Preparing a cup of tea
by: cmac1 | Total views: 68 | Word Count: 420 | View PDF | Print View
The traditional method of making a cup of tea is with loose tea placed either directly, or in an infuser, into a tea pot and pouring boiling or very hot water over the tea.
The best temperature for brewing tea is determined by its type. Teas that have little or no oxidation period, such as a green or white tea, are best brewed at lower temperatures around 80°C, while teas with longer oxidation periods should be brewed at higher temperatures around 100°C.
The amount of tea to be used is obviously extremely important. One basic recipe is one slightly heaped teaspoon of tea (about 5ml) for each 200ml of water. However this may be varied according to tea and taste, with a stronger Assam to be drunk with milk prepared with more leaf, and a more delicate high grown tea such as a Darjeeling prepared with a little less.
Black tea
The water for black teas should be added at boiling point, except for more delicate teas, where lower temperatures are recommended. This will have as large an effect on the final flavour as the type of tea used.
It is also best to warm the teapot before preparing tea, this is easily done by adding a small amount of boiling water to the pot, swirling briefly, then pouring it away.
Black tea should not be allowed to steep for less than 30 seconds or more than about five minutes. Longer steeping times make the tea bitter.
Green tea
Water for green tea, should be around 80°C to 85°C the higher the quality of the leaves, the lower the temperature as hot water burns green-tea leaves.
Oolong tea
Oolong teas should be brewed around 90°C to 100°C. For best results try using spring water, as the minerals in spring water bring out more flavour in the tea.
Premium or delicate tea
Some teas, especially green teas and delicate Oolong or Darjeeling teas are steeped for shorter periods, sometimes less than 30 seconds. Use a tea strainer separates the leaves from the water at the end of the brewing time.
Serving
In order to preserve the tea it should have the leaves removed at the end of the brewing period, this can be simply achieved by pouring from one teapot to another via a tea strainer.
Many tea connoisseurs also recommend NOT stirring the tea while it is steeping as this does little to strengthen the tea but it does bring out the tannins, for the same reason you should not squeeze the last drops out of a teabag!
About the Author
Chris McAndrew is part of the Spinney Kitchen family. He spends much of his spare time growing the herbs, fruit and spices which go into Spinney Kitchen produce.
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