As teaware, gaiwans have many advantages. The wide mouth makes it easy to check the progress of your brew and admire its color. It also gives you maximum flexibility to control temperature: leave the lid on to seal in as much heat as possible, or lift it for faster cooling. You can dip the lid into the bowl to stir the steeping leaves, ensuring an even brew and also facilitating heat loss. And, when the tea is ready to drink, the lid is a convenient way to strain off the leaves, whether you drink directly from the gaiwan or pour into a pitcher for sharing. The saucer is handy, too. Not only does it provide the usual function of buying forgiveness when we're a bit sloppy, but it also insulates the hot bowl, making it easier to drink or pour without burning your fingers.

There are several things to consider when choosing a gaiwan. First, like many kinds of teaware, it's intimate and tactile, meant to be held, so it should simply fit and feel comfortable in your hands. The size, weight, and surface texture, all should be pleasing. This is a highly personal judgment that can't be prescribed. The visual impression should be satisfying as well, but regardless of the exterior design it's nice for the interior to be white, the better to observe the brew.

The next thing to think about is what the gaiwan is made from. You can find gaiwans in a range of prices made from either porcelain (high-fired and vitreous, typically translucent) or stoneware (high-fired, partially vitrified, slightly absorbent unless glazed; yi xing ware is a type of unglazed stoneware). Unless you want to dedicate your gaiwan to a single type of tea as you would an yi xing teapot, select a porcelain or glazed stoneware one. The material dictates another vital gaiwan characteristic, its ability to retain or lose heat. Intuitively, the thinner the body the faster the contents cool. Heat loss can be desirable for highly temperature-sensitive teas (green tea, for example) that become bitter if "cooked" too long in hot water. With its vitreous nature porcelain loses heat fastest--sometimes too fast if your tea requires a long steeping time or you're in a chilly environment.

At Imperial Tea Court we offer a wide range of gaiwans to meet every need. In our teahouses we use the sturdy, versatile Standard White Gaiwan. If you fancy porcelain, we have beautiful choices such as the Royal Blossom, pictured above. If you enjoy watching leaves steep you might like our Glass Gaiwan. For those who want the best of both worlds, the convenience of the gaiwan design coupled with the tradition and flavor-enhancing characteristics of yi xing ware, our Ming Style Hand-Painted Yi Xing Gaiwan will stylishly meet your needs. And if your tastes are truly Imperial, Imperial Tea Court Teamaster Roy Fong even has a couple of rare jade gaiwans stashed away in the warehouse (email us for more info).

Whatever your gaiwan preference, the 2009 green tea will start arriving from China next month, so dust off your old gaiwan or select the perfect new one and get ready to enjoy the incomparable, once-a-year pleasure of fresh spring tea.

If they're done right, freshly hand-pulled noodles have a delicious chewy texture and the pleasing irregularity of a hand-crafted product. In addition to tea, Imperial Tea Court Teamaster Roy Fong loves a great hand-pulled noodle, so we make ours with Giusto organic flour and the special filtered water we use in our teahouses. You can order a bowl on its own or with a variety of other dishes and toppings on the menu. For the perfect combination, add a pot of Imperial Pu Er. Our hand-pulled noodles are only available in the Berkeley location.

After reading about hand-pulled noodles for awhile my mouth was watering, so I headed to Berkeley for a big bowl. In the picture above you can see Ivy pulling the noodles for my order!

Spicy Beef Noodles is one of our most popular menu items. I make it with an authentic Sichuan-style spicy oil sauce that I learned when I lived in Chongqing. It's different from what other places call beef noodles. If you like spicy, Sichuan-style food you should try it!

This teapot is made from high-quality purple sand clay, high-fired. It makes a good sound when you rub the top on the rim. It pours smoothly and when you hold it, it feels comfortable and balanced. I like the design, with an inscribed poem and plum blossoms, and the flat top and round body. It's a good size for four people. You can use it for either pu er or oolong tea.

There's something really special about Yunnan that makes the tea from there so amazing. I like this tea's character of malty and fruity and sweet. The leaves are so beautiful, and it has an incredible smell. It gives you a buzz that just feels good. It's very different from other green tea. To get the full effect, I like to brew this tea in a gaiwan.

Oolong is my favorite tea to drink every day. I like our Imperial Wu Yi Yan Cha because I like strong tea. Yan Cha, from Fujian Province, is good with spicy food or strong flavors. When I can, I prefer to brew it in an yi xing teapot, rather than a gaiwan, for the most flavor.

So far so good in Yunnan. The weather report is favorable. The harvest has started in some places and I have some exploratory orders for new green teas that I plan to introduce this year. The report from central China is also good, with production expected to increase. The temperature has reached 18 degrees C (64 degrees F) and the harvest is starting in the next week or so. Unfortunately, famous and rare teas are still in high demand so prices are expected to remain high. Eastern China has experienced an extended period of rain (almost 20 days) which may affect aromatics and flavor. Currently the weather is sunny with temperatures up to around 20 degrees C (68 degrees F). The harvest is expected to start around March 20. I will be there to oversee our Lotus Heart and Imperial Dragon Well harvest.