home" of the tea. And its moving there...

When I was about to break in to the basket I have found out one "complication". The leaves of bamboo are fragile and after few "openings" they are going to be too broken. Tea leaves are going to crumble around and I will have to put it in to a paper back anyway. So it will be probably much more practical to keep it in the stoneware jar which I hold for myself from the last firing.

The jar is unglazed inside. I hope it will have a good impact on the tea stored there. At least I think that the porous material can create affable microclimate for aging of the LiuAn.

Leaves of the LiuAn are not so pressed as pu- ehr cakes but still- I find the Pu-needle helpful also in this case.

I am not sure if in this case (the Anhui HeiCha- not Pu ehr tea) is the Nei Fei the proper name. But this piece of paper pressed inside of the tea was very nice finding indeed.

Traditionally the LiuAn is prepared with small piece of bamboo leave in the teapot. So I have putted several leaves from the original basket to the storage jar. It will be not only my supply of bamboo for entirety of my LiuAn teas. It will be also the right environment for those tea leaves themselves. I mean for aging-storing of the tea.

The jar is almost full...

I hope that I will not forgot what is inside...but who knows?

The jar itself has a decoration created by white slip (clay) on the rough body. During the top stage of the firing it was partly covered by charcoal- I like those marks and footprints, colors and irregularity which this process creates.

Welcome home...

Thank you for reading

New companion...

2011-07-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Jana Matiščiková is our friend , college who also belongs to our sect of woodfirers. She visited us couple of weeks ago with few boxes of new pots from her kiln. Among others, we find there several wonderful porcelain teacups. Very first celadon cup I have seen there really hit me and it was easy to decide- It is going to be mine!

I like to buy pots from colegues. It is interesting to see different approaches, and feel different materials, when I use those pieces. But every time when I buy tea ware, it is somehow special for me- it is going to be part of my private moments. It doesn't have to be perfect from potters or artistic point of view. It just has to feel right and makes my tea sessions happier. And this cup works very well.

To make this cup, Jana has used translucent porcelain and very clear celadon glaze. There are several point about this cup which everyone notice- the light raised decoration, simple and clear shape and (when you are holding it) its lightness. Walls are very thin, but they don't feel too fragile.

Usually when I have new cup which fits to my tea routine, I use it very often. I don’t know for how long I am going to be stock on this blue-green friend, but for now, I use it everyday…I wish to Jana many satisfied customers as I am now. Thank you again.

SF Nepal in the morning....

2010 Yiwu shengpu in the midle of the day...

Fresh YanCha for afternoon...

And confoming LaoChaTou for early evening...

Thank you for reading.

Pots under influence of tea

2011-07-21T02:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, it can be. I have been drinking too much Chinese tea lately...good for you my new, little baby.

Just drying outside the workshop...

Enjoy your day as I am enjoing mine.

Dragon from Bulang mountain

2011-07-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

As usually I will try to say a story with me and tea as main characters. The story still goes on- We are (the tea as well as myself) getting aged. Or just getting old?:) We will see.

I got this tea quite a while ago from one of my favorite Czech tea suplier -LongFeng. The owner of the company started produces his cakes in 2009. Usually in several small series from different "mountain" of Yunnan. I liked both 09 and 10 teas I have tried before so I was curious to find what is in this nice, small package.

There are few interesting points, which I should probably mention. It was made from Gu Shu maocha gathered 15km from Lao Ban Zhan. Spring material pressed in August. It is offered as one half of wedding edition together with "Phoenix from Bulang mountain". Some of my friends do not like it and at the same time the owner of the LongFeng call it "this tea is the highest and finest tea we have ever offered in The LongFeng Exclusive Production". Ok then, let’s see what is inside that package...

Scent of dry leaves is strong, heavy with very light smokiness behind. It seems to me that this "smokiness" almost has disappeared during couple of months I have it at home. Although the aroma of those leaves is quite strong it is not easy to identify all particular ingrediens of this "soup". Maybe kind of flowers I don't know? Spicy honey?

All infusions were clear with nice feeling in my mouth and throat.

Many young shengs I have fit to two categories for me- First it is "good for drink it now" or it is too wild, too sharp to be enjoyed without aging. Here it is something between- One year after pressing it isn't "an easy-tea to drink". It is strong, with very complicated taste. There is also bitterness of wormwood. This bitterness and young power don't forestall to me to enjoy it, it is not overwhelming. But for sure, ten years in one of my puer jars will show us more. Maybe the friend who didn't like it will also change his opinion then. Maybe he is going to regret that he didn't buy few of those small cakes as I did. And I will have an opportunity to invite him for cup of the tea.

This tea is also a keeper. The taste of soup holds on its position for many infusions. Only slightly changing and developing thru my tea session. It is also not so easy to destroy it (compare to other fresh shengs I have). But still, it is better to be careful- we are talking about young guy here.

A week ago I got box of treasures from Nada. It was interesting to compare this fresh, 15km from LaoBanzhang picked tea with the 2005 GanEr Lao Banzhang

I got from Nada. Of course, it is as compare apples and pears but still- I have found some essence of those teas very similar. One reminds me another when I have tried them at week intervals. I hope to find time to prepare those teas in line to see how much I am wrong here.

Leaves of the Dragon from Bulang mountain are small but strong, with many tips.

You can see on pictures here a small teapot which I got as a present during my last year Korean trip. I like its small size and simplicity. It is probably piece from big series but the quality of the clay is quite nice. There was interesting discussion on The Listening to Leaves blog related to this kind of the teapots. The ball filter is not perfect here, probably too complicated for such small piece and for pressed teas. But it is not such big deal and I like to use it.

