{"id":1725,"date":"2025-08-17T14:43:46","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T14:43:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/?p=1725"},"modified":"2025-11-16T12:36:29","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T12:36:29","slug":"preparing-tea-gaiwan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/preparing-tea-gaiwan\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing Tea – Gaiwan"},"content":{"rendered":"

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At TEAPHOR<\/strong>, I strongly recommend three ways of preparing tea:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Gaiwan<\/strong> \u2014 the traditional vessel of Gongfu Cha (the art of Chinese tea ceremony), the purest way to appreciate the many layers of flavor in tea itself. From Padawan to master, this is the way!
(Best for tasting the true character of the leaves, light and transparent, ideal for Green tea, yellow tea, delicated white tea, young raw pu-erh, and also for tasting any tea in its most autentic form.)<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a professional tea shop in China, tea is usually demonstrated with a gaiwan, since it does not absorb the taste of the tea but purely reveals it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. clay Teapot<\/strong> \u2014 Another traditional vessel used in Gongfu Cha. its porus structure allows the teapot to breathe while remaining watertight, giving it excellent heat retention and subtle absorbency.
(Best for a rounder, richer brew with warmth and body, such as oolong, aged raw pu-erh or ripe Pu-erh, and aged white tea.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The methods Gaiwan and Clay teapot are wonderfully flexible, allowing you to experience the full character of the tea again and again. With each infusion, you can discover new layers \u2014 the pre-tone, the mid-tone, and the lingering after-tone. What I love most is the sense of freedom: I can control the steeping time as I wish, making the tea lighter or stronger. If one infusion feels too light, I can deepen the next; if it comes out too strong, I can soften the following one. It\u2019s not like the traditional way of brewing a big pot, all at once, where one mistake ruins everything and makes you nervous.
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3. Simple infusion as a tea base<\/strong> \u2014 from which we create:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Rich, flavorful milk tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Vibrant, refreshing iced teas with our original recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Yes \u2014 it\u2019s time to throw away those supermarket tea bags!)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gaiwan<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Gaiwan<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Fairness cup<\/em> (Gong Dao Bei <\/strong>)<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Gaiwan Tasting set<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

When I was young, I studied in a tea club where I first learned to use the Gaiwan<\/strong> as part of the tea ceremony. At that time, I didn\u2019t really appreciate it. I wondered: Why brew tea little by little, instead of just throwing the leaves into a big mug?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve ever heard of Gongfucha<\/strong> (the art of Chinese tea ceremony), I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve asked yourself the same question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer is simple: once you try excellent tea, you will understand. A truly fine tea reveals different layers of flavor \u2014 from the first sip to the last. Its fragrance may carry hints of wood, fruit, nuts, or flowers, each appearing in its own moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes tea so rich and complex? It is shaped by the climate, the soil, the rain and sunshine, the altitude, and the season of harvest. But also by the plants that grow around the tea trees \u2014 wildflowers, herbs, fruit trees, or even forest vegetation can lend subtle notes to the tea. And finally, the way the leaves are picked, withered, dried, and stored by skilled artisans completes its character. Every detail makes a tea unique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember traveling in Yunnan, China, visiting ancient tea villages where families had tended tea trees for generations. They told me: tea from this hillside tastes different from tea just one kilometer away.<\/em> And it\u2019s true \u2014 each tea is a reflection of the life it has lived. Appreciating a fine tea is like appreciating a fine wine: it is the result of both nature\u2019s gifts and human care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I truly fell in love with the Gaiwan method<\/strong> the first time I tasted a very precious Pu\u2019er tea. At first, the aroma was floral with a touch of honey. The first infusions were pure, light, and umami. By the third brew, dried fruit appeared; by the fifth, nutty flavors. Later, the taste circled back to delicate flowers, with a gentle astringency. Each cup was a new surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the magic of Gaiwan: the small cups cool quickly, the brews are short, and you can enjoy layer after layer of flavor without long waits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why I recommend everyone to try brewing with a Gaiwan. You don\u2019t need to follow every step of a formal tea ceremony. Just learn the essentials \u2014 and it will open the door to a whole new world of tea.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Use a Gaiwan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are the most essential steps. (If you\u2019re lazy like me, you can even skip to Step 3 directly!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1 \u2013 Preheat your Gaiwan<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pour boiling water into the Gaiwan set, then discard. This removes odors and warms the bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Step 2 \u2013 Add tea and smell the aroma<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Place the right amount of tea leaves inside, cover, and shake it up and down. The warmth releases the fragrance. Open the lid and enjoy the aroma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 3 \u2013 Wake the leaves<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Add water at the required temperature and volume<\/strong> for your type of tea. Steep just a few seconds, then pour out. This helps the leaves open, especially for compressed teas. Some discard this first infusion, others drink it \u2014 up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Step 4 \u2013 Brew the tea<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Add hot water at the required temperature and volume<\/strong> again, steep for the recommended seconds, then pour into a fairness pitcher (gong dao bei<\/strong>). From there, serve into small cups to appreciate.
