Gaiwan
盖碗
Tea BrewingDefinition
A three-piece Chinese tea vessel consisting of a bowl, a close-fitting lid and a saucer, used to brew and to pour in the same object. The lid is tilted to hold back the leaf while the tea decants from the rim, and its wide mouth lets whole leaves unfurl without crowding. Because the lid traps scent directly under the nose, a gaiwan is the vessel of choice when a tea is being judged on aroma before taste.
Etymology
Literally lidded bowl (盖 lid, 碗 bowl). The saucer was added during the Ming and Qing dynasties, giving the vessel its familiar three-part form.
In use
A brewer reaches for a gaiwan when aroma is the first thing to be assessed, or when the leaf is too large and open to work in a small pot.