It is very nice to take your tea accessories outside. When you are sitting outside during sunny morning you can see your cup of tea in different light. Please lets go outside and enjoy your tea under a tree. Thank you for reading.

Is this going to be our Dragon Well ?

2011-07-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

I belong to that smaller part of earth dwellers with pretty good and sufficient water supply. I can hear, time to time, people around grumble about high water tariff and bills but I know it is nothing. I can freely drink, bath or even fill my swimming pull (if I would like to have one, which I don't) -and all that with safe, drinking water! And that is not because I work hard on it. I was just born in to it. I can be thankful of it, I can be thrifty when using that liquid gold and What else??

One of many ponds of our countryside.

When we brought our property, it was unused for many years, in very bad shape but with quite interesting history and energy. It made us (among others) to choose it like a place where to work and live. We got lucky at several things but the water was probably one of the most important. There was water supply network going to be finished just after we have bought this old stonework building. It saved us from digging our own well. It is also nice to know that this water conduit is full of water which garnered directly from forests and hills around the village. Great! Good water is first half of good cup of tea.

One day, cleaning wild bush on our future garden we found this hole. Hided under mud and two big stones there was old well! It was almost full of dirty water. Under one and half meter of water there were another few meters of mud. When we sucked up all water it was nice to see how this old fashioned dug well is slowly refilled with new water. And the idea was born -We should clean it, repair it and try to make it live again. We have enough water around so we do not need it. Actually small brook makes border of half of the property. But who knows what can happen in the future? One extra well can be useful reserve.

I know, the cement isn't so nice. But sometime you have to make compromises...

Neglected plot is slowly changed in to the garden...

I hope to clean this old companion of our building before winter. I look forward to see how the water will turn out then. Is it going to be drinking water for plants on our garden? Support for our work with clay? Or it will be useful for cooking and drinking? Or is it going to be our Tiger Spring? The best water for leaves in my teapot? For fresh, spring Dragon Well of 2012? Anyhow - I feel blessed to have this old well here.

reflection of the heaven...

Firing in June 2011

2011-06-18T06:17:00.000-07:00

As we are potters it is not surprising: We fired again. After few weeks of working with clay followed two days of glazing, one long day of loading and then around twenty hours of firing. Writing this the kiln is just about to be unloaded -we have put aside few bricks waiting till temperature will be safe for pieces inside the kiln. In mean time I would like to show you few pictures from the process.

Time for tea : Wild buds 2011 -good choice for hot afternoon. Sample from Jiri Melzer

Now I already fished out few pots...I hope to see more pieces like those soon. All pots you can see here are from the lower parts of the kiln where we use charcoal technique. Above there are more glazed and finer pots.

Unglazed jar -some Liu An basket tea is waitng for it...

I am going back to the kiln. After unloading the kiln there are two days of cleaning, sorting and completing in front of us.

2003 7572

2011-06-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

My Pots and Tea blog is still pretty new, like a fresh cake. But still, I realized one thing - even thought I drink mostly puer tea I have not posted any puer post yet. Maybe I am a little bit afraid of this. It is like a love you do not fully understand. With many cakes (touchas, bricks etc.) I like, it is hard for me to describe what is so special about them for me. But on other hand- I like challenges! So here is the first story....

Ripe Menghai 7572 03

I like this kind of wrapping -it looks old and traditional even when it is not

I got this cake more then year ago from my friend-customer, owner of teashop. It was part of our tea-teaware exchange. When I am thinking about it now I think it was given to me extra, as kind of added value of this exchange. Yes, I am happy man! I remember that when I tasted it for a first time I was not fully impressed. The smell of dry leaves as well as fragrances going out from the teapot were great but I couldn't find it in the taste. I also miss body of the tea which I like to have when drinking a shu. So I putted it to my storage box...And year after, when I was digging there, looking for some Shu to enjoy I decided to try it again.

When I have a tea where the smell and look of it promised more then I find in my cup it usually (not always) means that there is something wrong on my side. I mean water, pots I used, timing, and amount of leaves and so on. After several sessions with this Menghai product I find in my cup what I was looking for. Thick syrup which fill up your mouth. There are no those muddy-musty smells and tastes of too wet storage ShuPu. Tastes of sweet walnuts and un-sweet cocoa -it goes from my mouth to my nose and back. I realized that it is better to use bigger amount of leaves -then I can play during infusions and enjoy stronger liquor with footprint of bitterness or lighter one with more nutty and slightly flowery character.

When I find out that this cake is the Shu as I like it, I asked my friend if this tea is for a sale. But unfortunately the answer was no- he has only few of those cakes and he likes it to much to sell them. So I started to "google" and so far |I find it only at Yunnan Sourcing. But for 148usd? It is too much for me right now -especially for Shu. I find also 2003 7572 for 75usd (for example here ) but in different wrapping...what does it means? I will try to find it out. In the meantime I am going to enjoy this treasure and looking for Shu with similar qualities.

Enjoy your day

tea time full of memories

2011-05-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

We had visitors in our "under construction" new place. Old friends staying here for couple of days- long nights with beers and laugh. Sunny days with walks, chats and teas. One tea experience I have prepared for my friends was session with many personal memories for me. And now, few days later, sitting on my chair I am putting some pieces of those nice memories on my table. When I am looking at them now - all grows from Korea. Or being more precise from my Mungyeong experience on which I had the opportunity to participate for three times. To make those reminiscences more interesting for you, dear reader, lets boil water, rise a camera and try to take some pictures...

