Houhin 宝瓶 hōhin

What it's for

Because gyokuro is brewed at 40 to 60 C, the water is cool enough to hold the vessel directly. The houhin omits the handle entirely, which lets the brewer cradle the pot with both hands and feel the temperature drop in real time. The form is purpose-built for high-grade shaded green teas where every degree and every second matters.

History

Houhin emerged in the late Edo period as gyokuro itself was being developed in Uji by Yamamoto Kahei in 1835. As cultivators perfected shading techniques to produce the umami-heavy gyokuro leaf, brewing vessels had to follow. Tokoname and Kyoto potters refined the handle-less form through the Meiji era, and it remains tightly bound to gyokuro and tencha practice today.

How to use

Cool water to roughly 50 C; many practitioners pour boiling water into a yuzamashi cooling pitcher first, then into the empty houhin, then back into the yuzamashi to bring temperature down twice. Use 5 to 8g of gyokuro per 100ml. Steep the first infusion for around two minutes. Pour slowly and completely. Subsequent infusions can use slightly hotter water and shorter steeps. The final infusion is often eaten with ponzu as ohitashi.

Buying tips

Look for a wide, low body that promotes even leaf expansion and a lid that creates a slim pouring slit when tilted. Porcelain is preferred over clay because gyokuro's delicate aromatics can be muted by absorbent surfaces. A houhin under 150ml is more useful than a larger one; gyokuro is meant to be sipped in tiny portions.

Variants

• Kyo-yaki porcelain houhin
• Tokoname clay houhin
• shiboridashi (a shallower variant)

Best pairings

• gyokuro
• tencha
• high-grade kabusecha

Teas to brew with this

• Gyokuro - Green Tea, Japan