Brewing a Fine Pot of Tea
The brewing of tea has been elevated to an art form in the Japanese Tea Ceremony, Chanoyu, but can be as simple as dunking a tea bag in a cup of hot water at your office desk. Great tasting tea is easy with a few guidelines. Brew tea with fresh clean water at the right temperature in a clean teapot for a few minutes and then separate the tea and water. The main varibles are:
- Choice of teapot
- Amount of tea
- Temperature of water
- Length of steep
Generally, the best way to brew tea is to use loose leaf tea and a teapot. With loose leaf tea you have the most control of the amount of tea (strength) you use.
Each Leaf Brews a Different Tea
Some herbs can cook in water for a long time, but not tea. Long exposure to hot water releases the tannins in tea and results in bitter harsh tea. Hearty black tea can steep in boiling water for up to five minutes, but most green tea is recommended to brew for only two to three minutes in much cooler 160 degree water. The best tea makers try brewing tea at various combinations of time and temperature until they are satisfied that they are getting the best expression of the tea leaf.
Generally the lighter the tea the shorter and cooler the brewing process should be. Green teas and white teas are often over-steeped when cooked in very hot water, resulting in bitter or harsh flavors. Look for the subtle flavors and aromas that come from a short cool steep. Try green tea steeprd in 160 degree water for 1 minute and then make the same tea with boiling water and steep it a bit longer.
For oolong teas try 2 minutes in 180 degree water, and if you have pleanty of tea, try many different combinations. In many cases the quality of the brewing can really bring out the best of a tea or turn the flavor. Also, some teas brew well with smaller amounts of tea, so don't think more is always better.
Most black tea brews well with boiling water.
