Tea time

The DH and I popped into a tea room at the Chinese Gardens in Portland, and were met with the most amazing aromas from all the different teas that were brewing. We had the option of ordering a traditional ceremonial presentation with our tea (and I still wish we'd splurged a bit!) but we were happy with the gaiwan teas that we did drink.

Gaiwan refers to both a traditional Chinese method of brewing tea, and the cup/lid/saucer used to brew the tea. The leaves are brewed in the cup, and the lid is used to strain the tea by holding the leaves in. We just drank our tea directly from the cup, but if you're worried about the stray leaf working its way into your mouth, it could be poured into a separate cup.