The original ore of old Duan Ni, also called "old Tuan Ni", is produced in Huanglong Mountain, Yixing City, Jiangsu Province. The original ore appears nearly white with dark green spots. Besides being used as clay to make pottery, it can also be ground and sieved into fine particles for sand-mixing effects. After firing, it takes on a pale goose-yellow color, with a few tiny red spots.
Another type of Duan Ni’s original ore is Ben Shan Green Clay, also from Huanglong Mountain. The original ore is green-gray and is the "interlayer fat" in the interlayers of purple clay. After firing, it shows an off-white to beige tone.
Old Duan Ni clay contains relatively large particles and has a loose structure. The pottery made from it clearly has a double-pore structure, allowing smooth air circulation. With long-term use, it gradually reveals its fine texture and undergoes significant changes in patina development, making it an excellent material for nurturing teapots. It brews tea with a delicious taste that is highly praised!
In the early days, the clay mixing techniques were different, and the kilns used at that time operated at relatively low temperatures. As a result, most early Duan Ni products had issues. However, modern kilns are high-temperature ones. Duan Ni teapots fired in these modern kilns can easily reach the required temperature, achieving a high level of crystallization, and there is absolutely no "blackening" (discoloration to black when wet).
Features: Many tea enthusiasts mistakenly believe that Duan Ni tends to "blacken". The root cause of this misunderstanding is that in the past, kilns were all low-temperature ones, while Duan Ni is a high-temperature clay (requiring a firing temperature of approximately 1175-1180 degrees Celsius). Due to insufficient firing temperature, the finished products would revert to the original ore color when exposed to water, a phenomenon that tea enthusiasts call "blackening". This is caused by insufficient kiln temperature, not a defect in the clay itself. We hope tea enthusiasts will not confuse the cause and effect.
Tea Brewing Characteristics: Duan Ni is suitable for brewing a wide range of teas. Generally speaking, it has good air permeability. The tea brewed in it has a smooth and mild taste, and it does not require high tea-brewing skills, making it very suitable for beginners.
Brewing Recommendations: Pu'er tea series, Tieguanyin (Oolong tea), semi-fermented teas, fully fermented teas (dark teas), raw Oolong teas (lightly roasted), green teas (such as Longjing), black teas, etc.
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