Brewing a ceremonial-quality tea is different from tea in bags and lower-grade loose leaves. Rather than steeping a small amount of tea leaves in a full mug of water for a long time (which often leads to a bitter, overcooked flavor), we treat living teas with more nuance.

Instead of making a large pot or mug of tea all at once, we enjoy smaller cups of tea, re-steeping the leaves many times. Begin with short steeps, as short as 3-6 seconds, and gradually lengthen the steeping time as you taste the flavors transform.

This practice of re-steeping leaves arose from humble beginnings: the simple need to get the most possible value and flavor from one scoop of leaves! Over many millennia of drinking tea this way, however, tea lovers have used this method to refine their palates, discover new flavors, and engage the craft of tea as a practice of mindful self-cultivation. Experiment, listen to the tea, and enjoy!

This method involves large-leaf teas brewed directly in the bowl. It’s the simplest of the methods, and a wonderful place to start a tea practice. As one progresses in the study of tea, it’s important to return to these fundamental beginnings. By cultivating a “beginner’s mind,” we can continue to find new and fresh details in all our activities. 

The sidehandle teapot comes to us through the long tradition of side-handled medicine pots used by Taoist herbalists. The filter in your teapot allows you to enjoy a wider variety of teas than is feasible with the Leaves in a Bowl method, which is challenging with smaller-leaf teas. Generally, sidehandle tea is ideal for sharing tea in a group of three or more people, using larger bowls of tea that require less exactitude in brewing.