First we have a tea bowl here. Recently it is my much-favoured matcha bowl. Here it symbolized people I met during the festival. Those people from which many of them I can call friends now. This piece was created by Elena Renker -Skilled potter from New Zeland. I love here works generally but with this one I knew from the first touch- I am going to like to prepare and drink tea from it.

Light and soft -those words are main but not only positive impresions which pop up in my mind when I am holding it. Very thin wall, sandy clay body with slim shino glaze- It is not "Japanese like" or "Korean like" but still very pleasant with whisked tea.

Next part of the story is this Matcha...

In Korean you find word Malcha rather than Japanese Matcha. This one was made in Japan for Korean market. It contains 5% of ginseng powder. I saw using ginseng with powdered green tea many years ago here in Czech Republic. Korean tea master (and tea producer) was mixing ginseng and tea powder directly in to the bowl during his exhibition (He was invited to our country by local tea company to promote Korean way of tea) and he told us: "this is how we prepare Matcha in Korea" I was impressed! So years after, during my first visit of Korea, I was looking for this custom. I was not so successful -all Malcha we were treated to was without ginseng. And all my questions stayed without clear answers.

Then I finally find something -Japanese matcha produced by bigger company called "greencha". It was explained to me that this is made only for Korean market so for sure the habit was not myth or custom of one Korean tea family. I was only not so lucky to meet people who prepare it this way. Anyway I brought few cans back to home and share it with tea drinkers around. If I should compare this special ginseng-matcha mixture with some good matcha I would probably use description of my friend. He feels that "the ginseng makes it more complete." Earthy taste and energy of ginseng makes tea more "connected to ground". Your body feels good drinking it and your mind is still. Some orthodox matcha drinkers can find it to rough, without fine sweetness of high quality matcha but I like both. Unfortunately when I purchased the same product next year it was apparently made from tea of lower quality. But as even 5% of ginseng changes it in way I like I enjoy every sip anyway.

Another piece on my table has come to our house like a present...

My friend from Prague learns Korean tea ceremony from Sun Woo Park and she gave him few boxes of "tea ceremony sweets". And we were lucky to got one of them. What a nice savory before few sips of Malcha.

Made mainly from honey, dry fruits and rice - those cookies leave natural feeling in your mouth and prepare your stomach for malcha experience...

The things you might not forget when thinking about spring in Mungyeong are threes in blossom -cherry three, apples or rose-bay. As reminder of it I put few blossoms in to the water. In to the woodfired, porcelain bowl with flowers frozen in ash glaze on it.

It was good idea to put those memories back on my table...thank you for reading.

By virtue of dear reader, I can show you here one of

the new Elena’s chawans. Thank you Ho Go! Pleasant picture of compelling piece...

tea testing

2011-04-24T03:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, my friends arrived from their "tea education" trip to China. As guides and companions on this trip they were happy to have owners of the quite new eshop based in Kunming- Cha wang shop. So I have taken an advantage of it and asked my friends to bring me some tea. Every time I look at menu of any new teashop I am tempted to buy some new tea. But especially, when the offer looks honest and interesting it is not easy to choose. So I appreciated the opportunity offered by ChaWangShop to get samples. I asked for few and have got double of it!

So what should I try like a first? I was feeling if I do not hold back I will open them all at once. At the end I try few readily. But can I choose from 10g of leaves if I should go for whole cake or basket? It can be tricky but I enjoyed the adventure...

First tea I have tried from this selection hit me by label - 98 Maocha from Lincang pressed in to the 400g cake in 2006. That does sounds interesting, doesn't it? I approached to this tea without any additional informatio.

It was not easy to take picture of those leaves - dark, shiny with moderate pressing.

What is it? What is going on? If you were present on my tea section that day you would probably hear these questions several times. When I sniffed from the bag for a first time - dry plume aroma reminds me aged oolongs. But later I realized that there are rather raisins and walnuts. Shiny, dark leaves which crepitate between my fingers. Only from those dry leaves I knew - this is going to be something new in my cup.

rom first sip of the tea I was sure this is not Puer as I know it. I cut the sample in half - first I prepared it in porcelain wood fired teapot with less leaves and then the second part in small Ixing with less water and shorter brews. For the first time it reminded me a fancy red tea from Georgia I had years ago. Then in smaller pot I find more similarities with some oolongs. Liquor is sweet in both aroma and taste. Raisins and walnuts join herb flowers and scents of flowered devilwood. It will be nearly true that leaves were oxidized, with low or without roasting and then dry stored for many years.

It will be nearly true that leaves were oxidized, with low or without roasting and then dry stored for many years.
Looking at leftover leaves you don't find many buds or superfine leaves. Rather larger broken leaves with some stems. None the less I enjoyed five -six good infusions.

And I was becoming quite sure – This tea is going to be quite difrent/exiting with more leaves! This tea was not what I asked for and going thru ChawangShop I have not find this cake. So I send my questions to Honza (owner of the shop) and got my answers. "The Maocha is from Lincang-Burma borders and tea businessmen from Kunming found it around 2004. But "material" itself - honestly I don't know and even those discoverers don't know. For sure the tea is old, dry stored and unsorted quality. It reminds me some HeiCha. I have few samples of very expensive, old Sichuan heicha with similar character. On the other hand it is also similar to pressed Formosa TieGuaYin from 1995 I had before. I still work on to get this tea for eshop. The price should not be too high (around 30-35usd for 400g cake)"

And I have to say I look forward to it!

Is it good for my cakes?

