Gaiwan

Handcrafted in Dehua County, Fujian Province, these Porcelain Gaiwans are a great and authentic means of brewing loose leaf tea. Literally translated, Gaiwan (pronounced Guy Wahn) means lidded cup or lidded bowl, and brewing with this type of vessel is one of the oldest methods of brewing tea.

If you are drinking tea individually, the traditional method of using the gaiwan is to drink directly from the cup/bowl. Simply add leaves and hot water, let the tea steep, and then either blow the leaves away or use the lid to brush them away as you drink directly from the cup/bowl. After drinking the tea, refill the gaiwan with water, let the tea steep, and continue to repeat the process until the flavor diminishes or you no longer want any more tea (in which case you can put the lid on and set it aside until you are ready for more tea).

In addition, you can use the gaiwan to brew tea Gong Fu-style. In this method, you brew the leaves in the gaiwan and then pour the tea through a strainer into a pitcher, and then serve tea from the pitcher.

We currently have two different gaiwans available: a large glazed gaiwan (holds approximately 5.5 ounces/150 mL), and a regular sized unglazed gaiwan (holds approximately 4.5 ounces/100mL).