Kai Hu - Seasoning A New Teapot

 

Kai Hu is seasoning a teapot in Chinese.  There are many methods used to season a new Chinese teapot. I am using one method that is commonly used in China and my part of the world.  I had recently purchased a Jian Shui teapot(right of pix) and decided to season it together with a large Hei Ni teapot (from my 12 dragon collection). 

The seasoning method is simple. Rinse the teapot under a running tap to clean out the teapot. Immerse the teapot in a pot of water.  Bring the water to a low simmering boil for about 15-20 minutes. When water has cooled down, rinse the teapot under a tap again. Make a tea with your teapot. Many of us do not drink the tea and we discard this tea. The teapot is considered seasoned. 

However, in my opinion (after seasoning a teapot), there may be some lingering clay scent inside the teapot. This smell should disappear after a few tea sessions from using this teapot. Be patient, you will have a nice teapot to brew your tea. 

Flavoured Chinese Tea

 

There are Chinese tea with extra flavours added to the tea.  I am sure you had heard or drank jasmine tea. This is Chinese tea, that during processing had layers of jasmine flowers piled between the tea for a few weeks. The result is the tea would have absorbed the jasmine floral aroma and you have this popular tea to enjoy.  

Another example would be tangerine tea where tea was packed into the dried tangerine husk (flesh had been taken out). As a result, the tea would smell and taste lightly citrusy. Some tea drinkers would increase this citrus level by adding a small piece of the tangerine peel into the tea as well.

The tea used in tangerine tea are normally ripe (shou) pu erh.  The one in the pix has black tea stuffed into the dried tangerine. Delicious. 

Masala tea has spices like pepper, cloves and cinnamon added to the tea.  Milk is included into the brew before the tea is served.   

Flavoured tea are actually quite common all over the world. Fruit tea are sold in many convenience stores and supermarkets. Lemon tea and peach tea are commonly seen on the shelves of many stores and eateries that sell drinks.

There are 2 points I would like to highlight about flavoured tea 

- tea absorbs smells easily. Jasmine tea is such an example. If you are storing your pu erh tea for aging, keep the tea away from strong smells. Incense, cigarette smoke and cooking smells from the kitchen are also not desirable as tea are able to absorb these scents.  Keep your tea safe. 

- some commercial tea sold in the marketplace may have artificial flavours and fragrance in the tea. Look at the labels before you buy.

And....if you are in my part of the world.  We should meet up. I will treat you to a cup of coffee and tea concoction.