2011-04-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

This question probably goes thru heads of all of us - certainly time to time. I mean all of us who like puer. I have to admit I am still not sure about my care. I am still learning -Learning by listening to more experienced, by reading different opinions, by smelling to my tea. Learning from listening to intuition. But I am not looking for the one and only answer how to age my tea. I see it more like adventure road with questions and experiences.

From the last firing of our wood kiln I have new arrival in to my tea cupboard. It was born in the right time - my older jars and wooden boxes filled to their tops and new cakes arrived.

I fill my first stoneware jar with fresh sheng almost two years ago. During those months the teas stored there have moved very nicely. It is hard to compare this tea with tea carried in wooded box (my second option) or with cakes stored only in paper wrapper (my third option) but I find several benefits. The most important merit for me is protection. One tea teacher told me that the protection is too tight. He told me that as we have rather drier climate here it is better to let tea take some moisture from the air. But I find out that in unglazed clay the tea creates kind of microclimate and moisture is more stable -it is not going up and down because of wetter or heating so quickly.

Here are my first jars for puer-cha. Clay is maybe to vetrify...

As many potters I also keep for myself pieces which have some imperfection but are too good for hammer. And it was also in the case of the new jar. You can see on the picture below how the rim of the piece is deformed.

The lid was fired on the jar so I can close and open it but only in one position. It has moved because it was fired lying on the side and the rim was too thin.

The clay is porous. We buy this rough clay from factory which produces chimney flue blocks. As this clay has very low shrinkage - Mirka usually use it for bigger or irregular shaped bonsai pots -this clay survive more then rest we use.

When pieces are unloaded from the kiln we clean piece after piece by water and fine brush paper. So before I put cakes in to the jar I have let it dry for a two days. None the less day after I putted cakes there I measured out 88% of relative humidity. (In side of the jar) There was still too many water in it! After another two days it went down to agreeable 55-65%.

We moved to our new place during the last autumn and moisture has been in borders which I feel are good for the storage. For sure it is better then in too dry house were we lived before. Only temperature during winter was to low -but I am going to buy more wood for our heating this time. And hopefully next winter the temperature will be more comfortable for us as well as for tea.

I look forward to see changes on my hygroscope during seasons as well as changes in teas inside my jars.

On the end one picture which I like- few small teapots from the last firing. All three teapots are made from the same clay-only fired in different places of the kiln. You can still see them also on darjeeling.cz

Thank you for reading. Enjoy your teaday.

First First Flush…

2011-03-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

You have probably heard about difficulties in tea gardens of Darjeeling this year. Gorkha – the ethnic group brought there by British more than hundred years ago – are blocking gardens. About whole situation there you can read on many places. In spite of this situation, most of tea merchants who are focused on teas from Darjeeling have already chosen which FF DJ they are going to offer to customers. Hundreds of samples have been sending all around the world. But those fresh LOTs are now still sitting in India- if my information is still “up to date” then only few LOTs arrived to France. Such pity for rest of tea lovers! Today I find some good news about it - here

As my dear friends (and also my customers) run the tea-eshop Darjeeling.cz I got wonderful gift –four samples from four different tea gardens. Daniel told me that they had to test almost thirty samples and make decision very quickly – Which spring leaves will be the best for their customers this year ? It can be both nice and tricky job!

I was not in Darjeeling mood for a very long time. Enjoying world of Puers and oolongs I was far to be impatiently looking for first sip of fresh First Flesh. But I had to admit, those fresh aromas and sharp tastes hit me. The tea I am going to show here is from Marybonc garden.

Opening the small bag -the familiar and unmistakable fragrances hits my nose. It always reminds me smell of fresh but ripe poppy seeds. Behinde this expressive face there are flower and fresh, greeny hay...

For those fresh samples I decided to use also fresh teapot -just brought from the kiln. This rusty, sandy clay is still quite new for us and I was curious how it will works with freshness of Darjeeling tea. And I was happy about it...
..

If I should say one and first taste which showed to me it would be grapefruit -with its "juicy power" and sweet bitterness. After that I finded some meadow flowers and again green hay.... When you see this yellow, bright liquer you do not expect such strong taste as there is - if you are not heavy FF DJ drinker.

The green plate is Mirka's work -it fits to my spring mood very well...

What was even more interesting for me was how thick the liquor in my mouth was. In my memories I always have spring Darjeeling tea as tea of aroma and taste but with watery mouth feel. The thickness of this tea was really enjoyable for me this time. I was wondering about it and also trying rest of those samples. Probably most significant here is water. During autumn we have moved to new place and water to our tap goes directly from hills. And good FF Darjeeling is sensitive guy...

It is always funny to examine leaves -here you can see several basic types...hairy buds, bright green, yellow green and few oxidized, brown ones. Most of those leaves were too small to be convincingly taken by my camera. So please take a look in to my teapot...

I wish to Gorkha people freedom and socioreligious peace. And to tea lovers patience -it is comming. It is worth to wait...

Spring afternoon...

2011-03-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day of the astrological spring and we were glazing and preparing pots for first spring kiln.

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) - I found the first spring flower growing from the mud

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I brewed first spring tea in our garden.

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1998 Xi Ping Tie Guan Yin - good choice for sunny, but still cold afternoon.

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Wood is already prepared...

Break is over. Loading of the kiln just began...

