Using a Second Clay Teapot as a Chahai

Tea lovers have been decanting their brew from one teapot to another for ages so this post offers nothing original. However, when it comes to gongfu style tea preparation, it often seems like I, and everyone I drink tea with, always uses a decanting pitcher (aka chahai, fairness cup, etc.) or we'll just pour the tea directly into our cups.

Lately I've been experimenting with using two clay teapots, one to brew and one to serve, while drinking Chinese tea.

In the cases where I already have two well-seasoned teapots that hold similar volumes of tea, this method has yielded some wonderful results. High quality clay teapots are always such a pleasure to use... so it makes sense that having two on your tea tray at the same time may "double your pleasure."

Some other possible benefits include: quicker seasoning of your clay teapots and the second teapot's lid can, if desired, be used to keep your tea much hotter than a typical decanter.

Please comment if you have any more information or personal experiences regarding this technique.

The Next Level

The pursuit of tea is a never-ending quest and nobody is able to brew perfect tea every time. I know many tea lovers, myself included, who happily absorb every bit of tea information we can find, sorting through the relevant and the ridiculous, in order to enhance our own tea knowledge and improve our tea brewing skills. To that end, here are 10 tips that have helped me to move beyond the basic brewing parameters and bring my tea brewing to the next level.

1. Relax, take a deep breath and focus on the ritual.

2. Engage all five senses.

3. Great tea can only be made from quality loose leaves and good water.

4. Choose teaware that appeals to you. Beyond beauty and functionality, advanced tea brewers will often have pleasant stories or memories associated with their favorite cups and teapots.

5. Choose teaware that allows the tea leaves to expand properly and infuse evenly.

6. Mindfully drink tea as often as possible, alone and with friends. Until you know exactly what you like (which may never happen) I recommend drinking a wide variety of not-so-good-tea and oh-my-god-this-is-amazing-tea as both will further your personal tea education in their own ways.

7. Watch experienced tea brewers closely while they're brewing tea for you. Pay attention to the grace and fluidity of their movements and the care with which they handle their teaware and tea leaves.

8. Learn to trust your instincts. Advanced tea brewers develop a “Zen-like” ability to use the right temperature of water and correct steeping time.

9. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. If you really over-steeped your tea, that’s okay, live and learn. Even though the traditional way to brew a certain tea is almost always the best way, I recommend being playful and trying out some more "unorthodox" tea brewing experiments from time to time.

10. Be confident. As your experiences build upon each other, your tea brewing skills will increase.

Cha Xi

Cha Xi (茶席) generally refers to an artfully arranged tea session or tea ceremony. Several beautiful books about Cha Xi exist in Chinese, but outside of Taiwan the concept is still little known. If you're new to Cha Xi, I invite you to do a Google Image search for "茶席" to view hundreds of enlightening photos. I'd also suggest you read the wonderful and inspirational Tea Masters blog where author Stéphane Erler has been writing about Cha Xi and sharing lovely tea photos and stories with readers for many years now.

A mentor of mine, Thomas Shu, recently informed me that Cha Xi seems to be growing more popular among Taiwanese tea lovers. We discussed which English words, if any, could capture the meaning of Cha Xi as the practice begins to make its way to the West.

I had a hard time coming up with any great ideas. Cha of course, means tea, while Xi (according to the online Chinese-English dictionary mdbg.net) means: banquet, woven mat, seat, or place in a democratic assembly. None of those words accurately expresses the concept in my opinion. I personally kind of like the translation "tea gala" but I would gladly welcome other suggestions from any readers who are fluent in Chinese, English and Tea.

If this idea of Cha Xi is new to you and my post has inspired you to try using it to enhance your own tea brewing, here are four tips I've collected to help you get started:

1. Incorporate elements of nature. Try moving the tea session outside or even just opening a window with a nice view. If that's not possible bring nature to your tea table. A bouquet of flowers is always a nice touch, but rocks, shells or other found items can be just as beautiful when they're displayed cleverly.

2. Try using a favorite mat or cloth to help set the stage for tea. Sometimes a shallow bowl or a cool stand is a better fit than your normal gongfu tray. Think outside the box. A man in Taiwan once served me tea over a rustic tray filled with golden sand and little flat stones on which he rested his teapot and cups.

3. Choose teaware that will resonate with you and your guests for aesthetic and sentimental reasons. You can do this by sharing some stories about your teaware and by having a unifying theme for your session.

Which brings me to my last tip....

