Pouring into a fairness pitcher vs pouring straight into cups
The first liquor out of a vessel is weaker than the last, so pouring a single infusion into several cups in sequence gives everyone a different drink. The pitcher exists to solve exactly that, and its Chinese name — gong dao bei, ‘fairness cup’ — says so.
equipment
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Fairness pitcher (cha hai) | Tasting cup |
|---|---|---|
| What it solves | Uneven strength between cups, by mixing the whole infusion before it is distributed. | Nothing on its own. Pouring directly is where the unevenness comes from. |
| Number of drinkers it matters for | Two or more. For one drinker it is unnecessary. | One, where every cup comes from the same pour anyway. |
| Effect on temperature | Drops it slightly, which is usually welcome with a small cup. | Hotter in the cup, which for a 25 ml tasting cup can be too hot to drink promptly. |
| Effect on timing | Ends the steep decisively, because the vessel is emptied in one movement. | Extends it — the last cup steeped for as long as the pour took. |
| Judging the liquor | A glass pitcher shows colour clearly, which is the usual reason for choosing glass. | Colour is judged in the cup, against whatever glaze it happens to have. |
| Substitute | Pouring back and forth between cups achieves the same evening-out, less elegantly. | Traditional Chaozhou practice pours in a continuous circling motion across the cups for the same reason. |
The short answer
For one person drinking alone the pitcher adds a vessel and solves nothing. For two or more it removes a real and noticeable inconsistency, and the circling pour is the free version of the same idea.
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