Red Water from mountains

2011-03-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

Another tea experience, I would like to share with you, arrived from Taiwan in January. It is not easy for me to write shortly and concisely all I would wish. Each new tea I have, teaches me (and usually pleases me) from very beginning - first look at the package, reading the name, first smell and observation of dry leaves. Than, when the time is right - first brew and first sip of the liquor. I am looking for the right setout with each new companion on my Way of Tea.

color of leaves goes from light yellow-green to dark green

Gao Shan Hung Shui Oolong
Origin: Shan Lin Shi, Taiwan
Harvest: Spring 2010(June 3rd)

In this case it was package from Stephane Erler, so I knew for sure - it will be interesting. I opened the vacuum sealed bag and nice, roasted aromas reached my nose. I was drinking some aged oolongs before and my first thoughts were "this could be interesting to store!" Gao Shan Hung Shui we can literally translates as "high-elevation red water". Maybe some more educated reader can tell us why "red water"? Anyway, Hung Shui usually refers to more traditional way of processing, which is not so common these days. Higher oxidation (more then 50%), slower and longer roasting is what also characterized this Gao Shan. I wish to see and experienced this processes live.

I like how the celadon cup have liven up the set.

first infusion is yellow green

Enjoying this tea, I find very difficult to describe individual tastes and fragrances there. Fragrances are not "popping" but rather calmed by the roast. At first, this tea resembled, in my mind, YanChas, but then I realized - the roast is not so strong and flowery scents are not from cliffs of Wui, but from mountains around Shan Lin Shi. Soup is definitely not watery, but not so creamy and thick as I know from other GaoShan oolongs.

Thinking about it - the best thing, I find on this tea is its evenness. In the taste and fragrances as well as in mouthfell and aftertaste - there are no sharp edges. This kind of "serenity" allows to drink it often, but it is too good to be called the“everyday tea". I also find pleasant how its late infusions are still enjoyable. As the roast "calm down" fragrances in the same time it makes them deeper and long-lived.

I am glad to say that spring is slowly coming to our country-side. From my childhood the barbs with "lamb's-tails" are sign and symbol of the spring. I bring them with the mornig sun around on my tea table. We usually associate certain tea with certain kind of whether or season. In case of this Gao Shan there is no one mood to link up with. But during cold spring morning it works very well.

Wet leaves of the tea are green, with brown-red oxidized rims and spots. You can find mixture of different sizes, some leaves on stems some individual. If I should make a conclusion I would like to learn more about Hung Shui process and try more Hung Shui teas. And also try to store this tea (or similar one) for few years. I think the roast, oxidation and quality of this tea should be good presumption.

Three teapots for three kinds tea

2011-02-23T12:10:00.000-08:00

Few months ago, maybe it is already half of year, I got interesting order from one of my customers. It was that kind of order where I know from very beginning that I am going to like doing it. Let me slightly paraphrase his words...

"I am interested to have three teapots - all three should hold 50-70ml. Materials and glazes are up to you - if it will be OK with you I would like to ask you to make those teapots in order to fit to tea I going to use them for. The First should be for ShengPu, the second for ShuPu and the third for Yancha oolongs. I have only few thoughts...Lids shouldn't be sunk but rather wider then opening so I can pour hot water on it during my brewing. I prefer ball-shaped forms with as wide opening as possible for the size. Only the one for YanCha rather taller as it will be better for longer leaves of some teas of this kind. I am not in hurry - when those teapots will be ready I would like ask you to send them to me without showing even pictures - I look forward to surprise when I will open the box from you. "

I was quite sure about material for ShengPu. Combination which I have on the teapot I use for my Shengs. Technical porcelain with celadon glaze inside.

Ash and fire decorated it during firing - only small flowery stamp from me on the side of the handle.

1998 Xia Guan Bao Yan Jin Cha - surprisingly smooth

Thinking about pot for Shu Puer I realized that it should be more spherical. I usually use bigger (150ml) teapot or shiboridashi for my Shu so I am really curious how it will work. High iron clay will help to smooth out brews - I have left it without glaze.

2009 Red Label LongFeng production - creamy, full body, young but already tasty...

The teapot for YanCha was challenging. How can I create the right teapot for Wui oolong with no experiences with them? Ok, I had some experiences but most of them with over roasted, low grade teas with not many character. First I find old issue of The Art of Tea magazin with several interesting articles focused on Wui. Then going through and enjoying several samples of different cultivars, from different years and different suppliers I find out that "Wui compartment" is something what is definitely worth to pay attention.

I chose light stoneware with fine sand in it. Pear shape and again inside it is without glaze. Only outside I couldn't help myself - feldspar on the side have created kind of celadon glaze and cracks on it are going to show off by tea

2010 Hand made RouGui Wuyi sended from The Essence of tea

My customer already unpacked the box with his new teapots and I am happy that his first sensations are good. I look forward to hear if clays and shapes of those small pieces richen his tea sessions.

Last but not least I would like to mention new tea testing. New for me of course. When I was thinking about this post I thought it would be interesting to show, as kind of illustration, liquor of each tea. Finally I decided to prepare all teas at a time. I didn't use teapots made for my customer but my small teapots and Peter Fulop’s and two Korean cups. It is very interesting -smelling to three different teas, to wet leaves, see and taste infusions. Compare beyond compare. Happy moments.

Shu Sheng RouGui

Dong Ding in the jar

2011-02-14T09:53:00.000-08:00

When I tried sample of 1981 DongDing (from EoT) I woke up morning after with aftertaste of this tea in my mouth and I knew - I am going to get more. Few months later, when I have opened the bag with bigger amount of this aged kindness, I was wondering if the bag is the best for storage. As this is not the only aged tea in my stock I was looking for pot to storage it in. All tea caddies I use turned out as too small but finally I have find the right one in our "for a sale" shelf.

It is made from iron rich clay with simple slip and carving decoration. Will this piece do good job? We will see.