4. Have a unifying theme that ties together your Cha Xi. For example: seasons, the weather, or even a special holiday. More esoteric themes such as an element, a song or a color are also possibilities, so use your imagination.

Tips for Buying Yixing Clay Teapots

A few of my readers recently asked me for some advice on where to buy Yixing (宜興) clay teapots here in North America. Each of these potential buyers did not want to spend a lot of money and they wanted pots that they could use often (rather than just sitting on a shelf looking pretty). They also appeared to have already done a fair amount of online research and had run across tons of (sometimes contradictory) information and a baffling array of options and prices.

So for those readers and any others who might be interested, here are my tips for buying Yixing clay teapots:

1. Buy teapots that appeal to you aesthetically, feel well made and balanced, and pour well. Easier said than done eh?

2. Buy local if possible. Small retail tea businesses are truly a wonderful thing and deserving of local support. If you live near a place that sells Yixing teapots you should feel really lucky. Ask the buyer where they get their stock. Some may import directly (which is wonderful) while others will wholesale from larger domestic distributors (such as a notable Bay area company called CCCI). There is really nothing too special about these mass produced teapots but they can still be a good choice if they look nice, pour well and are well priced.

3. Buy used. This might be a controversial tip when talking about a porous, flavor absorbing, highly personal item such as Yixing clay. (Sort of like buying used underwear.) But I'm a big fan of thrift stores, antique stores, garage sales and rummage sales and you really never know what is going to turn up. All I'm saying is keep your eyes open. Even if the teapot is well used it may still brew great tea or be otherwise salvageable... and for just a couple dollars it is probably worth the risk. You could even get lucky and score a well seasoned treasure. Also, sometimes clueless people will receive unwanted teapots as gifts, never use them, and then just give them away. In fact, just last weekend, I found such a pot for $1 at a rummage sale. I am drinking Alishan out of it as I type this. It looks like a panther. I'll add it to my League of Pots later this month.

4. Who said you have to "buy" anything. No, I'm not suggesting you go out and steal a teapot, but there may be other ways for you to score your dream pot. If you have a marketable skill, art or craft, perhaps you could make a trade with another tea loving friend (including an online tea friend). If that's not going to work, you could always start dropping hints with friends and family around Christmas or your birthday.

5. Don't buy teaware at a corporate chain store (especially if it's in a mall). This last tip is just my own personal opinion. You're invited to do your own research about individual stores and make up your own mind about where to spend your own money.

I hope some readers will find this post to be a useful tool. I'm certainly no expert on this hugely intricate subject and I'd really appreciate it if some of my truly Yixing savvy readers would add more helpful comments. I'm also inviting readers and trustworthy vendors to share links to themselves or their own favorite places to buy Yixing teapots.

The Laid Back Person's Guide To Tea on The Go

Like it or not, everybody must leave their house once in a while and venture out into the great unknown. If you're a lover of premium loose leaf teas these trips can raise some serious questions, such as: "Will there be good tea where I'm going?" "How much and what kinds of tea should I pack?" "How will I brew the teas that I bring?"

Whether you're going on an awesome vacation or just a routine business trip the Laid Back Person's Guide is here for you with some great tips on how to make the most of your tea on the go!

Tip #1 - Do your homework
We live in the age of online resources. Use them. Before going to a new city, I will always check Tea Map and Tea Guide (for tea shops and tea houses), and Happy Cow (for veggie restaurants and health food stores). If I don't find any tea places near my destination I still may be able to find a good cafe or coffee shop that serves decent tea. It also helps to ask your friends for their recommendations before visiting a new place. If you're vacationing at a rental cabin or condo, ask the proprietor if the unit already has mugs, a teapot and/or a kettle. That way you'll have a better idea of what you'll need to bring.

Tip #2 - Pack light
Just as some people pack too many shoes, we tea lovers have a tendency to bring too much tea! I recommend limiting yourself to no more than three teas and not packing more than an ounce or two of each. It helps to get a few very small tins to protect the leaves. As for teaware, I suggest only bringing one small strainer because I believe it can be fun trying to use what's available at your destination to brew the leaves you brought along (see tip #5 Get Creative). That being said, you should bring a sturdy lightweight mug and pan if you're going to be off the grid.

*Rule of Thumb - If you don't have any room for clothes
then you've packed too much tea!

Tip #3 - Go with the flow
You never know when an unplanned tea opportunity will present itself. Keep your itinerary loose and keep an eye out for other tea lovers. No matter where you go you will find other tea lovers. Whenever possible, drink what the locals are drinking and always be grateful and humble.

