Art of Making Great Tea Requires Attention to Detail

How does one properly prepare tea? For the answer to this question, read on...

According to a web site called TeaSource, there are seven factors that affect the quality of brewed tea:

1) The quality of the tea itself.

2) The quality of the water used to brew the tea.

3) Correct measurement of the tea and water.

4) Correct steeping temperature. (Steeping may be defined as the act of tea brewing in the water).

5) Correct steeping time (The amount of time the tea is brewed in the water.

6) Allowing the tea leaf to expand fully in the water as it is being brewed.

7) Separating the leaf from the liquid at the end of the steeping process.

One should always use the best tea available. Good tea that costs $100.00 a pound costs only 50 cents per cup when steeped.

When making the tea, be sure that good water is used. Water makes up over 90 per cent of the end product. One simple solution to ensuring that the water is good is to buy a portable water filter such as Brita. Spring water also works well. Never use distilled water, however.

When measuring the tea to be steeped, use approximately 1 teaspoon per 8 oz. cup of water. This is only a guideline, however. With very dense tea that is fine in texture, one would use less than that, while with a very bulky tea, one would use considerably more that.

Different teas require different steeping temperatures. Black tea should be steeped with water that is at a full boil, while oolong is made with water a little less hot than that. Green teas should be steeped using water that has the steam gently swirling out of the kettle, while white tea is steeped with water even cooler than that, such as when the steam is first making an appearance.

Different teas also require different steeping times. Black teas should be steeped four to six minutes, while some oolong teas require either more than that (six to eight minutes) or less (three to four minutes). Green teas should be steeped for much less time (two to three minutes), and white teas should take two minutes, although some can be steeped for much longer with good results.

All teas require room for the tea leaf to expand greatly in size as it steeps in the water. Brewing tea loose in the pot works well in most cases, as this allows the tea room to expand.

Finally, when separating the tea leaves from the liquid, one may use a strainer or a tea infuser. Tea balls do not work well as they do not allow the tea leaf adequate space to expand.