Yesterday was my best friend and housemate’s birthday! We partied hard, there was Matcha, gifts, cake, bar food, and fighting (because birthday battles are a must) a great success! Well except for me passing out on the bathroom floor towards the end of the festivities, meaning I missed out on the annual Sailor Moon marathon and bonfire. I didn’t even pass out because of something related to the partying, just my body getting used to me adjusting the dosage on my meds like my doctor advised. Good news is my fatigue is lessening, but there are other weird things my body is doing, it is the same as when I have started or upped the dosage in the past and once it evens out I should feel great, but the path to that even plateau is a rocky one. Luckily Fish was not at all sad that I had to tap out and spend the rest of the evening twitching on the bathroom floor!
So, I wanted to spend this Sunday reviewing a book, but I have gotten no reading done, sadly I lack the head for it, so instead I shall showcase a piece of tea gear you will probably recognize, trYeh’s Gaiwan, specifically their green one. It gets a bit complicated, trYeh is a wholesale company, so if you want it you have to get it from one of its distributors like Mighty Leaf (though they only have the brown) Amazon or just have your Sissy pick you up one at a local shop (One Good Woman in Camp Hill, PA) and then totally surprise you with it as a gift instead of letting you pay for it as planned!
As with all pieces of tea gear, there are pros and cons. This is technically an easy gaiwan, a more modern style that is supposed to be easier for people new to gaiwan use to use, or people who have arthritis or are elderly, basically it is an ergonomic gaiwan. Sometimes this style has little nob-like handles, built in filters, or come with a cup as a travel set, they are versatile and at times amazingly beautiful little tools. I wanted one because it looks kinda like a houhin, and I want a houhin but they tend to be expensive! So, in typical me fashion I took a thing and decided to use it for a different purpose, but it also works really well for pretty much all teas, in fact no surprise, it works better for larger leafed teas than the tiny slender Japanese greens like I was hoping. Oh well.
Actually that brings me to my only complaint, the holes on the filter are pretty massive, I really wish they were smaller, and not just because I wanted this for Japanese teas. I frequently find that I get leaf bits in my cup, and while I really don’t mind, I just feel the filtered lid is unnecessary if it is not going to properly work then why have it at all? But that is just a minor gripe, for people who always use a filter while pouring it probably won’t mater.
Minor gripe aside, I really love this thing. The mottled green colors are very pleasing, especially with darker teas which are really complemented by the coloring of the gaiwan. I especially love using it for large leaf black teas or occasional Shou sessions. The lighter color teas are perfectly acceptable in this gaiwan as well, but you won’t really see the color of the liquid until it is poured into a cup. So, it is safe to say, this gaiwan has a welcome place in my collection!
Blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/07/tryeh-green-gaiwan-tea-gear-review.html