Tea People Are Everywhere!

Tip #4 - Settle
Sometimes you're just not going to get that perfect cup you crave. Perhaps you're in a large oppressive food court surrounded by teenagers in paper hats and you're just going to have to "settle for less." I usually feel that some tea is better than no tea (those of you who disagree may prefer to order some coffee when no good tea is available). For me, a teabag of English Breakfast is usually safe and should be cheap or I might purchase a ready-to-drink bottle of brewed tea. For what it's worth, I've been known to order a "tall China green tips with five ice cubes" at Starbucks and found it to be a pleasant enough beverage.

Drinking teabag black teas from a rural Nor-Cal gas station.

Tip #5 - Get Creative
Sometimes you have to think like MacGyver when you're brewing tea outside of your comfort zone. Look all around you for anything that could be even a little bit useful. Maybe you have a stock pot, a wooden spoon and beer stein? You can make tea with that! Our Australian friends have been known to simply string a tin can over an open flame and toss in some leaves. I once poked a bunch of holes in a Dixie cup with a pen and used it as a tea strainer. It was no well-seasoned yixing clay teapot but, it still did the job.

Gold star for the most creative way to brew tea using only these items.

Thanks for reading today's edition of the Laid Back Person's guide! We really hope these 5 simple tips help some of you manage your crippling Tea Lover's Agoraphobia.

(Don't laugh, TLA is a very real psychological disorder!!!)

How do I fit tea into my daily life?

The theme for today's Tea Blog Carnival is "How do I fit tea into my daily life?" It is being presented by the Association of Tea Bloggers and hosted by the venerable Sip Tip blog.

Here are five reasons why I never have any problems fitting tea into my daily life:

1. I work at the Teacup in Seattle.

¡Viva la 'Cup!

2. Most of my friends and family are tea drinkers.

Chilling with my home girls:

3. Most of my travel is "tea-centric."

Whoa. That tea smells so good!

4. My house is always well stocked with great tea.

5. I make tea drinking a daily priority.

How long does bulk tea last?

Customer - "How long does bulk tea last?"

I get asked this question (or some variation of it) at least once a day at work. It can sometimes be hard to provide a satisfying answer because there are so many variables involved.

During my last eight years selling loose leaf tea, I have developed a suitable response for answering this question. My response, like all tea knowledge, is constantly evolving as I collect data and experiences. Depending on the specific situation, my answer will usually sound something like this:

Brett - "It really depends on the tea. For most seasonal greens and lighter teas I would recommend drinking it up within six months, but blacks and other darker teas will usually taste fresh for as long as a year or two. Roasted oolongs and puer teas can last a very long time if properly stored and flavored tea and most herbals will usually last about two years. Bulk tea doesn't really go bad but it will get stale and loose its flavor... and all of this is subject to how well it has been stored..."

As you can see, this question often segues to other important discussions about tea intricacies. The trick is to meet the customer at their current tea knowledge level. Instead of overloading them with with tons of data, I prefer to tailor the conversation to the specific teas that they are most interested in.

I'd love to hear some of your own experiences regarding tea's shelf life. When do you throw away your old tea leaves and do you currently have any teas (besides puer and aged oolong) that are over three years old and that you're still drinking? If so, how do they taste now compared to when they were fresh?

The laid back person's guide to boiling water for tea.

Depending on who you ask, hot water is pretty important for proper tea brewing. Some people do use cold water but that tends to take much longer and so, like most people, I prefer to use the hot stuff when I brew my tea. Boiling water is very hot... but you don't have to worry about that... just follow these 5 easy steps and you'll be staring at a vessel of scalding hot water in no time!

Step 1 - Find some clean fresh water. Those of us who live in urban areas will often find it lurking in faucets or hoses, while rural water usually hides out in lakes, rivers and glaciers. Should you happen to live in a very dry place you may need to use a dowsing rod.

Exhibit A - Fresh water in its natural habitat.

Exhibit B - An average everyday elephant head faucet.

Step 2 - Pour the water into a heating vessel. A stove-top kettle or an electric kettle is preferred, but a metal cooking pan (MCP) will work in a pinch.

Exhibit C - One totally awesome tea kettle!

Exhibit D - Your typical MCP

Step 3 - If you're using a stove-top kettle or a MCP, put it on a burner and turn the heat to its highest setting. If you are using an electric kettle, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for turning it on (usually there is some sort of switch manipulation involved).

