Classy Tea Boards on the Cheap
Some people feel that getting into ‘gong fu’ tea is a big hassle to learn, and requires large amounts of cash to pay for all the gadgets and tools necessary to create the proper atmosphere. To those people, I say, “Shame on you! You’re missing the whole point!” (I don’t really say that, but boy, sometimes I’d like to!!). Spending quality time with your tea is not a hassle at all – it’s a chance to discover things about the tea (and yourself) that may pleasantly surprise you. I admit that it can become an expensive hobby, but there are lots of ways you can create a relaxing ‘tea space’ for yourself without re-financing your mortgage.
This tea board is a good example. I refer to it as a ‘board’ instead of tray because it doesn’t have a drain pipe or catchbasin to hold water. We pour the slop or used tea leaves into a separate bowl off to the side. I picked this board up in Miaoli, at A-Liang’s place during our visit. They had a large pile of old weathered wood against the side of the house, and for some reason this particular piece appealed to me. When I first asked if I could have it, I was told they use it to prop their driveway gate open or closed, but 
when I explained I wanted it for a tea tray they laughed and let me take it.
A-Liang was quite surprised when he came over a couple of weeks later – it cleaned up better than either of us had expected. All I did was sand it down to remove the exterior weathering, using a small orbital sander and 80, 120, and 240 grit sandpaper. Then I brewed a very strong pot of Tie Kuan Yin tea and poured it over the board, rubbing it into the grain with a rag.
I also like this board because it’s relatively short, and is easy to take with me. I’ve done tea for my in-laws with it a couple of times, and they were very impressed with the presentation. A-Liang has become a believer as well, and he’s given me a couple more slabs of wood to work with. I’ll report on them when they are finished.
