Chinese Tea: Gaiwan Brewing 1

Before Gaiwan Brewing Starts: The Preparation

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What on earth is Gaiwan?

Gaiwan is the Chinese word for a "bowl with a lid". Gai means Lid, Wan means Bowl (see picture on the left). In the southern part of Mainland China and Hong Kong, it's also called a JuZhong (Brewing Cup). Gaiwan is the 3 piece porcelain cup marked #1 in the gadget list below. Gaiwan is a common and casual article to serve tea. You can use larger Gaiwans to brew and then distribute to smaller cups like Kung Fu Tea brewing , you can smaller Gaiwans (or simply porcelain teacup) and drink directly from it. Check here for porcelain teacup brewing)

What classes of tea are appropriate for Gaiwan brewing?

ALL teas can be brewed with a Gaiwan. But since porcelain loses heat quickly, it's especially appropriate for green tea which brews well in lower temperature.

What gadgets do I need?

3 piece porcelain Gaiwan (must) - or it wouldn't be called Gai wan brewing.
Teacups (must) - of course, of course.
Tea Tray (sort of a must) - quite a bit of spill and waste water is produced during the process. The tea tray holds the water. It's for convenience but it's a BIG convenience.
Tea tools (optional) - in the tool set, there are tea shuffle, funnel, tongs, digger, tea needle. In this case only the shuffle and tongs are useful.
Tea & A Pair of Hands (must) - not in the above PIC but you know it's not possible without them.