Less is More- Arguing for Smaller Vessels

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”

― C.S. Lewis

CS Lewis is one of the greatest minds of the 20^th century and probably one of the most quoted Christian authors. I love his logical analysis especially when in the field of apologetics.

On this occasion though, I disagree with him completely for the first part and partially on the second. At the risk of sounding like a plebeian, I would think Anna Karenina would be a novel that falls into the ‘too long’ category but I digress.

Increasingly, I am convinced that smaller brewing vessels and smaller brewing cups are the way to go, at least where it relates to oolong tea.

In an article related to Gongfu Tea, I wrote about how small vessels and small cups are an integral part of traditional Chaozhou Gongfu tea but why do we laud the merits of smaller vessels?

Is it because we slavishly retread the footsteps of our ancestors with nary an independent thought in our minds? Or is it we lack the masculinity to handle size and volume?

Here are some arguments for smaller vessels:

Heat

Heat and tea is inseparable. Without sufficient heat, the aromas of the teas are not released. Getting over-zealous with heat can result in certain delicate teas tasting bitter and excessively astringent.

That’s in the preparation stage.

When it comes to consumption, heat is no less important. Too much heat, well your mouth spits it out. Even if you gulp it down, it increases the risk of throat cancer. In addition, when it’s too hot, your tongues are incapable of discerning the tastes of the tea, as you would expect of any organ in pain.

At the other end of the spectrum, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners strongly advise against drinking tea that has grown cold as it is extremely damaging to the stomach and its very ‘damp’ in TCM nomenclature. It would be preferable to waste the tea and pour it away than to consume cold tea.

When it comes to oolong tea, heat retention is of paramount importance. Tea is poured out piping hot and the aroma is savored. Pouring into small cups allows it to quick down faster, readying it for consumption. At the same time, as the volume is small- it can be finished in 3 sips (which is what is recommended for gongfu tea) – and is almost consumed like a shooter. You can enjoy the beverage in 3 small sips and finish it before it can grow cold, getting ready for the next cup.

Appreciation

The tendency is that when you have a big cup, you take a bigger gulp. Gulping is the best way to handle low quality tea since you minimize the taste of it in your mouth. When it comes to quality tea, you need to give it proper attention- not drink it while watching a movie or reading a book- to maximize your enjoyment.

Using a smaller vessel forces you to focus. You can’t reach for a small cup in the same absent-minded manner you would for a large mug since there’s a higher tendency to spill or miss it. Also it is harder to grip a small cup if you are not looking at it.

Consequentially you are forced to give it at least some cursory attention. When it comes to drinking, fear of spillage means you keep your eyes on the cup, not on the television screen or other distractions.

That focuses your attention. And given the short attention span of people in our generation, the three sips of the small cup is perfect.

Quality not quantity.

There is such a thing as too much tea

Forget the cute mantras that individuals proclaim on forums- there is such a thing as too much tea. You feel bloated if you drink 2.8 liters of tea in one sitting, no? Which is what would happen if you brew a Tieguanyin with a 400 ml vessel for 7 infusions, isn’t it?

Yet part of the fun of oolong and dark tea is observing the changes in taste from infusion to infusion. Take a Yancha as an example you can taste how it morphs from an intense, slightly bitter attack to a sweet, delicate infusion over the course of multiple infusions.

That makes more sense than going for a huge pot and then feeling too bloated to coax or fully appreciate the maximum number of infusions from your tea. My observation is that if I leave my wet leaves for too long, it takes on a metallic flavor profile- especially for Taiwanese Oolongs- and renders the taste quite unpleasant.

Hence I try to finish in one sitting and it would be more likely if I went for 7 infusions at 100ml each then using a 400 ml vessel.

Intensity

There is no citation I can point to- how do you document a taste test meaningful anyway- but my experience is that too large a vessel causes the taste of the tea (at least for oolong tea) to deteriorate rather significantly.

Personally I wouldn’t go beyond 250cc as I find that the quality of my brew is significantly affected. There is no explanation I have for this but I have known many other tea lovers who share the same experience. I think it has to do with the interaction of the vessel with the leaves, the proximity of it to the leaves.

So….

You’re not being a wuss if you drink from small cups or brew from small vessels. I invite you to try and compare the difference. You will end up drinking more of less or less of more however you spin it.