WARNING: Do not let your out-of-town guests accidentally put your electric kettle on a hot stove-top burner as this will result in melting plastic and toxic fumes which are generally considered bad for tea making.

Exhibit E - NOOOOO ! ! ! !

Step 4 - Wait. In my opinion, this is the easiest of the five steps. You can use this down time to catch up on some other tea making steps, use the bathroom, or just zone out. Feel free to watch the pot if you want to, because numerous experiments have proven that, contrary to some household myths, "pot watching" does not effect boiling.

Step 5 - Turn the heat off when the water starts boiling. Some kettles will whistle when this happens, but if yours does not, or if you are using a MCP, the vessel will also shake, rattle and produce lots of steam. The water inside it will look hot and bubbly. All of these are good signs that your water is now boiling! Electric kettles, on the other hand, will turn themselves off when they have reached boiling. That moment is often accompanied by a satisfying little "click" sound.

Exhibit F - Mission Accomplished!

Tea with Penny

Last month I spent an incredible afternoon at Taipei's Bi Hu Cun (碧湖村) tea shop. The proprietress, Penny Yang, served me many wonderful Taiwanese teas while generously teaching me about professional tea preparation and evaluation. In the course of 4 unforgettable hours I had tasted fourteen teas, eaten some spicy noodles, watched a DVD about tea, and met a handful of friendly regulars.

Round one was devoted to these six high mountain oolongs: Shan Lin Xi Long Feng Xia (杉林溪龍鳳峽), Da Yu Ling (大禹嶺), Alishan Zhang Shu Hu (阿里山樟樹湖), Hua Gang Lishan (華剛梨山), Meishan (梅山), Alishan Jin Xuen (阿里山金萱) and one low mountain tea from Nantou county.

Penny prepares "round one"

Penny coached me through her cupping process. First we evaluated the aroma on the spoon three times for each tea. Next she showed me how to scoop out all of the leaves on to the spoon for a closer look and smell. Then we used the spoon to ladle the broth into small cups and sip the tea. Care was taken to always rinse the spoon between teas and the broth was slurped quickly to aerate it and spread it all around the palate.

sniff

An important fourth step was to wait about five more minutes for the tea to cool (with the leaves still steeping in the bowl). Then we tasted the resulting strong, room-temperature tea.

High quality oolong teas can usually soak for long periods of time without becoming unpleasant. They may get stronger than one might prefer to drink... but this concentrated tea can really help a professional during the judging process.

Round two featured: Competition Lishan (比賽梨山), Mei Shan Bei Huo (梅山焙火), Roasted Tie Guanyin (鐵觀音), and 18 year old aged tea (老茶).

The aged tea was a major stand out. It presented a nice hint of berry flavor and was wonderfully sweet and smooth. Penny's opinion was that real aged tea should not be roasted. Too dark, she said, and it will not have "sparkle or shine." I am by no means qualified to make claims such as that... but this particular aged tea was a real treasure and did not taste roasty at all.

Round three was a breathtaking Fu Shou Shan Farm Lishan (福壽山農場梨山) served in this cute little white and blue teapot. Penny said that this was "real Fu Shou Shan farm tea" and that meant it was "government tea" (but I'm not too sure what that means). All I can say is that it was incredible, and the flavor still lingers with me to this day.

Round four was our dessert tea. It was a delicious Sun Moon Lake black tea. (The same one that I blogged about on February 8th.) Penny steeped this in a small clay teapot, and while she did she gave me a few more tips for brewing great tea. She recommends pouring the boiling water from one's kettle with a little altitude about a foot or so. Not only does it look cool, but it can give the water a bit more energy and oxygen. Interestingly, she does not recommend doing this when pouring from a teapot into cups or decanters. In which case she holds the pot close, or lets it rest inside the decanter.

Pouring the Sun Moon Lake black tea

Wow. What a great tea day! When I left Penny's shop at around 8:00 pm, my head was filled with knowledge, my tea journal was filled with notes, my stomach was filled with tea, my arms were filled with bags of bulk tea and my soul was filled with joy.

...but oddly enough... it wasn't too easy to fall asleep that night. Go figure?

"The Root"

I have recently heard about an interesting, although somewhat uncommon, tea brewing technique. The technique is called "the root" and refers to the practice of leaving a little bit of tea (usually less than an ounce) in the chahai* after each infusion. This remaining tea will end up mixing with all of the following infusions.

