What better way to adorn your tea experience than with a tea pet! These gentle, artful creations are crafted with purple sands or clay, in addition to red and green clay.
Historically dating back to the Yuan Dynasty (1206 – 1368) from Jiangsu province, tea pets come in the shape of the mythical Chinese beasts Pixiu and Quilin. Additionally, pets also come as human figures, zodiac icons, and small animals that express good wishes, and symbolize good luck, fortune, and happiness. There’s even a pet called Pee Boy made especially to indicate the proper temperature of boiled water.
The best part? Your pet is nourished by tea water. To “raise” your pet, (their word for “season”), simply pour leftover tea onto your pets while utilizing a tea brush and your pet will absorb all the TEAlicious goodness. Under your love and care, your pets will dampen to a soft luster and produce a potpourri aroma of your favorite teas.
Do you have a favorite tea pet? Do share! Comment below and be sure to include a picture if you have one.
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I have seen the Pee Boy before but not the other ones. I didn’t realize they had basically aroma therapy functions.
Very interesting. I wouldn’t think the fragrance of green tea would be sufficient to infuse the aroma but apparently I’m wrong.
Cheers Michelle,
There is no right or wrong, just peace and joy using tea pets to inspire the tea experience. Green tea is delicate and the aroma would take a considerable amount of time to build up on the tea pet. However other teas would infuse an aroma on a tea pet more quickly :)
Jenn
While I have a tea pet I can’t use it like this because it is made of glass. I got it as a gift from the vendor I’ve bought my tea table from.
If I had a Yixing clay pet it would not see much use because I would drink the tea instead of pouring it over the pet. Perhaps I’ve been raised to frugally but I try really hard to avoid wasting food or drinks and do not rinse my tea often only if it is a pu erh.
Cheers Fiona,
Not all tea pets need to be infused with tea, they can be peaceful adornments like your lovely glass tea pet. making you feel good and enhancing your tea drinking experience.
The tea that is poured over a clay tea pet is occurs when you ‘rinse’ the tea leaves with hot water, this opens leaves and warms the vessel before you pour water to make your tea. You are not wasting anything. It’s good to be frugal, thank you for your TEAlightful comment :)
Jenn