Can you brew any tea in a gaiwan?

Although gaiwan is mostly used for brewing oolong, green and white teas, it’s great for any type of tea – black, yellow, dark and even some herbal teas. Although many tea drinkers prefer to brew teas such as pu’erh in a special small Yixing zisha teapot, gaiwan may be a great choice too.

How long to steep tea in a gaiwan?

Fill the gaiwan with water of the appropriate temperature. For green teas, steep uncovered for 30 – 45 seconds. For oolong and black teas, cover with the lid and steep about 45 seconds to 1 minute. To drink from the gaiwan, hold the saucer in the palm of the right hand and use the thumb to steady the cup.

What kind of tea is used for gaiwan?

While you can brew many varieties of tea beautifully with a gaiwan, it is best suited to oolong, white and green, Pu-erh and Chinese black teas, for its ability to convey delicate flavor and for the ease and experience of brewing these teas. (It is less suited for other black teas, and Japanese green teas.)

How much tea do you put in a gaiwan?

We recommend using 5-7g of tea in a medium gaiwan (usually 5-6 oz capacity). For a curled green tea like Laoshan Green, 5 grams fills a generous heaped tablespoon, plus a heaped teaspoon. For flat pressed green teas like Mrs. Li’s Shi Feng Dragonwell, 5 grams fills about 2 tablespoons.

How do you make gaiwan white tea?

Step by step

  1. Weigh out 4 grams of tea.
  2. Use hot water (195, 200 or 212 degree F) to rinse your gaiwan.
  3. Pour out the water.
  4. Add water to your tea.
  5. Make sure the tea leaves are wet evenly, use the gaiwan lid to stir the tea leaves.
  6. Let the tea brew for 1 minute.

What is the purpose of a gaiwan?

A gaiwan is a small vessel for brewing tea that takes the place of a teapot. Gaiwans have been used in China since the Ming Dynasty and consist of three parts: a bowl, lid, and saucer. It is typically small enough that all three parts can be picked up in one hand.

How do you make jasmine tea in gaiwan?

Brewing Instructions

  1. Fill your gaiwan (or glass) about halfway with hot water to pre-heat it.
  2. Place slightly less than 1 teaspoon of tea leaves in the gaiwan.
  3. Fill the gaiwan with hot water.
  4. Place the lid on the gaiwan and let the tea steep for 1-2 minutes.

How much water does a gaiwan hold?

While there are many sizes, the standard Gaiwan can hold 110ml of liquid. A typical can of coke is 350ml, so a Gaiwan can’t even hold 1/3 that amount! Even more surprising than the small size of the Gaiwan is the amount of tea you place into it.

Do I need a gaiwan?

Although gaiwans look hard to use, using a gaiwan is fairly straightforward. A gaiwan is ideal for gongfu brewing as well as Mansa’s brewing technique, both of which use a higher leaf to water ratio and multiple rebrews. This style allows tea enthusiasts to enjoy the change in flavor over subsequent the infusions.

How do you use gaiwan without burning?

Nudge the lid to the side to allow a small opening between the lid and the gaiwan. This space should be large enough to properly let the tea flow out, but small enough to keep the leaves inside. This will also avoid the hot steam coming out from the back side of the gaiwan that could burn your hands.

How long should jasmine tea steep?

How long to steep jasmine tea? We recommend a jasmine tea steep time of one to two minutes for green teas and two to three minutes for white teas.