Teasets

[extrapenguin]

Today is a public holiday courtesy of Christianity, so I slept in (after staying up past 1am, please, I do not recommend this to anyone and it is all Imgur's fault). I should pack, but instead I did some calligraphy and have window shopped for tea sets. Oh, and I posted Episode 15 of the rewatchalong.

I do most of my tea-buying on Teavivre, so I started searching for a set there. I would like something that has a gaiwan, a fairness cup/pitcher, and is a travel set so I can pack more easily for my inevitable next move, but nothing nice came up. This Tea Sage bone china set ($39.90) has a gaiwan and fairness cup but isn't travel, and I don't think I'd need 10 cups for anything. I think I'd rather make my own set of the handwritten calligraphy things (pitcher, gaiwan, tea cups, tot $45.70). My sense of aesthetics also appreciates the Chan Feng black pottery set ($49.90) and Kuai Ke Be coarse pottery ($35.90) sets, even if neither of them is what I'm looking for.

The NIF Discord came to the rescue, and suggested Umi Tea Sets and Yunnan Sourcing, or just looking on Taobao with aid of Yoybuy. Umi Tea Sets' Yixing Purple Clay ($60.68) has a nice travel bag that includes a tray(!!!) even if it doesn't have a gaiwan.

However! Yunnan Sourcing has a nice portable tea set that satisfies all of my demands and packs into a very small space, for $44.00 (which will be less in Euros). I'm probably getting that one, though I'll take a second look in a few days to see if it suits my aesthetic even after I've thought it over.

Unless any of you have some recs? I like the color blue and dark colors, and my preferences tend more towards the minimalist than fussy ornateness.

Comments

[clevermanka]

What...what's the holiday?

[extrapenguin]

Helatorstai. My calendar says the English is Ascension Day.

[clevermanka]

Ah, yes. My Southern Baptist-raised self (which doesn't pay much attention to these things, largely due to being raised Southern Baptist) always forgets that some denominations have a lot more red-marked calendar days.

[extrapenguin]

As I was raised a bitter atheist by bitter atheists, I only care in as much as we get a public holiday out of it. (We get Christmas, Easter, Ascension Day and Epiphany off on Christian grounds, plus Mayday, the New Year's, Independence Day, and Midsummer Night's Eve on secular ones. Finland is AFAIK the only place that gives Midsummer Eve as a day off work.)

[mekare]

Sorry don‘t have any recs but I loved looking at the tea sets and am thinking of getting one too now. What is a fairness cup?

[extrapenguin]

Basically, if you'd pour straight out of the gaiwan (where the actual brewing happens), one person might get really weak tea and another really strong tea. By first pouring into the fairness cup (actually a type of pitcher), the tea becomes more uniform in consistency so you don't give your boss vaguely flavored water by accident.

[mekare]

Ah thanks for clearing that up. Makes perfect sense. :-) I was inspired to make myself a cup of sencha which I haven't done for ages. Since I never have guests who drink green tea a tea set probably isn't even necessary for me... though it would be nice.

[extrapenguin]

There are single-person (or two-person) sets, too! Pouring from the gaiwan into the fairness cup is also a way of ensuring the tea doesn't get over-brewed/regulating the brewing time. /magically has turned into a teaware advertiser