Gaiwan - to have and to hold?

[Opal]

I'm considering purchasing my first gaiwan. Links to any especially beautiful or unique examples would be appreciated.

I've been reading up on how to use one, and I have to admit to being slightly confused. I've seen instructions that tell me to handle the cup and saucer with either hand. Is there a preferred hand? Or does it really matter? I'm right handed...

I'm also not especially well versed in the brewing of white and green teas, so perhaps this is a novice question. If I brew and drink from the gaiwan, I suppose I need to drink the liquor rather quickly after the appropriate brewing time, right? If I let the leaves continue to steep in the water, would that eventually be problematic five minutes down the road?

Thanks so much!

[Luthier]

have u watched this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr8z9f5Ktqw&NR=1

[Opal]

have u watched this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr8z9f5Ktqw&NR=1

Wow, that gaiwan has breaks when pouring! Thanks for the link - I'm familiar with that much, but what's a girl to do if she drinks straight from the gaiwan? Shall I hold it with my left hand or my right hand? Or is it a matter of preference?

[Proinsias]

I suspect most people around here use the gaiwan as a brewing vessel as in the video.

For use as a combined brewing and drinking vessel you should decrease the amount of leaf and the water temperature to prevent things getting nasty too quickly.

[Proinsias]

sorry x-post.

I wold go for whatever you feel is best, if drinking from the gaiwan I tend to use my right hand with my thumb and pinkie holding the plate and my index finger on the knob. The size and dimensions of the gaiwan are going to be factors, I don't tend to drink from anything over about 100ml.

[Opal]

I suspect most people around here use the gaiwan as a brewing vessel as in the video.

For use as a combined brewing and drinking vessel you should decrease the amount of leaf and the water temperature to prevent things getting nasty too quickly.

Nasty is bad. I suppose that if most of the fine folks here don't do it, I probably shouldn't either then... thanks!

[Proinsias]

I wouldn't advise against doing it because of my assumption. I occasionally enjoy using a gaiwan for drinking from and many Chinese people use this method, or even just drink from a glass with the leaf floating in it and use their teeth instead of the gaiwan lid as a filter.

Nasty is bad but as long as you approach gong fu gaiwan brewing with different parameters to using it for drinking and brewing things can turn out nicely.

Drinking straight from the brewing vessel is often referred to as 'grandpa style', I recall MarshalN saying that around 99% of Chinese people consume their green tea this way.

[Deleted User #17777]

hi

here is a link for a previous topic, showing people's favorite gaiwans:

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t=8388

I really recommend NOT drinking from what you are brewing. The real advantage of a gaiwan is the pour, allowing you to get the tea brewed exactly where you want it, and then pour it quickly, before it changes.

You don't want to rush drinking - or drink it boiling hot, or let it get bitter from sitting while you sip it.

I find getting the lid so it is open a bit at the bottom, but still covered on the top, and keeping my fingers above the middle, lets me pour with out getting scalded by steam or boiling water.

Have fun what ever way you choose to use it......

[Opal]

Here's an interesting blog post I found that claims there's a difference between brewing and drinking gaiwans. What do you think? http://chawu.blogspot.com/2009/01/gaiwa ... g-cup.html

Many thanks for all the replies thus far - I think it's an interesting subject!

[MarshalN]

My little contribution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqP3lFPd ... r_embedded

[Opal]

My little contribution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqP3lFPd ... r_embedded

That was wonderful and enormously helpful. I always forget about YouTube as a source, and you all have helped open a lot of information to me - thank you!

I was initially attracted to the gaiwan because it represented simplicity to me - your method maintains my ideal and eliminates some of my concerns too.

Can you tell me about your cup holder?

[tenuki]

Man, it's just making tea. All this talking and explaining...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukVRMKk8 ... annel_page


(note both left and right handed examples)

[Opal]

Man, it's just making tea. All this talking and explaining...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukVRMKk8 ... annel_page


(note both left and right handed examples)

That was a fun video! Thank you for sharing.

As a verbal/auditory learner, the words help me out! It does seem like a lot of discussion on such a simple subject, no?

[Oni]

This post sounds like a country song, try Dragon teahouse and funalliance.

[gingkoseto]

I like the idea of brewing green or white in a gaiwan. When gaiwan was popular in Ming and Qing dynasty, the mainstream usage of gaiwan was for green (and probably white). For green tea, you can go grandpa's style in a gaiwan (but constantly keep the lid off by holding it with your hand), and take your time to drink. Add water for 2nd infusion when there is 1/3 volume left in the gaiwan. If the leaves don't stay put in water, you can use the lid rim to wave leaves away, or half cover the cup with the lid, drink from the slit between cup and lid, so that the lid will filter away the leaves.