It is glazed inside by feldspathic glaze and I am not sure how important for storage this is going to be. Glaze protects tea from moisture and loosing fragrances but maybe the clay itself can improve tea better...

This DongDing is pretty light so only 90grams of tea fit to this jar. The color together with scent of those dry leaves is something very pleasant to me. The color of dark caramel but not without luster and mellow, like dried plum scents.

I am still not sure if should seal the lid (by beeswax) or let it breathe. Any experiences with it? Originally it was stored in airtight jars so I will use the wax to protect it from air (and also from myself...)

Is this the last cup of the thirty years old Dong Ding I enjoy? I have still some on the side but from this jar, probably yes. Next time it will be thirty-one years old...

Dragon of the East Sea part II.

2011-02-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

As dragons in Korea are part of mythology and as many wars went through the country you can meet some scents of them only occasionally. Places were you will find them for sure are budhistic monasteries and temples. Wonderfuly carved, dragons are members of guarding crew around roofs.

Main hall of Daeseungsa temple...and the dragon holding fish in its teeth is under the roof in the corner

When I was preparing this post I had in my head several pictures, details cought by my camera in few monasteries. But then, while searching the hard disk I found out that all those pictures got lost when our external hard drive broke down few months ago...hmm what a surprise, technique is not the "blue chip". Never mind. So I decided to show you few pictures from Ssanggyesa temple and share with you story of the tea I had bought there. For those who are interested to learn about the history and meanings of Dragon in Korean Buddhism I would highly recommend this .PDF paper from buddhism.org

About our trip to Hadong county you maybe have already read on Morning Tea Crane blog. One of the finest memories from our trip are from Ssanggyesa temple. Even though it is quite famous place for its tea festival and large numbers of visitors go there every year, we have spent there very calm moments.

Remarkable minutes spended with SangHun, monk who invited us for cup of tea.

Although before our visit it the tea temple we have already bought enough tea (ok, there is no term like "enough tea" but our baggage were far over weight...), I was so impressed by nature of those moments that while visiting the "dharma shop" there, I looked for something special to help me keep the spirit of this place alive, when I return back home.

I have chosen balhyocha made in the temple. So how it is now, seven months and eight thousends kilometers away?

The tea was three times more expensive then all balhyocha there. My guess was that the reason for this price was that leaves come from under-bamboo tea plantation. It probably comes from semi-wild, shadowed tea bushes. When I open fancy package and then air proof bag the strong, spicy aroma surprise my mind. Now after seven months it is not so intensive but still key distinguishing feature from others Korean oolong I have at home. There were attractively shaped, only slightly broken, brown to gold-green leaves.

The water for first infusion I use is around 80°C.

After "rinsing" infusion the spicy fragrances again hit my nose. Cloves oil with sweet orange peel. In first infusion there is a little bitterness in the taste but fragrances are sweet and winsome. Scent from fair cup have take me twice longer then drinking...

The color of the brew tells us why another name for this kind of tea in Korean is Hwang Cha where hwang means yellow. Yellow tea that what it is. In second and third brew I find more and more sweetness and basic taste become heavier. Honey and aroma of some "heavy" flowers maybe orchids with hint of chocolate. Hm...I like it.

Energy of this tea is strong but not aggressive rather balmy and soothing. Also the sweetness becomes really strong. Drinking this tea I feel honey but the sweetness is more like from sugar-cane

The cup is work of Korean potter Oh Soon-Teak. Beauty of pots is highlighted when we are using them. Glaze is very thin, high iron clay and light white slip decoration under the glaze inside the cup.

Study leaves after tea session I see strong, pretty long (compare to balhyocha I know) individual leaves. Sometime for balhyocha are used tea leaves which are too weak for Nokcha (green tea) or leaves from latter harvest - but this was not this case here. I used relatively big amount of dry leaves and enjoyed seven, eight good (and really sweet) infusions.

To learn more about Korean oolongs - Bylhyocha - pleace visit and search on Matt and ChaDao blogs.

Dragon of the East Sea part I.

2011-01-28T06:23:00.000-08:00

Dragons in mythology of Europe are different from dragons of Asia. Dragons of Asia are related to element of water and live under water compare to dragons of Europe with their fires and caves. Even more, dragons here in Europe are connected to the evil but on Far East there are for protection. Dragon brings rain and clouds. Dragon is important for agriculture -for rice, for vegetable, for tea.

When I have visited Korea for the first time the dragon has been given to me.

It is both symbolic and wonderful companion during my more ceremonial tea sections. It is related to agriculture and water. That is what is tea about, don't you think?

It was very plesant gift from potter and tea master Oh Soon-Teak. Even among Korean potters I met he is extraordinary for me. I had an opportunity to be a part of his tea serving for several times and there was all. He was just preparing the tea for us.

And I was wondering: Is his tea ware so well done because he masterly goes on the way of tea or he understands to tea so well because he masterly goes on the way of tea ware ?

Those of you who have already hold some nice Korean tea ware know, that there is something what we can call "Korean feeling“. Simplicity and softness. But in works of ....we can see also childlike happiness on details with sophisticated and deeply heartwarming impressions from each piece.

So next time when you will see the dragon on my blog - don't worry, it is here to protect the tea.

After fire...

2011-01-24T11:39:00.000-08:00

I work in clay for more then twelve years now but every firing and every unloading is still exiting time. New things are born, new mistakes to learn from show up...and it was the same this time.

So how was the first firing of the year? And what the teapot which I have shows you?


The ash glaze really supriced me...but in good way

Although this time there were more unexpected damages the teapot was blessed...


