“Only with a gaiwan can you drink tea well. As expected, after making tea with a gaiwan, the tea liquid is clear, with a faint aroma and bitterness. It’s really a good tea leaf.”
Lu Xun
A famous modern Chinese writer
What is gaiwan
Gaiwan, 盖碗, Cover Bowl ( I read somewhere as a trueen). It is a kind of tea set with a lid, a bracket on the bottom, and a bowl. Also known as “San-Cai bowl” or “San-Cai cup”, the cover is heaven, the support is earth, and the bowl is human, implying the meaning of heaven, earth, and people. You won’t destroy your hands with support. And because of the lid, the tea doesn’t drop its flavor. Gaiwan can be enjoyed by one person alone or shared as a pot. At home, tea can be made and drink, and it is easy to carry out. Yes, the Gaiwan is an all-purpose tea set..
Why a gaiwan is the best choice
The six major types of tea can be brewed in a gaiwan. Gaiwan is usually used to make tea in a tea appraisal because gaiwan can show the real state of the tea leaves itself but loses its aroma. It helps people accurately observe the color of tea liquid and the condition of tea leaves. Material is the most important thing. There are generally 2 kinds of bodies of Gaiwan, porcelain, and Zisha (purple sand clays). For a beginner, they may be aroused by some fancy but impractical gaiwan. But keep calm please, try to pick white porcelain. White porcelain gaiwan is the best choice for you for the reasons above.
How much capacity is acceptable
Generally, the capacity of gaiwan is between 80ml and 300ml. How to choose a gaiwan for a tea party. It varies on how much people share. A gaiwan with 120ml is good for a small tea party, such as 2-3 people, Also depends on the type of tea leaves itself, if the tea leaves are large choose a considerably larger gaiwan.
What kind of modeling gaiwan is better
The shape of gaiwan generally relates to the belly size of the bowl. The difference between them is that the small stomach gaiwan is characterized by heat accumulation and the fragrance of tea. Therefore it is suitable for brewing tea with high-temperature requirements, such as oolong tea. A gaiwan with a somewhat larger belly is more suitable for tea leaves that need to be brewed for a long time, or types of larger tea leaves, such as Pu’er tea.
Other Factors
The bigger gaiwan is more difficult to take it. There are 2 factors that determine the difficulty of holding, 1) the height of the gaiwan, 2) the diameter of the gaiwan.It often occurs when you make tea, especially for a beginners. Here is a suggestion for you to choose those gaiwan with slightly wider edges, modest heights, and thinner body walls.
