Many tea lovers may wonder when brewing tea, “Should I leave the lid on or off after pouring the infusion from a teapot or gaiwan?”
In fact, whether it's a gaiwan or a teapot, whenever the question arises about leaving the lid off or on, there are typically two schools of thought: the “Lid-Off School” and the “Lid-On School.” Members of each school often have strong opinions and can get into heated debates.
1. Reasons for Keeping the Lid On
To Prevent Loss of Aroma
Putting the lid on is to prevent the excessive dispersion of the tea's aroma. With the lid and gaiwan in a relatively closed state, it helps to gather the tea's aroma within the gaiwan, making it easier to appreciate the lid's aroma.
2. As the Saying Goes, “Good Tea Can Withstand Stewing”
If the quality of the tea is good enough, covering it with a lid won't affect it. This can also be a way to test the quality of the tea. If the taste isn't affected, it suggests that it's a good tea.
3. Facilitates Faster Release of Inner Substances
When brewing aged teas or coarser leaves, keeping the lid on helps maintain the temperature, promoting the faster release of the tea's inner substances, achieving an optimal drinking experience.
Reasons for Leaving the Lid Off
1. To Remove Unwanted Flavors
While one side argues for keeping the lid on to preserve aroma, the other believes in leaving the lid off precisely to “vent the aroma.”
However, this “venting of aroma” refers to allowing undesirable odors like grassiness or stale smells to dissipate, thus purifying the tea's aroma.
2. Prolongs the Tea's Steepability
After being soaked in boiling Water, tea leaves expand rapidly. Keeping the lid on perpetuates this effect. Therefore, it's advisable to remove the lid to let the leaves cool down before re-infusing them, which helps control the release and evaporation of the tea's aroma and flavor, prolonging its steepability.
3. Avoids Oversteeping the Tea
Leaving the lid on can cause the remaining high temperature in the gaiwan to oversteep the tea, negatively impacting its taste, especially for young leaf teas. Thus, the lid should be removed.
As the saying goes, “Reason becomes clear only through debate.” By now, the answer to whether to keep the lid on or off is becoming clearer.
Generally, whether to keep the lid on, and how much, depends on the characteristics, tenderness, and age of the tea.
Fine and Tender Teas Require the Lid Off
After pouring the infusion, the leaves inside the gaiwan remain at a high temperature. Covering them can lead to bitterness and a loss of freshness, affecting the taste of subsequent infusions. For example, when brewing delicate teas like Jin Jun Mei, West Lake Longjing, Biluochun, or Baihao Yinzhen, you can brew them with the lid off. This maintains their freshness, prevents a cooked smell, and allows you to enjoy the tea dance, achieving two goals at once.
Teas with High Aroma and Mature Buds Can Be Partially Covered
For teas like Bai Mudan, Dian Hong, or Sheng Pu'er, which have high aromas, it's best to avoid losing the aroma or letting the temperature drop too quickly by leaving the lid slightly ajar during the brewing intervals.
Old and Coarse Teas Don't Need the Lid Off
For aged teas like old white teas or old Pu'er, it's recommended to cover them completely after pouring the infusion. Sealing them helps maintain a high temperature within the gaiwan, awakening the rich flavors dormant within these aged teas. Coarser dark teas can also be brewed with the lid on, provided they don't have any unwanted flavors. If the tea has a strong or unwanted flavor, the lid can be left off to allow the flavors to disperse.
When the Flavor Fades, Keep the Lid On
Regardless of the type of tea, as the number of infusions increases, the flavor gradually diminishes. In the final infusions, you can extend the brewing time and leave the lid on between infusions.
The quality of the tea's taste is significantly influenced by the brewing method, but sometimes the details of the brewing process depend on personal experience and preference.
So, do you leave the lid off or on when you Drink tea? It's worth noting that in professional tea evaluation, the tea is stewed for five minutes before the lid is opened, providing an objective assessment of the tea's qualities. The above suggestions are for reference when brewing tea and not standards for evaluating tea.