Types of Japanese Tea Set
Japanese Teacup Selection
After you have chosen a suitable teapot and a green tea flavor, you can start looking for a teacup to enhance the drink’s aroma and flavor.
When serving specific varieties of tea, it isn’t necessary to use teacups of a certain shape. This is a key difference between teacups and teapots. Still, because every variety seeps a different way (for the sake of improving a tea’s special qualities), it’s worthwhile to learn more about all the Japanese teacup variations out there.
The Material of Japanese Teacups
For the most part, there are a trio of teacups to choose from: glass, clay, and porcelain.
Glass Teacups
For iced green tea in the summertime, glass teacups should be used.
Clay Teacups
Clay teacups are used frequently in Japan. They mostly come fire-glazed and feature a more conventional Japanese look. “Wabi-Sabi” is a Japanese phrase used to articulate the style.
Porcelain Teacups
Japanese teacups made of porcelain are often seen in Japanese households. They are lightweight, thin, and are found in all sorts of sizes and shapes.
Shapes of Japanese Teacups
There are a slew of subtle shapes to choose from when it comes to Japanese teacups. Many shapes tend to fall within one of these 3 categories:
Tapered Side Teacups
Teacups that have this shape are capable of improving the aroma of green tea. They're also an ideal choice for sencha and gyokuro, among other varieties.
Straight Side Teacups
This teacup is purposely shaped to maintain tea temperature. Because its contoured, teacups with straight sides are an ideal choice when drinking genmaicha or hojicha, as both beverages warrant highly-seeped temperatures.
Teacups That Have Lids
Although teacups with lids retain heat longer, they are mostly used for decorative purposes. As such, teacups with lids are perfect to use when serving tea to others.
Take the Color of the Teacup into Consideration
Teacup color really comes down to your tastes. However, when it comes to green tea, a teacup’s exterior color can impact the tone of the beverage once it’s poured out. With that in mind, it’s worthwhile to have an extra set of teacups on hand – preferably white ones – if you want to display your green tea’s vibrancy.
Japanese Matcha Bowl
There is nothing quite like holding a chawan (Matcha bowl) and bringing it towards your mouth to sip some Matcha tea. A large bowl only contains a small amount of tea, as per Japanese tradition. Consumption of green tea (powdered) started during the 15th century in Japan. That’s when the demand for meticulously-crafted tea bowls began, too.