Yixing cup question

[jwhite]

My sister recently returned from a buisness trip to China and brought back some tea gifts for me, one of which is a lovely Yixing cup. It is a lidded cup of greater than 200ml when filled to the brim, nearly 8oz. So this is too large for the teas I usually serve in the gong fu style, and I feel that many of the teas I serve in the western style would either be a waist or drunk to infrequently and I'd like to use this regularly. So I'm thinking of a good Yunnan Black like a Wu Liang Mountain black tea that I think may be good brewed in the western tradition, and still be of a quality that it would be worth seasoning a cup with. The problem is I don't know if that's a good idea or not. The teas I usually have with a single longer steep are along the lines of a Scottish Breakfast, or other Assam/Ceylon type blend with sugar and occasionally milk, brewed strong and often as an accompaniment to my pipe on cold evenings. I never try to smoke when I'm trying to use the Gong Fu method, its distracting and I'd rather focus on the tea. I just don't want this cup to get funked up with a bunch of sugar and strong malty-peaty flavors. So what suggestions do you gentlemen have? I'm looking for a quality tea at a reasonable price point that is good for western style brewing.

Second how would you recommend seasoning this cup? I don't know if the filler up with tea and boil is wise here or not.

 

[shah8]

I got one for indian teas.

Now it's being used for storing ready to serve sheng.

Yixing cups are useless without a custom strainer or at least a spout. At least mine is pretty.

 

[jwhite]

Mines a beautiful and well made cup, and I wasn't going to try to brew in it. I'm just going to use it as a western style mug, but since it is unglazed pottery I thought a better tea than what usually put in a mug would be a good idea, something I wouldn't want to put sugar or milk in. I've got a stainless mesh strainer that would fit in it. I don't like to use them in any pot, they restrict the leaves and dont allow good water flow through them either. As the strainer is about the size of the cup it wouldn't inhibit the action of the leaf, but then the lid wouldn't fit and the tea would get cold maybe. I might try that experiment and see how it goes but I don't expect it to be good for anything more than an attractive mug that will season with use.

 

[shah8]

Thing is, best use is grandpappy style brewing, and black tea isn't very good for that. I got annoyed quick enough at filtering small black tea leaves with my tongue and teeth and drinking it faster than it would go bitter.

 

[jwhite]

I agree, the lid doesn't function as a Gawain's would to push the leaves for drinking out of.