You’ve just bought the best tea in town, so what are you going to do with it now?
The Basics
The temperature of the water is very important. In general, use freshly boiled tap water (not distilled), just off the stove for dark, strong teas. With lighter teas--such as green tea, pouchong, green oolong--let the boiled water cool for five minutes--let it cool to 176-194 degrees Fahrenheit, or 80-90 degrees Celsius. Never use previously boiled water to make a fresh pot of tea, as the water will be “flat”, lacking in oxygen.
When making a teapot, use an amount of tea that is equivalent to 2/5s of the size of the pot – or, about one teaspoon per serving. This rule applies to all varieties of teas. And always use a good size tea strainer or basket that will allow the water enough room to circulate around the leaves.
When making a single cup, use a level teaspoon for jasmine, Pu-erh or black tea, and a heaping teaspoon for oolong, Ti Kuan Yin or green tea. Use two teaspoons for pouchong or green tea. You'll see that some teas are densely packed, so use slightly less per cup.
Steep (or brew) Oolong tea in a pot for about one minute, three minutes in an 8oz cup. Jasmine and other loose green teas also require three minutes per cup. Black teas, however, might require a little less time, say, 2 minutes, depending on your preference.
Over-steeping. Just don’t. You’ll end up with bitter, ruined tea. If you prefer stronger tea, add more leaves rather than infuse a lesser amount for longer.
An Old-Fashioned Cup of Tea
Making a single cup of tea using a traditional Chinese porcelain covered cup is a truly luxurious and beautiful treat. Place about one teaspoon of tea into the cup (with oolong or pouchong tea, use a heaping teaspoon--for black or jasmine tea, a level teaspoon is fine). Add freshly boiled tap water and place the lid on the cup, letting the tea steep for two to three minutes. Using a beautiful porcelain cup is a time-honoured way of serving tea in the Chinese culture.
It’s Always Better with Two
A cup of tea for one is nice, but sharing is always nicer. To brew a pot of tea in the traditional tea ceremony style:
- Measure out loose tea equal to 2/5s of the pot's volume – or about 1 teaspoon per serving – into the tea funnel.
- Warm the pot by filling it halfway with hot water.
- Pour the water from the pot into the tea-serving pitcher.
- Put loose tea into the pot using the tea funnel.
- Pour half a pot of freshly boiled tap water over the leaves. Immediately pour this water into the serving pitcher.
- Pour this warm water from the pitcher into the cups to warm them.
- Fill the teapot again with boiled water and this time let it steep for one minute.
- While the tea steeps, empty the water from the cups into the large water receptacle.
- Pour the tea into the tea serving pitcher and serve each cup.
- Enjoy the tea! Savour its fragrance, its colour and its flavour. Sip it slowly – the Chinese say that one should "taste" tea, rather than just "drink" tea.
- After the first round, the host or hostess may refill the pot with boiled water and rebrew it--up to five or six times more (this is the sign of a quality tea).
Storage
Treat your tea like the precious cargo it is. Store your tea carefully, otherwise the quality will gradually diminish with time. Leaves should be kept in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place and out of direct sunlight, again, making sure the container is well sealed. It is important that less fermented and lighter tea (i.e. green and white teas) should not be stored too long before drinking. Darker teas can be kept longer if stored well.
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