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I first encountered the Cha he / Chahe on JKTeas. Wasn’t sure what it was at first, because it had nothing in it, but I eventually discovered that it was for passing around tea leaves for inspection. Beyond that I’m in the dark. Why can’t one just put the leaves in a cup or plate for presentation?
My ideas:
It’s fancy. Fancy is favored by wealthy people (it’s another item that needs purchasing). Wealthy people define culture.
It has extra holes along the sides, allowing different viewing angles.
That’s pretty much all I’ve got. So what’s the idea behind the Cha he? And what does the “he” bit mean? It’s a Tea…something. Display, maybe?
When did this vessel enter use? Is it often used? Does it have a use outside of presenting leaves? I know from Leo’s posts that leaves are viewed before and after infusion. While I’m on that topic, what are you looking for, both before and after? I inspect the low-end leaves I get in Tazo / Archer Farms, but I’m mostly inspecting scent.
Thanks,
M.
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The word “he” in Cha-he is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese term for the tool. It reads “hé”, and not “hee” (as in the pronoun with the same spelling). You are right, it is basically a tealeaves holder. Used more in presentation or examination context rather than normal daily tea making. There’s a lot of background story, but not significant for the modern tea drinker.
You can use anything to serve the purpose in its place. If scent is your examination priority, use a small tall cup as an alternative.
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