A walk through a Yunnan village workshop
Michael Zhan found this spoon almost by accident. During a sourcing trip for our Fujian oolongs, he spent an extra day in a small village near Jianshui, known more for pottery than for wood. An older craftsman, Lao Li, had been turning walnut spoons in his backyard for decades, supplying a handful of tea shops in Kunming. No online presence, no export — just a lathe under a tin roof and stacks of locally harvested walnut branches.
The process is quiet and slow. Lao Li selects a branch with an attractive grain, chucks it onto his lathe, and lets the shape emerge by feel. The deep bowl, a signature of his spoons, catches the light and cradles whole, unbroken leaves. After turning, each spoon is hand‑sanded through three grits and sealed with a food‑safe tung‑oil blend that darkens the wood over months.
We asked Lao Li to make a batch exclusively for tea.toys. Because the spoons are turned on order, there is no warehouse stock, no hurrying. When you order, Michael notifies Li, who turns the spoon within a week, lets it cure, and ships it directly. The spoon you hold is only a few days old, still smelling faintly of fresh walnut. We think that immediacy matters — it’s a tool made for the ritual of tea, not a mass‑produced accessory.