Cha Hai (茶海)

Cha Hai (茶海) – ‘sea of tea’ or ‘bowl of impartiality’. It’s a vessel that serves to control the strength of the brew. After brewing the tea for a certain amount of time either in a yixing or in gaiwan, tea should be decanted into a cha hai, from which it gets poured into individual cups. This method ensures that the tea leaves do not continue to steep in between each pour. In Chinese Cha Hai is also called ‘Gong Dao Bei’ (公道杯) – ‘justice cup’ because it lets each participant enjoy the same brew.