Junzo Kobiwako vs. Tachi Shigaraki

Vanenbw
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:14 pm
Location: NJ, USA

Tue Jan 07, 2020 2:41 pm

faj wrote:
Tue Jan 07, 2020 2:17 pm
If you are wanting a larger Kobiwako pot, I think the kyusus are the only available option right now. Plus some of the advantages of a hohin (ease of loading leaves, cleaning) would be a part of a larger kyusu as well.
Thanks, but after reading the posts, I'm thinking maybe the houhin would be nice to have. I'm hoping some additional kyusu's will be produced with this clay in the future. For now, I'm okay with kyusu pots. Would be nice to have a houhin. Lately I have been drinking out of my smaller porcelain cups, and less out of my 10oz cup. That's why I bought the160ml kyusu and was interested in the houhin. I found a nice 160ml kyusu on Artistic Nippon. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

I bought #2.

https://www.artisticnippon.com/product/ ... amaru.html

faj wrote:
Tue Jan 07, 2020 2:17 pm

A hohin obviously has less protruding geomety, so takes a bit less space. The spout and handle on a teapot probably are features that are more likely to be chipped or broken.

A hohin is very likely to have very quick flow. I do not know what the pour speed is on Kobiwako kyusus, that may be an issue or not.

A hohin is easier to clean.
Definitely worth trying one out since I have one kyusu already and another on the way. I'm also thinking about ordering one of the boneware style gaiwan's from Hojo's site. I've been very anxious to try brewing tea in a gaiwan.
Vanenbw
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:14 pm
Location: NJ, USA

Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:59 pm

Akira Hojo shared some interesting information with me when I inquired about dedicating my new Junzo Kobiwako houhin to just Japanese greens. This was Akira's response to my question:
Do you know why some people claim that we must use one teapot for one type of tea?
It is not because of the contamination of the flavor but minerals. When we brew tea in teapot over and over again, the minerals accumulate on the inside of teapot. If you brew different type of tea, it causes the interaction with the mineral from the earlier teas.
That is why some people think it is important to stick one teapot to the single type of tea. However even if you stick to the single type of tea, tea from the different garden contains different type of minerals. For example, you may keep brewing Uji Sencha with one teapot. But the garden origin of your uji sencha may vary from time to time.

In fact, water provides teapot with more minerals. It forms a layer of scales on the inside of teapot in a few months. If you simply change the type of water, it makes the flavor of tea literally upside down. You must stick to one type of water for rinsing, brewing and even washing.
How many of you are actually doing this? It sounds like he is suggesting sticking to one particular type of water, so if I use one brand of bottled water most of the time, I should not mix it with any others, which is not what I have been doing with my other kyusu. I have been experimenting with various brands of water.

Also, how strongly do you feel about dedicating a kyusu or houhin to one type of tea, e.g. sencha only? I've read you should not brew several kinds of teas in one vessel, if it's unglazed clay. I get that, but I'm just curious how many people are following the ground rules.

Lest I compromise the flavor of my tea by mixing several types of teas in my clay pots, I purchased a 130ml gaiwan to try to Chinese and Taiwanese teas, and for genmaicha.
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nasalfrog
Posts: 127
Joined: Wed Dec 20, 2017 10:51 pm
Location: Tulsa, OK

Sat Jan 11, 2020 10:40 am

Vanenbw wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:59 pm
How many of you are actually doing this?...
I have actually stuck to one water out of economy and laziness for the most part. Only recently have I tried a different water, and I still preferred my local-ish sourced spring water in my clay pots. I figured it was just because my tastes are used to that water, but maybe Akira’s advice holds true for my results. I would just go with what works for you.

I do purchase a different spring water for when I travel, but I now use a gaiwan for travel so I guess the different waters may not matter so much.
Vanenbw wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:59 pm
...Also, how strongly do you feel about dedicating a kyusu or houhin to one type of tea, e.g. sencha only?...
I decide on that based on the flavor of the tea and whether there was roasting involved. I currently have a GABA/gabaron sencha open, and the flavor on that is so wildly different than sencha that I’ve been brewing it in a gaiwan. I am not a huge fan of its flavor, it’s very lemony and herbal with hay flavors that are all very strong, and I would rather not have any of those flavors possibly in my regular sencha clay pots.

I have used a pan-fired greenish Japanese oolong in one of my sencha pots, but it has no roasty character. I enjoy its fruity and floral flavors, and wouldn’t mind if anything carried over into sencha.
Vanenbw
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:14 pm
Location: NJ, USA

Sat Jan 11, 2020 8:44 pm

nasalfrog wrote:
Sat Jan 11, 2020 10:40 am
I do purchase a different spring water for when I travel, but I now use a gaiwan for travel so I guess the different waters may not matter so much.
I think I will stick to my main spring water for the kobiwako houhin, although I already have not been sticking to that principle for my other kyusu. I do, however, mostly use the spring water I always drink. I just tried some of the others out of curiosity. I can't say I have really noticed any difference from the water I normally drink.

I just purchased my first gaiwan (130ml). It hasn't arrived yet. I've wanted to try brewing some tea in the gaiwan. I love the flexibility of it, and how quickly you can brew a cup of tea. I've wanted to try it since I first learned about them.
nasalfrog wrote:
Sat Jan 11, 2020 10:40 am
I decide on that based on the flavor of the tea and whether there was roasting involved. I currently have a GABA/gabaron sencha open, and the flavor on that is so wildly different than sencha that I’ve been brewing it in a gaiwan. I am not a huge fan of its flavor, it’s very lemony and herbal with hay flavors that are all very strong, and I would rather not have any of those flavors possibly in my regular sencha clay pots.

I have used a pan-fired greenish Japanese oolong in one of my sencha pots, but it has no roasty character. I enjoy its fruity and floral flavors, and wouldn’t mind if anything carried over into sencha.
Thanks, that is really great advice. A lemony, herbal flavor from sencha? Interesting, I have never tasted that before.
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