Making the perfect cup of tea is a remarkable quest that will determine whether you will really enjoy it.
Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world only second to water, but a lot of people still don't know how to properly make tea. For instance, people often use boiling water with green tea and complain it tastes bitter. Knowing some of the basic easy guidelines can really make a difference.
The first step for making the perfect cup of tea is determining the type of tea you prefer. All tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensus plant. The difference between the different types of tea comes from the level of Oxidation, meaning the reaction the leaves have with the Oxygen in the air after the tea is harvested.
There are 5 types of tea:
White Tea - White tea is unoxidized leaves and buds. This tea has the lowest caffeine levels.
Green Tea - Green tea is made from leaves that have been allowed to oxidize slightly after being picked. The oxidation process is being stopped rapidly through applying heat. This tea has medium caffeine levels.
Black Tea - Black tea is made from fully oxidized tea leaves. The leaves oxidize rolled to ensure the best exposure to oxygen thus achieving maximum oxidation. This tea has the highest caffeine levels.
Oolong Tea - Oolong tea is made from partially oxidized leaves. The leaves are tossed in bamboo baskets to lightly bruise the edges to the outer part of the leaf is oxidized white the center is left green.
Pu-ehr Tea - Pu-ehr tea made from fully oxidized leaves that are then aged.
After determining the desired kind of tea, you should follow these guidelines:
The ratio between tea leaves and water:
The amount of tea should always be 2.5-3 grams of tea to 6.5-8 fl. oz. of water.
Water temperature:
- Black and Oolong tea require boiling water.
- Green tea requires water at 160-165 F
- White tea requires water at 170-175 F
Cover and steep
- Small leaf black teas for 2-3 min.
- Large leaf black teas for 3-5 min.
- Oolong for 5-7 Min.
- Green tea 3-4 min. (Japanese greens are more delicate and should be steeped for 1.5-3 min)
- White teas for 3-4 min.
As you can see, instructions are very easy to follow and can make all the difference in the world. Making tea is not complicated and in order to enjoy it, you need to enjoy the tea preparation ceremony as well. Take the time, try different kinds of tea and explore this amazing and wonderful world of tea.