When brewing Tea, controlling the Water temperature can affect the taste and aroma of the tea. Different types of tea are best brewed at different temperatures, specifically as follows:
Green tea: being delicate, it is not suitable to be steeped in boiling water; a water temperature of 80°C-85°C is recommended.
Oolong tea: also known as green tea (a term that can be confusing as it is different from the non-fermented green tea), it is a semi-fermented tea with varieties such as Southern Fujian Oolong, Northern Fujian Oolong, Guangdong Oolong, and Taiwanese Oolong. There are three key elements to brewing oolong tea: the water used, the teaware, and the brewing technique. It's important to follow the principle of “using spring water from stone sources, Charcoal stoves, and small teaware.” Yixing Clay pots or covered bowls are ideal choices for brewing, and the water should be boiled at over 95°C.
Huang tea (Yellow tea): being a lightly fermented tea, varieties like Mengding Yellow Bud, Junshan Silver Needle, and Weishan Maojian belong to this category. The tea leaves are delicate, and too high a temperature can scald them, so a brewing temperature between 85°C-90°C is preferable.
Black tea: the water temperature should be controlled between 95°C-100°C.
Additionally, for white tea, differentiate between new and aged varieties; use 100°C water for white teas aged more than three years, while newer teas should be brewed at 90°C. Dark tea (Pu'er) requires a water temperature between 90°C-100°C.