A Japanese teapot hang from a wooden fish in a tatami room

Why Japanese teapot tetsubin is so unique?

August 18, 2022

In Japan, people drink tea anytime and anywhere, There is free green or brown tea service at the restaurant, fast food, spa etc... There is an art of tea ceremony called SADO, literally meaning the way of Tea, coming from China almost 1000 years ago. SADO is more than a tea ceremony, it is also a philosophy based on esthetics elements and meditation.

bamboo with stone pond next to a river Japanese teapot hang to a wooden fish teapot on a wooden table

Japanese teapot on a glass table Japanese teapot on a wooden table blue Japanese teapot on yellow cloth

Tea at home

When you welcome guests at your home, it is very common to offer tea to them. Even at summer tea, a warm hot tea is very refreshing and relaxing. And to show respect to your guests, it is important to serve a delicious tea. One might think that the flavor of tea comes from the tea leaves and of course the quality of tea leaves is important but not only. We can also figure that the atmosphere, the tea bowl, the quality of the water or even the room design can influence the tea flavor. Or, tea ceremony esthete would say that the state of being is the most important to appreciate tea.

Japanese blue tea pot small blue teapot tetsubin blue teapot with golden handle

However, the real secret of Japanese tea, the thing that makes Japanese tea so unique is the cast-iron kettle named tetsubin (鉄瓶）, literally means iron pot.

So, what makes tetsubin so unique?

First of all, tetsubin is equipped with a top handle, a lid and a spooring spout. It is often decorated with relief designs on the outside, such as cherry blossom design and have various unusual shape. and It usually contains between 0.5 and 5 litres of water.

The region of Tohoku in the north of Japan is famous for producing good tetsubin as people in that area used to make weapons using cast iron.

Now, why tetsubin is totally necessary to reproduce at home the same tea that you can drink in Japanese teahouse? Because, the cast iron used to make tetsubin is believed to enrich and improve the taste of boiled water. as Japanese tea are refined and delicate, the taste of tea becomes rounder and sweater after teh water has been boiled in the tetsubin. And more you use that tetsubin and more the water is changed by the cast iron. And in addition to this, thanks the iron content of the tetsubin, the tea water provides heath benefits.

Now, you know the secret longevity of Japanese people. Enjoy your tea!