Haiku Tea Set

Yixing teapots are meant for use with black and oolong teas, as well as aged Pu-erh tea. They can also be used for green or white tea, but the water must be allowed to cool to around 85 degrees Celsius before pouring the water into the pot. With "Zisha" (a purple-sand clay found only in Yixing) teapots, a tiny amount of tea is absorbed into the pot during brewing. After prolonged use, the pot will develop a coating that retains the flavor and color of the tea. It is for this reason that soap should not be used to clean Yixing teapots. Instead, it should be rinsed with fresh water and allowed to air-dry

These fine teapots are small by western standards because they are generally designed for a single drinker and the Chinese historically drank the tea directly from the spout. It is somewhat different now by pouring the tea into a cup first

Traditionally the pots were kept small so that each person could have their own. They would pour the tea from the spout into their mouths to drink it. It was not until it was exported to the West that people start to use teacup.