Preparing Tea

Preparing tea is not rocket science, but in order to get the most enjoyment out of high quality tea, some consideration should be given to the preparation method. It is also worth noticing that different tea varieties have slightly different requirements in terms of the optimal water temperature and the infusion time. We always provide specific instructions for preparing every particular type of tea.

Water - quality and temperature

Water is the essential ingredient that determines the outcome when preparing tea. If you use poor quality water, it will spoil the whole drink. Considering that nearly 100 percent of the final drink is water, high-grade tea leaves should be infused in water of at least equal quality.

The water should be clean, soft (low in calcium), scentless, colorless and tasteless. It should also not contain high quantities of minerals and certainly not carbon dioxide.

Another important factor that affects the outcome is how the water is boiled. The water should only be allowed to boil for a very short time. If it is allowed to boil longer, its level of oxygen will be reduced and the tea will be bland.

The quality of most tea varieties suffers if the leaves are allowed to steep in very hot water for too long. For this reason, it is suggested that the water is allowed to cool down to a temperature which best suits the tea variety in question. Black and red tea leaves should be infused in almost boiling water to ensure that they give off as much flavor as possible. Blue-green (wulong) tea is also best prepared using nearly boiling water of about 90-95 degrees centigrade. More sensitive, non-fermented teas should be infused in slightly cooler water of around 70-80 degrees centigrade. If the water is too hot, it will "scorch" the tea buds, which will diminish some of the most delicate aromas. If green tea has a very bitter taste, it is likely that this has happened. The higher the quality of the tea, the more likely it is to react to the temperature of the water.

Infusion

Nothing has a greater impact on the taste of a drink prepared from tea leaves than the infusion process. The quality of the final product is determined by a combination of the following factors: the ratio of tea leaves in relation to the amount of water used, the temperature of the water, the infusion time and the material and shape of the vessel in which the tea infusion takes place.

Chinese tea varieties are not overly sensitive about the time of infusion and the Chinese themselves are sometimes even more inconsistent in following the recommended tea infusion times than tea lovers in western countries. Tea leaves can be steeped several times - as a matter of fact, the second infusion is often considered to be the best tasting brew.

Top-grade green, white and yellow tea varieties can be steeped three times, wulong teas up to six or seven times. When resteeping the tea, the first infusion should only last about one minute and the following ones should always last 15-30 seconds longer each time. The most crucial thing is to leave enough water on the bottom of the teapot so that the tea leaves remain in water between infusions. Chinese teas do not become bitter very easily, so tea leaves can be allowed to sit in the pot for quite long periods of time

Teaware

In China, tea is often drunk from a lidded glass flak or jar called chaping. The container makes infusing tea, drinking it and carrying it along quite practical. In the morning, a heapful of tea leaves and hot water are placed in the jar and more water is added as needed from a thermos. In the afternoon, the tea leaves may be replaced with new ones, but often the same leaves are used to make tea throughout the whole day.

A more refined vessel for infusing tea is a small cup called juzhong that comes with a lid and a small saucer. The smallest juzhongs only hold about 1-1.5 dl of brewed tea. Porcelain cups are generally decorated with traditional Chinese motifs and are white on the inside in order to make it easier to attest the color of the tea.

Teacups are rinsed with hot water. The cup is then filled about one-thirds full of 70-80°C water, to which about 2.5-3 grams of tea leaves is added. After waiting for about 40-60 seconds, the cup is filled with hot water. The leaves are allowed to steep for about three minutes before drinking.

Nowadays, it has also become somewhat fashionable to drink tea from a tall glass. In the case of some specific teas, such as Longjing, the tall glass is even considered to be the one and only appropriate way to serve the drink. It turns tea drinking into a visual experience as well, offering a good view of the "dance" of the tea leaves as they slowly sink to the bottom of the glass.

Quantity

As a rule of thumb, it is good to reserve about 2-2.5 grams of tea leaves per cup, each one equaling to about 1 dl of tea. If tea is served throughout the day from a larger container, it is better to reserve a small handful of tea leaves for a pot that holds about 5 dl of water.