J-tea's 1992 Wuyi Oolong (武夷烏龍)
& "the root" left in the glass chahai.

Some people may do this already without even thinking about it, while others like myself have always thought it best to not mix infusions. Each infusion is special and should be tasted in its purest form, not mixed with all the previous infusions... right? Well, at least that's what I thought before I started experimenting with "the root."

Mixing a new infusion with "the root."

Believers claim that "the root" acts as a solid foundation for each infusion, which they say can add character and depth to one's tea. I have found this to sometimes be true for me, especially while drinking aged puer and aged oolong.

Any perceived advantages or disadvantages to "the root" are debatable and, like taste itself, entirely subjective. I will never claim that there is only one correct way to do anything. Experienced tea brewers accept that every tea is different and will behave differently each time it is brewed. Sometimes I'll feel like using "the root" and other times I'll avoid mixing infusions. That said, I would really love to hear from any other tea brewers out there regarding your own experiences using "the root."

* Chahai (tea ocean) (茶海) is the name I use for a tea pitcher. These pitchers are also sometimes called "decanters" or "fairness cups".

Chinese Tea Travel Cups

Five years ago, a friend gave me one of these Chinese tea travel cups to see if Teacup might want to sell them. At that time, I was not too sure about them because they take steeping time (an important variable) out of one's control. But I am now a convert and these cups are a pretty popular item at Teacup. Still, each time I sell one I always make sure the buyer is educated about how to use it correctly.

Chinese tea travel cup

To use these cups, you put loose leaf tea directly into the cup and then screw a little strainer on the top. The strainer catches the leaves right before they would otherwise go into your mouth.

the strainer

Because the tea leaves inside are continuously steeping (and thus continuously getting stronger) you will need to do some combination of the following:

A. Use less dry leaf.
B. Use cooler water.
C. Drink the tea faster.
D. Drink bitter tea.

I'll usually do some combination of A, B and unfortunately D. Also, it is worth noting that some teas do much better in these cups than others. You are free to make up your own mind about that, but I generally recommend oolongs or puer teas because they have larger leaves. Big leaves release their flavor slower than small ones because they have less surface area in contact with the hot water.

Sipping oolong on the deck

Of course, you don't have to drink directly out of it. More often than not I find myself decanting the liquor into another cup or mug.

exhibit A

These cups are great for travel. You don't have to worry about them breaking and you can even stuff some small tins and baggies of loose tea inside them to save room in your pack.

exhibit B

Another fun thing about these cups is all the quizzical looks you will get from people who have never seen someone enjoying a cup of loose leaf tea before. Be prepared for people to ask you silly questions like, "Is that spinach in there?" It's a great conversation starter!

Steam

The history of steam is long and fascinating. It is a natural force that has made things happen for millennia. One Chinese word for steam is shuiqi (water gas) (水氣). Qi (氣), besides meaning "gas," also refers to the energy that flows through ourselves and the universe. When we humans eventually tamed steam's awesome energy, we found many new uses for it, such as making electricity, cooking food, powering trains and sterilizing instruments. One of steam's sometimes overlooked powers is its ability to soothe and comfort us. To a tea drinker, steam is a beautiful companion that flows and sways like a graceful dancer.

The appreciation of steam (and bubbles) will enhance your overall tea drinking experience. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your steam:

1. Spend a minute with your fresh-brewed cup held right below your face. Breathe deeply and evenly to feel the hot steam's gentle caress on your cheeks, mouth and nose.

2. While drinking tea many years ago, an elderly Chinese gentleman instructed me to "tea-steam" my eyes by looking directly into an aroma cup (聞香杯), while rolling my eyeball. Make sure it's not too hot of course! The man told me it was very good for the eyes and although I've never seen anyone else do this, I still enjoy doing it from time to time and think it feels great.

3. When brewing Chinese tea in a small clay pot, my mentors will often pour a small amount of boiling water onto the teapot during the infusion. Besides keeping the teapot extra hot this step will also produce a glorious burst of sweet organic steam that will rise like a triumphant phoenix.

During every tea tasting, while we are appreciating tea's many heavenly qualities, let us not forget to honor our friend, steam.

