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Making Tea

When making a fine tea a few things must be kept in mind. It is not difficult or time consuming but care is required to insure the result in an outstanding cup of tea. The following are the requirements of a fine cup of tea.

Quantity of Loose Tea

The most common recommendation is to add one heaping teaspoon of tea per cup. This undoubtedly is correct for a particular person and tea. However, it doesn’t take into consideration the great variation in volume and strength of loose teas.

For example, a teaspoonful of a strong, broken Assam tea weighs about 2.2 grams while a full leaf Darjeeling weighs about 1.5 grams. Some even larger leafed teas may be less than a gram per teaspoon. It is therefore possible and proper to brew tea with as little as ½ a teaspoon to as a heaping teaspoon per cup, depending on personal taste.

With a little experimentation and practice you will be able to consistently brew a superior tea.

Water Temperature and Quality

Water quality has great effect on the quality of tea. The more delicate the tea, the more important the water quality is. In general, if you like the taste of your tap water, it will probably make good tea. If not, use a good bottled water or a filter to remove chlorine.

Do not use distilled water as it lacks minerals that bring out the flavor of tea.

The right water temperature is key to preparing quality tea. Most black and oolong teas should be infused with water that has just come to a full boil. Approximately 200 to 210 degrees. Boiling increases the amount of oxygen in the water and creates a fresher tasting tea. However, if the water continues to boil it will lose oxygen and taste flat.

Steeping Time

A steeping time of 4 – 5 minutes is a good guideline for most sturdy or flavored black teas. In general the smaller the particle size, the shorter the steeping time. Small variations of steeping time will produce equally good cups with different levels of flavor and aroma. However, steeping too long will invariably produce a poor product.

Green oolong and the more delicate black teas require different steeping times to bring out their flavors and subtle characteristics. For instance:

	Most Green teas are best if steeped no more than 2 – 3 minutes. Some tightly rolled teas like, Gunpowder, may go a little longer.
	Darjeelings are delicate with a fruity aroma and can quickly become bitter if steeped too long. Steeping should usually not exceed 3 minutes. Small differences in time can make huge differences in the product.
	Some flavored teas and Formoas Oolongs may steep for 6 – 7 minutes.

Obviously tea should be made by the clock. An accurate kitchen timer should always be used to take out any guesswork.