Pu-Erh Tea Wares, the Gaiwan and Yixing Clay Pot
Use this individual gaiwan for a personal cup
So we’ve established that pu-erh is a special Tea. And special teas need special care… and special tea ware
Of course, you can brew a rare, aged pu-erh tea in any old teacup. Throw in your generic infuser ball and have a cup, end of story. But– because you want to slowly discover all the layers of flavor and pleasure contained in this unique tea, you’ll naturally want to make the most of it.
And you can easily make the most of it with some dedicated tea wares. Like this gaiwan, and this Yixing clay teapot.
Both have been perfected over centuries of use, and both can double your enjoyment of pu-erh tea.
The Gaiwan teases more flavor and aroma from the finest teas
Drink pu-erh "gong fu" style with this gaiwan set
This Gaiwan, or “lidded cup” in Chinese, has been perfected so that you can rebrew your tea leaves for the most flavor and taste. It has a small lid which lets you pour your tea into a drinking cup. The gaiwan set shown above has a larger lidded pot so you can pour into smaller drinking cups.
Though some people use standard-issue coffee mugs for tea, using this gaiwan perfectly fits tea’s unique traits. It draws out the every new layer of a fine tea’s flavors.
Most of all, it takes you away to another time… back before you got torn left and right by work and responsibilities. A time when you could sit in the teahouse all day, sipping tea, breathing nice and slow as the world goes slowly past.
Your gaiwan has its perfect match in this Yixing Teapot
Pu-erh does best with this Yixing clay teapot
For the best oolong and pu-erh teas, you really need a Yixing clay teapot. These clay teapots are made from Yixing clay, known for its unique ability to absorb the tea’s flavor. So the more you use your Yixing teapot, the better-tasting cup you get.
Yixing teapots have been prized for over 500 years… and now a new generation of tea-lovers has fast been discovering how they can create a perfect cup of tea.
When you get your teapot, devote it to just one type of tea. Maybe a pu-erh beeng cake, or a special high-grade oolong.
Every time you brew a new cup, the yixing pot absords a little of the tea. So the flavor increases with each new cup.
Yixing is much like cast iron cookware in this regard. The older the pot, the more it gets used, the better the taste.
A well-used Yixing pot can make a fine gift to hand down, a perfect family heirloom. (Just make sure the next generation doesn’t screw it up by washing it in soap)