What I always do is heat a large pot of water, and keep it in a thermos, so that I don’t have to heat the water over and over again -Of course, i am only this diligent with very percious tea or when i am doing a tea Ceremony \ud83d\ude1b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Step 5 \u2013 Reinfuse and enjoy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Repeat the process. Some teas give only around 5 infusions, others more than 20. Continue until the flavor fades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(For more details, you can watch the video linked below.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2728 With Gaiwan, tea is not just a drink \u2014 it\u2019s a journey through nature, history, and culture, one cup at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the way, do you know why the big cup to serve tea into small cups called Gong dao Bei (cup)?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Gong Dao Bei (\u516c\u9053\u676f)<\/strong> literally means \u201cfairness cup\u201d<\/em> or \u201cjustice cup.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you brew tea in a gaiwan<\/strong> or teapot, the first infusion is not perfectly even. The top may be lighter, the bottom stronger. If you pour directly into individual cups, some people may get Light tea and others very strong tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make it fair<\/strong> (gong dao) for everyone, the tea is first poured into this middle vessel (the gong dao bei). From there, it is evenly distributed into small cups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This simple act reflects the tea philosophy of equality and balance<\/strong>: no guest receives better or worse tea; everyone shares the same taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, the gong dao bei<\/strong> is not just practical, it also carries a cultural message \u2014 that tea drinking should embody fairness, respect, and harmony.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At TEAPHOR, I strongly recommend three ways of preparing tea: 1. Gaiwan \u2014 the traditional vessel of Gongfu Cha (the art of Chinese tea ceremony), the purest way to appreciate the many layers of flavor in tea itself. From Padawan to master, this is the way!(Best for tasting the true character of the leaves, light…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[64,146,135],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gaiwan","category-preparing-tea","category-tea-knowledges"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":64,"label":"GAIWAN"},{"value":146,"label":"Preparing Tea"},{"value":135,"label":"Tea knowledges"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/teaphor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/DSC03128-removebg-preview.png",499,499,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"thichoulife@gmail.com","author_link":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/author\/thichoulifegmail-com\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":64,"name":"GAIWAN","slug":"gaiwan","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":64,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":64,"category_count":1,"category_description":"","cat_name":"GAIWAN","category_nicename":"gaiwan","category_parent":0},{"term_id":146,"name":"Preparing Tea","slug":"preparing-tea","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":146,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":135,"count":3,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":146,"category_count":3,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Preparing Tea","category_nicename":"preparing-tea","category_parent":135},{"term_id":135,"name":"Tea knowledges","slug":"tea-knowledges","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":135,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":147,"count":6,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":135,"category_count":6,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Tea knowledges","category_nicename":"tea-knowledges","category_parent":147}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1725"}],"version-history":[{"count":55,"href":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3797,"href":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1725\/revisions\/3797"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teaphor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}