Walnut Tea Tray

This past February (2024), we returned to China to visit family for Chinese New Year. During our trip, we took a short detour to Xi'an, one of the ancient capitals of China. While we visited many impressive historical sites and savored an array of mouth-watering foods, one of the most memorable experiences was visiting our host's tea shop.

Every afternoon after lunch, we would walk to his shop, where he brewed an impressive variety of teas. As is common in many Chinese households, we were served tea around a table with a recessed center and a drain, allowing excess liquid from washing cups or brewing tea to drain away easily, keeping the surface clean.

Inspired by this experience, we returned home to California and dug out a black walnut "cookie." This slab of wood was flattened, and the center was carved to give it the characteristic recess. We cleared out any old rot from the wood and filled the gaps with black epoxy. The wood was polished with sandpaper and coated in a durable natural oil finish.

Now, every evening when we end the day with fresh brewed tea, we recreate a bit of our Xi'an experience at home. This tea table not only serves as a functional piece but as a symbol of the connection between two worlds — bridging the distance between California and China, one cup of tea at a time.