Chinese Tea Cup

For instance, light teas are best appreciated with a porcelain tea set. On the other hand, a glass tea set is recommended for white and green teas. There are three general types of your favorite Chinese tea cup: a filtering tea cup, a cast iron tea cup, and a specialty tea cup. You can own just one set, or if you are a tea connoisseur, have three or more sets to enjoy different types of teas separately.

Filtering Tea Cups

Filtering tea cups or mugs are primarily used to filter and separate the tea leaves. Most are designed and crafted with internal filters. There are even those which are specially crafted to let you enjoy your tea on the go. Just simply insert your choice of loose tea or pouch and add hot water. Replace the filter and, viola, enjoy your tea! The insulation maintains ideal temperature for tea and this makes it a great travel cup. They are mostly available in 8 oz and 12 oz sizes.

This great size permit rooms for the tea leaves to expand and provide full infusion of the leaves, not to mention the unique filter system which also allows the desirable flavor to pass through for a perfect cup of tea every time. For the more traditional way of enjoying your tea, there are two popular filtering cups, the Yixing clay filtering mug and the poet filtering tea cup. The former is among the masterpieces of the Yixing province of China which is most renowned for its high quality earthen wares made of the famous “purple clay” found nowhere else but in the Chinese province. What makes them stand out is their ability to take in the aroma and flavors of the Chinese tea.

Another of their properties is the capacity to withstand high temperatures yet is slow to conduct heat. The poet filtering Chinese tea cup, on the other hand, is a porcelain mug best suited for enjoying loose tea leaves. It also comes with its own lid and the all-important internal porcelain filter which allows room for tea leaves to expand and provide full infusion of the leaves. Nowadays, this Chinese tea cup shows a picture of a famous Tang dynasty poet moved by the beauty of the outdoors.

Cast Iron Tea Cups

These types of Chinese tea cups have long been regarded as the perfect vessel for enjoying tea. These are usually made from sturdy iron and have an enamel coating on the interior to prevent rusting. Modern techniques have also made it possible for this Chinese tea cup to come in different colors – black, red, green, and blue.

Specialty Tea Cups

 Most specialty tea cups are made of porcelain such as the small peony flower Gaiwan, the four season character tea cup, and a Chinese rose and calligraphy design tea cup. The small peony flower Gaiwan tea cup is small enough to be held contentedly for a relaxing drink yet also big enough to have room for brewing the tea leaves. The four season character tea cup is an exquisitely fashioned porcelain tea cup with the four season calligraphy characters portrayed on all sides.

The Chinese rose and calligraphy tea cup, on the other hand, comes in stylish jade, yellow, or red porcelain infuser tea cup. It has its own lid and the infuser in fitted right inside, perfect for your favorite loose tea. Another good thing about it is that it’s microwave safe. Again remember that there is a certain Chinese tea cup that will go well with your favorite tea.

And since, we are on the subject of teas, it’s better that we make a quick discussion on the types of teas. There are four general types of tea. They all come from the same plant, Carmellia sinensis, or the highly prized tea plant. However, they are processed differently from each other to achieve different oxidation levels, which in turn is responsible for the distinctive taste and aroma of each tea.

The four basic types of tea are: black tea, green tea, oolong tea, and white tea. There are three other teas derived from the tea plant which are not as popular as the first four; these are: chai, red (rooibos), and tazo. Teas made from sources other than tea leaves are commonly known as herbal teas or infusion teas.