matcha green tea

Cast Iron Tea Pots

Although the original cast iron tea pots appeared in China sometime during the 13th or 14th centuries, it did not take long for the Japanese people to adopt it for their use in brewing sencha, or loose tea leaves instead of tea that had been crushed into a powdered form.  Presented to Japan by the Chinese around four hundred years ago, sencha was also considered a medicinal herb which cured many physical and psychological ailments. The well-educated members of Japanese society drank sencha to show their resentment against chanoyu, a very formal, ceremonial tea preparation by the ruling class who used matcha, or powdered green tea leaves instead of sencha.

With the eventual rise of sencha drinking  the use of cast iron tea pots, or tetsubin, became widespread in Japanese society because of the warm-hearted  informality this type of ceremony promoted, one which could be casually executed with family members and friends.  At first, these tetsubin were primarily meant just for water boiling and brewing tea leaves so were not decorated or painted. Later, in the 19th century, these cast iron tea pots became more than functional kitchen implements but became viewed as status symbols. Makers of these tea pots began decorating the plain, gray cast iron with relief pictures of flowers, geometric figures,  and other small designs, while placing layers of silver, copper and gold on the inside of the cast iron tea pots. Iwate and Yamagata, two prefectures (counties) in Japan later became renowned for creating the most sough-after tetsubins because of their beautiful designs, high quality, and affordable prices.

Because cast iron as a cookware keeps heat and is extremely durable, it is very popular to cook with in addition to brewing great-tasting tea.  It was also discovered that because of the iron, people who suffered from iron deficiency also benefitted from eating and drinking food from cast iron tea pots. Maintaining your tetsubin does involve a few specific actions to follow, such as remembering not to let tea remain in the tea pot for too long, since this may cause some rust to appear on the inside lining, if it is non-ceramic. Never wash your tea pot with scratchy scouring pads or use something other than a very mild dish detergent.  Most of the time you can probably get by with just rinsing the tea pot with cold water and gently toweling it off.  Japanese tradition claims that the all-natural mineral coating which accumulates from brewing tea is beneficial for one’s health. Also, don’t let oil or salt lay on the surface of the tea pot as this could damage the surface and cause

Cast iron teapots make wonderful gifts for any occasion and will also lend to the ambience of a unique décor as an adornment in the kitchen.  It’s antique appearance is the perfect antithesis to the modern technology of today’s kitchenware and will give you years of enjoyment with the proper care.

How to Make / Prepare Matcha Green Tea (Wheezywaiter Wink at 2:43)

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