Before brewing Tea, you can pre-warm the cup. When brewing, avoid filling the cup with water, pour out the water quickly, and don't let the tea leaves steep in hot water for too long. These are all details in the process of brewing tea. Regardless of what type of tea you're brewing, there are three key elements to pay attention to: the amount of tea used, the water temperature, and the brewing time.
Three Practical Techniques for Brewing Tea
1. Amount of Tea: There is no uniform standard for how much tea to use each time. This mainly depends on the type of tea, the size of the teaware, and the consumer's drinking habits.
There are many types of tea, and the amount used varies depending on the type. For example, when brewing general black or green teas, about 3 grams of dry tea leaves are placed in a cup with 150-200 milliliters of boiling water. If drinking Pu'er tea, 5-10 grams are used per cup. The most tea used is for Oolong tea, where each serving is typically 1/2 to 2/3 of the Teapot's capacity.
2. Brewing Water Temperature: For high-quality green teas, especially those with delicate buds and leaves, they should not be brewed with 100-degree Celsius boiling water. A temperature of around 80 degrees (water cooled after boiling) is generally more suitable. This will ensure that the tea liquor is bright green, the taste is fresh and pleasant, and less Vitamin C is destroyed. At high temperatures, the tea liquor turns yellow and tastes bitter, as we often say, the tea is “scalded” by the high water temperature.
When brewing various scented teas, black teas, and medium to low-grade green teas, boiling water at 100 degrees Celsius should be used. If the water temperature is too low, the permeability is poor, and fewer effective components from the tea are extracted, resulting in a bland taste.
3. Brewing Time: This is mainly relevant for Oolong and black teas (as well as dark teas), and we won't discuss green teas here, which are typically brewed in glass cups. It's very inconvenient to control the brewing time, usually only when evaluating tea is a gaiwan used to brew Green Tea. We recommend controlling the water temperature when brewing green tea, with 80-85 degrees Celsius being the most suitable.
Steps for Brewing Tea
1. Warm the Teaware: Pour hot water over the teaware to raise its temperature.
2. Place the Tea: Use a tea scoop to transfer the tea into the gaiwan.
3. Pre-Infusion: Add a small amount of hot water to allow the tea leaves to unfurl.
4. Awaken the Tea: Discard the water from the pre-infusion and let the tea rest for a moment.
5. Brew the Tea: Pour water into the gaiwan. Do not fill it past the lid, then decant the tea into a pitcher.
6. Serve the Tea: Pour the tea into the guests' cups and invite them to drink.
7. Taste the Tea: Observe the tea liquor and smell the aroma. It's best to divide the tea into three sips to fully appreciate its flavor.
The Correct Method for Tasting Tea
Taste the Liquor: Take an appropriate amount (about 5 ml) of the tea liquor into your mouth and swirl it around to make full contact with different parts of your tongue. This allows you to fully identify the flavors. Then spit out the tea liquor or swallow it and savor the lingering taste.
Smell the Aroma: When dry-smelling, grab a handful of tea and breathe warm air onto it to perceive the scent. When hot-smelling, don't get too close to avoid getting scalded by steam. When warm-smelling, wait for the tea liquor to cool down slightly; this is the easiest time to judge the fragrance of the tea. When cold-smelling, you can gauge the persistence of the aroma.
While tasting, you can also press your tongue against the roof of your mouth, slightly open your lips, and suck in air through your teeth, allowing the tea liquor to swirl in your mouth. After swallowing, the aroma will spread to your nostrils with exhalation, making the tea's aroma more pronounced.