Our Approach to Quality

The Importance of Measuring Value

The price of tea and teaware does not always correlate with quality. Some products are sold at high prices due to rarity or difficulty of acquisition, but this does not necessarily mean they taste better.

For certain teas, those that reach the market earliest command the highest prices. However, early-plucked tea is not always of the highest quality. Since spring arrives first at lower elevations, tea gardens at lower altitudes can harvest earlier. In contrast, high-altitude tea gardens experience spring later, resulting in delayed harvests. These high-elevation gardens have a significant advantage: the large temperature difference between day and night slows the growth of tea leaves. This extended growth period allows the leaves to accumulate more constituents and develop greater complexity, resulting in superior quality tea.

The same applies to teaware. Pieces created by renowned artists command high prices, but price does not necessarily reflect true quality. While aesthetic beauty matters, what matters most is how the clay affects the taste and flavor of tea. Quality teaware enhances flavor and aroma through superior materials and proper firing techniques.

Beyond collectors seeking rarity, most tea drinkers pay for delicious flavor. High prices are justified only when material quality supports them. This is why we focus exclusively on selecting and developing clays that genuinely improve the taste and flavor of tea.

Material Quality Determined by Depth

We say we "drink tea," but brewed tea is 99.8% water. Tea leaves are essentially herbs that transform water into something delicious, adding aroma, flavor, and minerals that create depth and richness. The true measure of quality lies in how beautifully tea can enhance water.

In Chinese, "hui gan" (回甘) describes the "returning sweetness"—the aftertaste. This concept is central to evaluating Chinese and Taiwanese teas. Many assume strong flavor equals quality, but this is a misconception. Without aftertaste, even the most aromatic tea feels empty. Quality tea, however, penetrates deep—its flavor lingers in the throat long after swallowing, evolving into a rich, satisfying finish. This depth, this "hui gan," is the essence of exceptional tea.

Minerals That Add Depth and Richness to Flavor

While organic compounds create tea's aroma, minerals determine its quality. Many food scientists and tea industry professionals focus primarily on organic components like amino acids and polyphenols. However, our experience has led us to a different conclusion. Minerals are what fundamentally determine tea quality. This applies not only to tea but to all foods, including vegetables, fruits, and meat. Among these minerals, our research has identified iron as one of the key factors influencing aftertaste.

The correlation is clear. The more iron in tea leaves, the longer the aftertaste lasts. Teas from iron-rich soils consistently deliver exceptional aftertaste, and brewing with high-iron clay teaware produces the same effect.

Growth rate plays a crucial role in mineral concentration. Tea plants at high elevations, particularly old trees on clay hillsides grown without fertilizer, grow remarkably slowly. Their first harvest often comes weeks later than conventional tea. This slow growth produces smaller, denser leaf cells that concentrate flavor components, polyphenols, and minerals.

Material is Essential for Teaware

Teapots and teacups are essential for enjoying great tea. A good teapot does more than just brew tea. It actively improves the flavor.

Unglazed teaware releases minerals into the tea, which changes how it tastes. Through our experiments, we've found that teaware with high iron content but low levels of aluminum, copper, manganese, zinc, and magnesium makes tea taste better. Firing temperature also matters because it affects the surface area of the clay. More surface area means stronger influence on flavor.

We believe material quality comes first when making teaware. When we work with potters to create original pieces, we run countless taste tests to find the right combination of clay and firing temperature. Our goal is simple: teaware that makes tea taste its best. Great products need two things: excellent materials and excellent craftsmanship.

Creating a good product requires good materials, good processing techniques, proper transportation from origin to customer, and proper storage. These four are truly like the four wheels of a car. In pursuing each of these, we believe it is important not merely to imitate tradition, but to deeply understand the logic and philosophy behind it. In the spirit of 温故知新 (onko chishin / wēn gù zhī xīn), an old saying that means "learning new things by studying the old," we believe that true innovation comes from thoroughly learning from the wisdom of our predecessors while incorporating the latest scientific approaches into HOJO’s unique lineup.