Why not inventing a singing teapot? You may think you do not need one, but you would love it!
Essay
Teapots are a common part of several cultures all over the world. While there are countries whose inhabitants show a low interest in drinking tea, others, like British people, measure this aspect of their daily life with high value. There, the tea culture is detailed and fully developed. A singing teapot might sound unusual, but would add an advantageous aspect no one would like to be without once established.
Tea is a long-known and popular plant for creating stimulating hot drinks. The plant was introduced to several cultures hundreds of years ago. In China, tea has been known for more than 2,000 years, and it arrived in Europe in the 17th century. People like tea because it vitalises the body due to its high amount of caffeine, and in contrast to coffee, it is a refreshing and light drink. Another aspect is the social one – offering a cup of tea or sharing teatime connects people.
The process of making tea is easy, and only a few items are necessary. Tea constitutes the fermented, dried leaves of the tea bush. To create a tea drink, hot water is added to the leaves. An energy source for heating water is required – indoors, it mostly is a stove or kettle, while in the outdoor context, a fire can be used to reach the same result. The correct water temperature depends on the tea sort. The water is then added to the leaves which lay in a pot, and after an adequate amount of time, often 2 – 3 minutes, the tea is ready to be served. Typical drinking vessels are cups or jars.
A singing teapot would close a significant gap in the teatime ceremony. In Japan, the pots and cups are very small, so they are emptied quickly, but when using a large teapot, as is common in Great Britain, it could happen that its content cools down to an undesirable temperature. To prevent people from the unpleasant experience of drinking cold tea, it would be a great help if the teapot would start to sing when the temperature of the tea sank to below a certain level, so the participants would be made aware to drink faster, or remember to empty the rest into their cups. It must be pointed out that not everyone likes to incinerate a candle under a tea pot, and a nicely sung melody would add to the atmosphere.
The sung melody of the teapot is crucial and would bring with it certain benefits, not only regarding the atmosphere. A sharp alarm tone would only cause war flashbacks and adrenaline output in the audience, while ringtone-ish excesses as seen in the modern smartphone society could result in a country-wide cacophony at 4 pm. Instead, a true song would not disrupt, but adding a detail, like a nice little rose in a wild country garden would do. The recognition of the ascending calamity of cold tea would lose its thorns.
As seen, tea is a longstanding cultural experience and is enriched with traditions, but that does not contradict the potential for a slight future development. A singing teapot could become a part of it, and open a wide range of possibilities in science and business. New materials must be developed to acquire the necessary attributes for a fully-functioning product, and the whole process of setting up a new invention can be experienced, because one thing is as clear as green tea: The world does not need another device with wireless network functionality and wobbly electronics.
Author: Jan T. Szolnoki | Editor: Claire McGrath