Clay Yunnan Gaiwan, 100ml
Gaiwan (also known as chung or zhong) is an alternative to a teapot. It dates back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and is used even today thanks to its convenience. The leaves are placed in the bowl, are covered with hot water and after allowing the tea to steep for a while, is then poured out into a cup. You can use a gaiwan for any kind of tea, but is very often the preferred vessel for lighter teas and oolongs. The larger amount of tea used, the less water will fit in your gaiwan and the shorter the steeping time will be. You can more the leaves around with the lid while they steep to help along the steeping process. When the tea is ready, just move the lid ever so slightly to create a crack between the lid and the bowl, and pour out the tea having your thumb on the lid and your other fingers under the saucer. In China you can see how tea is being sipped directly from the gaiwan itself, using the lid to keep the leaves from entering your mouth - this is the classic old style of doing it!