There were two ash glazed teapots and in the midle you can see celadon one...

When I put it on one of the Mirka's small tea boats I find that it fits there quite naturally...

The boat is also from porcelain, with thin shino glaze on the bowl and fine, almost white celadon on the stand.

I like the uneven colors, pinky where the ash glaze was thin and yellow green on the top where the glaze was thick. The thin porcelain body moved in the fire and the lid does not fit as good as I wish...

For now I am still not sure which kind of tea will initiate this little one...any guesses?

What make us happy are new experiments with charcoal...colors and surfaces which are very warm and pleasant. Here are some pictures..

Ash glazed

2011-01-22T05:41:00.000-08:00

In one of my previous post I have promised to share with you continuing process of creating a teapot. The teapot was neaten and then bisque fired in electric kiln to 1000°C

So what is next? First we have to prepare the glaze...

For this I decided to take a risk and use untried-on natural ash glaze. We use ash glazes, but each ash is different and we have never try this ash combination before. Combination of meadow hay and wheat straw burned together... I got both from neighbor farmer who storage it for his horses. When he heard from me about using ashes for glazing he was so excited and curious to see the results that he has generously given me several bales of those materials. Hopefully he has enough for long winter and horses are not going to miss it.

The ash comes from this countryside....I hope that some magic of it will show up on my works.

When we burn wood, plant, and weed - we basically release water and carbon. In ash then stay all minerals from which the plant was build. But our burning is not perfect. Also the hay as well as strew are not clean from soil, sand or another dirt and the careful sieving is necessary.

Ash...fascinating, isn't it? Gray leftover from burning and so many possibilities how to use it and so many possibilities how to think about it...

It is like washing gold, but our gold is not on the sieve. Our gold are those smallest particles on the bottom of the bucket we sieve into.

During the washing of the ash we have to use much more water then will be needed in the "glaze". So it rests and settles during the night. In the morning it is ready to remove water from the top and check it out...

At the end we have around two liters of ash glaze - we needed around forty kilograms of hay and straw for it

Glazing by ash glaze is not the easiest one but I like the look and character of the material...

Our experiences say that this can be "running" glaze so tread the lid by wadding is necessary. Also wadding under teapot can protect it in case that ash will run down.

We fire the kiln with this teapot yesterday and as I am writing this post it slowly cold down. Are you curios how it will turn out? Then be sure - It makes two of us :)

We have again landed up part of the kiln by charcoal...

Winter tea in winter cup

2011-01-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

As cold days are not something what I am probably going to get use to, especially when our new studio is still without comfortable heating, a cup of tea keeps me company since morning to evening. The company, which cheers me up.

What is my winter tea? What is my cup for cold, chilly morning?

I have realized that there is not simple answer. Each morning is different. I usually have several kinds of tea, which tell me "I can be the one for freeze morning, I can help you out". But not always there is the right energy to choose with deliberation, in chilly air - there is time for intuition. Surprisingly for myself, I quite often choose KouCha - Japanese black tea. So I decided to share it with you.

This one I got like a generous gift from my friend (thank you again, Antonio) and it is from menu of one of the best supplier of Japanese teas I know - TeaMountain. On webpage they say: „Rarity made from Kousun cultivar on farm of Mr.Katahiry in Nunusowa village on Shizuoka. June 2010. The tea was made directly for us as our own special commission." And good reputation of those people says that it is not only nice story.

Very promising is even smell of dry leaves- citrus or lime fragrances with slight, cinnamon like spices in it. Light roast. Maybe this dry leaves talk to me in the morning.

.The liquor is dark but bright. The dominant character is uncommon combination of lime and some salty "Japanese" in it. It is tasty.

If the first look at dry leaves tells us that it is "dark dark" tea the look at wet leaves shows combination of dark green, light brown as well as dark brown leaves. I usually make three full-valued infusions.

The woodfired shiboridahsi pictured below helps me enjoy the tea even in cold morning while I light fire in the fireside.

My "work" shiboridashi - slightly broken but I like the touch of the fire, running ash, color...

I am usually not big fan experiments like this. But in this case there is originality and it doesn't try to look like something else.

The winter cup in front of our "bamboo forest"

The cup I have fallen for this winter and which I like to use for darker tea was made by Mirka - my girlfriend and colleague. Although it was originally created in series like sake cup or shot (as there is not many sake drinkers in Czech Rep.) most of them have been picked by tea fans as winter cups.

As in my tea caddy there is too litlle left of this tea I hope the spring is going to be here soon....

The last clay of the year - the first teapot of the year

2011-01-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

A process of creating teapot - may be you have seen it before, may be not.

I decided to show you birth of the teapot in the last days of the 2010 as it will fully come to live by fire in 2011. Remember - until the first tea is pouring from the teapot it is still only clay...

I work with different clays - in this case I choosed porcelain, which we got from one Czech porcelain factory. Work with this porcelain is not easy, but it is worth it. White, translucent body on which glazes are clear and unglazed parts turn in the fire to salmon with apricot orange flashes.

After the body of teapot dries a bit I make hollow place in area, where sieve is going to be. From my experiences it helps to keep holes in sieve clean and they don’t clog so easy.

I like this stage of the process. If the clay is right (leather hard) and everything is prepared there is time for creativity…

I usually make this kind of “tongue” on the top of the spout. If it is made right, the tea will not drop…

Sometime I am not sure about the handle until this moment. Is it going to be “kyusu”, reed handle or ordinary back handle? The back one in this case…

The lid is very important for final design and impressions from the teapot.

