We believe that there is a certain standard for tea Infusion, and this standard represents the “objective quality” of the tea. This standard is defined as the preferred taste by over 80 out of 100 tea connoisseurs. This standard is within a specific range, not at a single fixed point.
If we further discuss the appreciation of the tea infusion, treating it as a piece of work, it should first be brewed to the aforementioned standard concentration. Under such standard concentration, differences in personal preferences for aroma and aesthetic appreciation will arise.
Once we enter the realm of appreciation, might some people suddenly think that the tea should present itself one way, then another way? It shouldn't be so. Whether they are the tea brewer or the taster, if their appreciation lacks a consistent standard, saying that one presentation is good at one moment and another is good the next, it indicates an unclear understanding of the tea's quality characteristics. From the perspective of the tea brewer, it means they have yet to effectively grasp the tea's quality characteristics through brewing.
It is incorrect to regard occasional presentations as the quality characteristics of the tea. Just like a Painting, the artist must be able to recreate the intended mood repeatedly.
To consistently express a tea's quality characteristics through brewing, the issue of “precision” in tea brewing comes into play – the ability to accurately express the tea. First, one should not hold the view that the tea does not necessarily need to be brewed to a certain degree. Even thinking that “tea brewing is an art because of its instability” is incorrect.
Works of art, or artistic creations, require the ability to repeatedly present the same quality and strive for “the ultimate beauty,” which demands precision, not sloppiness. The slightest deviation can result in the loss of a particular sense of beauty or the intended mood. Tea brewing is no different; adding an extra leaf or a three-second timing error can eliminate the desired beauty.
In class, there is a circular diagram often used for explanation, called the “Tea Infusion Diagram.” The center of the circle is “the tea infusion,” with the first surrounding circle divided into three parts to explain the color, aroma, and taste of the tea infusion. The second circle around the first one is labeled “Five Elements of Tea Brewing,” and outside of these elements are “Internal and External Factors Affecting Tea Steeping Time,” which is where the concept of “precise tea brewing” lies.
The internal factors include “solubility rate of Water-soluble substances” and “quantity of water-soluble substances.” The external factors include the amount of tea, water temperature, water quality, material of the brewing vessel, degree of draining, time interval between infusions, and concentration of the previous infusion, among others.
The internal factor of “quantity of water-soluble substances” essentially defines the quality of the tea, while “solubility rate of water-soluble substances” is a key focus when examining the tea before brewing. A thorough examination and deep understanding make it easier to precisely control the tea infusion. These factors include the completeness of the leaves, the connection of stems and leaves, the size of the leaf shape, the type of bud or leaf, the maturity of the tea leaves, the tightness of the shape, the tightness of the twist, the degree of Fermentation, the degree of withering, the degree of kneading, the degree of roasting, the storage age, the storage conditions, the presence of insect bites, and more – all of which are key points covered in courses on tea manufacturing and tea identification.
After accumulating these abilities to “know the tea,” what remains is how the tea brewer chooses to bring out the personality of the tea infusion. Once one has the ability to control both internal and external factors, they can freely replicate the same style of tea infusion.
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