dry leaf
N/A — these are stones. They sit on the tray with a quiet gravitas, their surface marked by millennia of water.
wet leaf
After a rinse with hot water, the pebble darkens slightly, revealing subtle veins of quartz and iron. No aroma.
liquor
Not applicable; the pebble interacts with tea liquor only as it is poured over it. The stone drinks in tiny traces, slowly building a patina.
aroma
None. The reward is entirely visual and tactile — the contrast between warm clay, cool stone, and dark tea.
taste
The pebble does not taste. Its role is to anchor the composition: a point of stillness on a busy tray, a grounding reference as you move through infusions.
finish
As the session ends, the pebble returns to room temperature, but its surface now carries a faint tea stain — a memory of the session.