Now I will let it dry. I will make final finishing before bisque firing - neaten the surface, sieve inside, lid, spout…and then the pot will wait for the fire and maybe tea...

New cup and new tea

2010-12-23T11:44:00.000-08:00

I thought that the last post was the last one in this year. But when I got new tea and new tea cup I was so happy that I decided to sit down behind my tea table, take few pictures and share that with you.

New cup and new tea- what a nice combination.

50ml porcelain cup, with cooper oxide decoration

The creator of this cup is Peter Fulop . The Hungarian potter living in Ireland for so long time that we can easy call him the Irish. His work is as magical as Irish countryside where he is living. I find this small cup visiting Daniel Klasek who runs, with his wife, e-shop with tea and tea ware. They are going to offer tea ware from Peter Fulop and I was happy to be the first customers who bought something from him there.

Gao shan Luanze Oolong-Bi Lu Shi, Taiwan- Autumn 2010

The tea has arrived in box from Taiwan- as a gift with tea I ordered from Stephane Erler

I have opened sealed bag with this tea yesterday and put it in to porcelain tea caddy.

I was impatience and during the evening I opened the caddy several times. Fragrances were each time getting stronger and more complex. Sweat cream, light vanilla…I am usually not sentimental about Christmas but I started to look forward to it.

I have to say that I am not a big fun of Gao Shan teas. Very often those vanilla and sweat fruits fragrances are too aggressive for me. But this one is clean, balanced and full in taste. I also enjoyed purity of liquid. White porcelain cup helped to enjoy this purity.

Part of the package from Stephane was the Christmas card. I like it very much

Even though all infusions were sweat with pleasant bitterest, the tea was so strong that after third infusion I had to take a break. The tea withstands more then me…I have continued with it later.

Leaves are strong, a little broken and still nicely smelling…

Thank you Stephane for your tea Thank you Peter for your nice work.

Pin Lin oolong from 70's enjoyed by potter from 70's

2010-12-21T02:18:00.000-08:00

Not only that our last firing was quite successful. Not only firing with new horizons of charcoal firing experience. But it was also the last firing of the year. When the kiln was unloaded and pieces were step by step cleaned - there was time to celebrate, time for tea. For this festal moment I have dug in to my wooden box with tea samples and find something really special - PinLin oolong from 70's which was send to me from The essence of tea few months ago. When I opened package and find out that there is "the exact" amount of tea leaves need for the celebration – so the tea has been chosen.

I choose small porcelain tea pot- 80ml was the right size for amount of leaves I had. The charcoal from firing have leave black and brown painting on this porcelain teapot- the aged felling from brand new piece.

Flames colored the unglazed body of the porcelain tea pot to salmon.

For this kind of tea I like to use longer times and smaller amount of tea leaves. I use small tea boat where tea pot can swim. I pour hot water on the teapot to keep the tea infusion hot. About ten minutes of the first infusion and even more for ensuing.

Waiting, smelling, smiling... playing with the hot water and watching variations of colors on the Mirka's tea boat.

When I try to describe a tea I find, time to time, much easier for me to personify it. I find to more important to describe personality of the tea then its separate tastes and fragrances.

Who it should be if it was a man.....

There is a wisdom grown up from experiences and years, not bitterness of old age but rather smile of those who know. And in spite of it the person stays ordinary, without superiority…honest but with deep purity. Beauty of intellect.

In description here you can read "The caramel-like aged taste of the leaves“. Sipping the tea I also find light smell of coffee beans and very light whiff of dry fruits, may be plums. What surprised me was how light and balanced the tea is and on the other hand how "long-running" aftertaste or (if I can use term like this) "aftersmell" there is...it forced me to go back to sniff wet leaves again and again

.
When I was almost finished and started to examine leaves I find pleasant Puer like fragrances and I have started to feel as I met interesting man and he could show me much more if I was ready to see...hopefully we will meet again.

For those who would like to see more pieces efected by charcoal I prepared this album
And here you can see some new pieces...

And on the end of this post two pictures: before and after

. Mary Christmas and happy new tea

Charcoal in pots

2010-12-16T08:03:00.000-08:00

This week we fired the last kiln of this year and as usually it was very exiting time. When we started loading, after two days of glazing, the temperature was falling down and snow slowly fulfill bowls and cups waiting to be loaded.

here you can see 60ml teapot bottom up supported by yunomi

This time we decided to try new technique. New technique for us but used by many potters all around the world. When the kiln was prepared to be closed and temperature reached its peak, we opened small window. In the kiln was around 1300°C and we saw pieces in white heat as on the table. Then we throw charcoal in to the kiln. Directly on, in and around pots...We selected only two kiln shelves for this. It was very exiting as sparks shouted around us to the snowdrift.

Mirka closing the kiln...

And now, kiln is cooling down. We try to be cool and pretend that we are not nervous to see how many damages and treasures we are going to find yesterday, unloading the kiln. If there will be any suitable teapot, decorated by charcoal I would like to use it for charcoal roasted oolong from my reserves. I look forward to it.

The heat from the kiln is still melting the snow on the roof...Is the stalactite going touch the ground?

In the rhythm of creating pots

2010-11-05T07:18:00.001-07:00

Hoppefully this page will wake up soon. So for now only few words...

finished teapot...waiting for the fire

I am potter and tea lover and my plan is make posts about tea and tea ware after each firing. As firing brings some kind of rhythm in to my live I would like to keep this rhythm in the space of this blog. I would like to share success and failure in creating tea ware and share teas I drink during the prosses. So please, feel free to be a part of it...