Korean Green Tea Tasting Notes

I learned quite a bit from attending Yoon Hee Kim's Korean green tea tasting at this year's World Tea Expo. Yoon Hee is a great speaker on the subject of tea and it was clear that she is very passionate about promoting Korean tea traditions. I liked that she stressed the importance of using all five senses during a proper tea tasting to fully understand the flavors as they "peak" and "blossom." At one point she said, "Don't be afraid to get your nose wet," which I think is excellent advice for any tea taster (assuming the tea is not too hot!) She also expressed sadness that we didn't have time to try multiple infusions of these great teas and that she was not able to brew them in proper Korean teaware. However, she did provide real glazed tea cups so that we could avoid the paper-cup-taste that would have otherwise tainted our delicate greens.

One of the many standouts was learning these three steeping terms:

Hah tu - First add the leaves and then pour the water over them. This is how we commonly brew our tea in the West. For Korean tea this method is recommended during cold weather.
Joong Tu - First fill the vessel half full of water, then add the leaves, then add the remaining water. This style was the preferred method for several of Yoon Hee's teas. It is used to control the temperature and the infusion of the leaves. This method may be more common during mild weather.

Sahng Tu - First fill the vessel with water, then add the leaves. I had heard of this method used for Bilouchun (碧螺春) and Dragonwell (龍井茶) when brewed in a glass during hot weather but I have never tried it myself.

For this tasting, we used For Life brand teapots with steel basket infusers. We proceeded to taste six teas. The names of the teas and my tasting notes are below. Unfortunately we are not allowed to take any photos at the World Tea Expo, so you won't be able to see the leaves and liquors.

#1 Sah Wohl Organic Ujeon (brewed Joong tu style)
Aroma = Bright, crisp and very fresh. Taste = Buttery, delicate and sweet

#2 Gamnong Jakseol
Aroma = Roasty, popcorn, warming, crisp. Taste = Refreshing, dry, reminded me a little of sencha.

#3 Misty green organic second flush Saejak
Aroma = Woodsy, nutty, reminded me a little of bancha. Taste = full body, forest, grass

#4 Early Summer Joongack (brewed Hah tu style)
Aroma = fuity, ocean, spice. Taste = thick body, brothy, sweet dew.

#5 Chigarok Hwang Cha (an oolong)
Aroma = wood, rose, wine. Taste = rich and dark, reminded me slightly of keemun.

#6 Bountiful Earth HyunMi Nokcha (blended with toasted rice and steeped for 4.25 minutes)
Aroma = strong and roasty, nutty. Taste = cereal, genmaicha.

All of these teas were really amazing but if I was forced to rank them I would choose this order: 1, 2, 5, 3, 4, 6. The sublime flavor of tea number one still lingers in my memory.

Gaiwan Basics

A gaiwan (蓋碗) is a lidded bowl used to brew Chinese tea. It usually has three parts: the lid, the bowl, and the saucer. If you enjoy drinking Chinese tea, then you need to get yourself a gaiwan (or two, or three or more...)

Viva la Gaiwan!

Millions of people (many of them in China) drink their tea right out of the gaiwan. They will lift up the whole cup and use the lid as strainer to block the leaves from getting into their mouths. I don't do this very often but it is a fun way to drink tea. Just make sure the tea is not too hot, and drink it quickly so that it doesn't over-steep.

Other people will pour the tea from the gaiwan into a decanter or a teacup. This is a very convenient way to brew tea, and often my method of choice. Holding the lid and the cup just right so that you can strain the leaves can be tricky at first. I think it's kind of like using chopsticks, or riding a bike; it takes practice but once you get it it's super easy and feels natural. I recommend not filling the gaiwan too full so that the edge will not be too hot to hold.

People often ask me how much dry tea they should use in their gaiwan. There is no right answer... some people use a lot, some use a little. I generally cover the bottom of the gaiwan when I am brewing a rolled ball-shaped oolong, such as High Mountain Tea (高山茶) or Tie Guanyin (鐵觀音). When brewing tea with long, twisted leaves, such as Wenshan Baozhong (文山包種) or Wuyi Cliff Tea (武夷岩茶), I will often fill the gaiwan one half to three-quarters full. Ask your vendor for their advice when you buy a new tea, and feel free to experiment.

Rolled ball-shaped (covering bottom of gaiwan):

Long twisted leaves (a little over half full):

Here are three little brewing tips I picked up from several of my tea mentors:

#1: Pour the hot water down the side of the gaiwan to whip the tea leaves into a tornado.

#2: Use the lid to stir the tea and to examine the color of the tea soup.

#3: Smell the underside of the gaiwan lid between infusions.

I hope this post was helpful to anybody who is new to gaiwans. Happy brewing!