Green Tea Forum

Deedh · Uh, Can I Add Sugar? Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4

Hi.. it passed 1 month since I really enjoy matcha and sencha.. but I have this question all time..

how its the correct form to clean the bowl?? with soap? only water?

this month I always clean only with water, but when I used the bowl again apears a kind of oil in surface...

so.. how would clean it?? Embarassed

thanks you, and sorry for this stupid question Sad

syntheticpanda · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 198

Is this the bowl you use for matcha? I usually rinse mine with water and scrub with a paper towel, and I haven't had any sort of oil develop. As long as it doesn't have a porous surface, using soap should be fine, though.

Chip · Posted: Dec 12, 2007 1:38 am Post subject:

I avoid using cleansers of any kind with virtually any teaware. Exception being, I do use vinegar on nonporous teaware to remove scale every week or two. As long as a nonporous item is thoroughly rinsed, cleansers can be used, for some reason, I don't seem to need them, so why use them.

I have a seperate bottle brush that I use only for teaware. It is a wide brush, around 4 inches wide and will dislodge any tea stain. I rarely use this though.

Oil, that is just very strange. I have heard this before regarding teaware. I almost have to wonder if this is a water issue. I have never had this problem. Some soaps or any organic chem (carbon based chemical, not organically produced) will float atop water and appear like oil...

Ryan · Sensei Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 475

You could also try using a clean cloth.

spacesamurai · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 204

Most of the time I do what synthetic panda (almost called him scruff shock

) does, rinse thoroughly and scrub with a paper towel and dry.

For my cheaper nonporous chawan, I am not opposed to a little soap if need be. But be careful, some styles of tea ware have different needs. Like raku ware, even though there is a glaze, it is still delicate and I'd never use a soap or anything else with it.

britt · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 175

I have quite a few matcha chawan but all are glazed inside. I only use hot water to clean them. I wipe off the water with a soft paper towel, but I don't scrub it.

I have never seen oil left from matcha and I drink it almost daily. However, some bowls are expected to absorb tea over time and actually change the character of the bowl. I have one Hagi chawan which although glazed, has large cracks inside. This is not a defect. There is a saying about the "seven faces or changes of Hagiware" relating to the absorption of the matcha into the bowl the more it is used and the resulting visual affect.

I have seen oily gongfu pots after brewing Taiwanese oolongs. This doesn't worry me, as tea oil is considered very beneficial to health and is actually used in soap and makeup. If it's not tea oil, then I would worry! Where did you purchase the matcha?

Deedh · Uh, Can I Add Sugar? Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4

thanks to all^^
I only have this bowl, and i use it for sencha and matcha, all purchased in o-cha^^

oil is from the soap that is used few times for clean it.. I will never do it again Sad

Now I clean it with very hot water.

thanks all a lot^^