I tried preparing this in a gaiwan today. DTH gave the suggestion of 1-2 tsps at 2-3 minutes with relatively cool water. I tried 2 minutes to start with 2 tsps, and it smelled great, but was waaay too bitter. Second steep I did 1:45 – better, but still astringent. The third steep I kept at 1:45, but at this point the bitterness was going away. At this point it tasted good, with what I could best describe as hints of vegetables (asparagus/artichoke) – not unpleasant. Next time I will go for slightly cooler water and less steep time to start, something closer to 60 seconds.
155 °F / 68 °C
2 min, 0 sec