Tea Set Suitable for Brewing the Green Tea
Green tea features clear water and green tea leaves. The tea set for brewing green tea should be full of changes. Brewing of green tea should meet the requirements on color, aroma, appearance, and taste. For a high-quality green tea, a glass or a white porcelain tureen is a good brewing utensil. Use of glass is for enjoying the shape change of the green tea leaves, including its slow unfolding, sliding, and changing in the water. Glass is the best choice for needle-shaped tea and flat tea. Use of white porcelain tea set is for enjoying the color of the tea soup. The fine and smooth white porcelain can better set off the tender and bright greenness of the tea leaves and make the drinking process also pleasing to the eye and the mind. White porcelain tea set is the best choice for the rolled tender tippy teas such as Biluochun and Xinyang Maojian.
Tea Set Suitable for Brewing the Oolong Tea
There are four major oolong tea branches, namely South Fujian Oolong, North Fujian Oolong, Guangdong Oolong, and Taiwan Oolong. Each branch has its own brewing techniques and unique requirements on tea set.
North Fujian Oolong is known for its unique charm of rock. The representatives of this branch include Dahongpao (Big Red Robe), Baijiguan (White Comb), Shuijingui (Water Golden Turtle), Tieluohan (Iron Arhat), Shuixian (Narcissus), and Rougui (Cinnamon). They'd better be brewed with Yixing purple sand teapot, because purple sand can take some heat away from the tea. Besides, white porcelain tureen is also a commonly-used tea set for brewing rock tea.
The representatives of South Fujian Oolong are Tieguanyin and Huangjingui. They'd better be brewed with white porcelain tea set or purple clay tea set.
Guangdong Oolong is represented by Phoenix Dancong. It had better be brewed with the purple sand teapot. White porcelain tea set can also be used to enjoy the shape of the tea leaves and the color of the tea soup. The representatives of Taiwan Oolong include Dongding Tea and Mt. Ali Tea, both being slightly-fermented teas. They'd better be brewed with the porcelain tea set produced in Taiwan.
Tea Set Suitable for Brewing the White Tea The natural and unsophisticated ceramic tea set, stone tea set, and wooden tea set are suitable for brewing the white tea. The luxurious utensils should be avoided. In addition, the white-tipped silver tip tea can be brewed with glass utensils for shape appreciation. The best is the tube-shaped transparent glass without any pattern on it. Such glass guarantees a clear view of the tea's shape, color, and endless change from different angles. However, glass tea set will compromise tea taste to certain extent.
Tea Set Suitable for Brewing the Yellow Tea
The purple sand tea set is the best for brewing the yellow tea. In addition, glass utensil is also a good choice for appreciating the shape of the tea leaves. For example, when the Yinzhen (Silver Tip) Tea from Mt. Junshan is brewed, the changing shape of the tea leaves, the rising and sinking of the tea buds, and the formation of the bubbles are all worth viewing. They are rare with other teas. The tea buds move up and down in the transparent glass and each stands vertically like a tree. It is a mesmerizing scene in its own right.
Tea Set Suitable for Brewing the Black Tea
The representatives of the black tea include Keemun black tea, Dianhong Golden Tip, and Zhengshan Souchong. The different tea shapes result in different requirements on tea set.
The Keemun Black Tea features treasure light, gold halo, and brilliant red tea soup. It had better be brewed with a white porcelain tea set and its soup appreciated with glass utensils. The Keemun Black Tea is loved by British royal family. Brewing it in a tea set with overglaze flower pattern and gold and silver decoration, adding fresh milk and lemon juice into it, and preparing sandwiches and muffin, you have a genuine English-style afternoon tea.
Glass utensils are suitable for appreciating the shapes of Dianhong (Yunnan) Black Tea. Sancai Cup is also a good choice.
The purple sand tea set or ceramic tea set is suitable for brewing Zhengshan Souchong. Such tea set can offset part of the pine smoke flavor and make tea aroma purer and tea taste mellower.
Tea Set Suitable for Brewing the Dark Tea
Representatives of the dark tea include the Pu'er Tea of Yunnan, Liubao (Six-Cattle) Tea of Guangxi, and Chunjian (Spring Tip) Tea of Hunan. The dark tea can be brewed or cooked. The ceramic tea set or purple sand tea set with coarser sand grains is suitable for brewing the dark tea. The adsorptive sand can help remove the undesired taste formed during tea storage and accentuate the features of the dark tea.