SO, HOW TO DRINK AND BREW TEA CORRECTLY?
In this article, we bring to your attention different options (including simplified technology) for properly brewing high-quality Chinese tea. This will help you get maximum pleasure from drinking tea and reveal the best properties of tea in the most complete way - aroma, taste, aftertaste, impact. How to drink Chinese tea correctly to get benefits and not harm.
These simple rules are also relevant in conditions where it is not possible to hold a full-fledged Chinese tea party.
Important aspects that should not be violated:
1. For tea, use fresh water of the first boil (boil the water once until a slight ripple appears on the surface and small bubbles form). Important: the water should just boil, and not be half-boiled. It is highly desirable that the water be either spring or purchased, of a good brand (the companies Arkhyz, Senezhskaya and some others have good water). Good quality filtered water is also suitable. Before brewing green, yellow and white teas, the water after boiling is allowed to cool to 75-80 degrees. Oolongs and puerhs can be brewed with boiling water.
2. The brewing container must be preheated with boiling water.
3. Tea is brewed repeatedly, up to 5-10 times as desired (the specific number of brews depends on the amount of dry leaf per teapot, as well as the type of tea)
4. After pouring hot water into the tea again, the tea is almost immediately poured into cups
5. After draining the tea, the tea leaves remain in the teapot without water to avoid over-brewing.
6. Tea must be drunk cold
7. Tea reveals its taste characteristics to the maximum, and also brings maximum benefits to the body only if all of the above are observed
In connection with the above, we suggest the following course of action:
1. Boil water until the first bubbles appear
2. Pour water into a thermos
3. Take a kettle* for brewing tea (or from), or, with a volume equal to the volume of cups according to the number of people (if the cups are 100 ml, three people drink tea, then the kettle should be 300 ml)
4. Heat the kettle with boiling water or steam, also warm up and
5. Place dry tea leaves** for brewing on a beautiful plate or in a special container “” (tea box).
6. So, we have: with boiling water, a teapot for brewing (empty and warmed up), cups for the number of people (warmed up), dry tea leaves
7. Pour the tea into a heated dry teapot for brewing.
8. The tea is poured with water from a thermos and almost immediately poured into cups (or into, and then into cups). In this case, you need to make sure that there is no water left in the teapot for brewing.
9. The first brew is drained (rinsing the tea) and is not drunk.
10. Next, brew tea, focusing on your taste preferences for strength, as many times as we deem necessary.
11. For convenient brewing using the pouring method described above, you can do this on a tea board (chaban).
* or gaiwan - a special cup with a lid
** The amount of tea to brew depends not only on the volume of the container, but also on the type of tea. On average, 3-6 grams are used. for 1 brewing pour (for example, about 3-4 grams of green teas, and about 5-6 oolong teas). But there are no clear rules, so you need to try and experiment - if it seems to you that the tea has brewed too strongly (becomes too bitter or too tart), add a little less tea next time, or drain more quickly (make each brew less time). If the tea, on the contrary, is brewed too weakly, keep it longer. You should not add more or put aside tea during tea drinking - this will disrupt the tea drinking process, as a result of which the tea will lose many of its properties. After several tea parties, you will learn to feel and understand all the nuances of this process.
Note: If you brew pressed pu-erh, keep in mind that it will take a little longer to brew than loose tea. This is especially true for pressed ones. It is worth keeping such teas longer when first brewing. They develop most fully when cooked over an open fire. It is convenient to break pressed pu-erh with a special object, another blunt but not too blunt object, or simply with your hands. When breaking, it is advisable to maintain the integrity of the sheet.
Also, there are a large number of ways " fast brewing", using a minimum of utensils. Although such methods cannot be called ideal, they nevertheless make it possible to simplify brewing as much as possible when there is no time for full-fledged tea drinking. The most convenient, in our opinion, method (best suited for pu-erh):
1. Boil water until the first bubbles appear
2. Rinse a large glass teapot (1-1.3 l) with boiling water.
2. Place 10-20 g. tea*
3. Leave for about 5-8 minutes*
4. Only the infusion (without the leaf) is poured through the sieve into a thermos
This method is very good because the tea stays hot for a long time and does not overheat.
*(depending on the variety, to taste)
The specificity of brewing in Tipota is that this teapot combines three items used in the “Tea Ceremony”. Namely, a teapot and a strainer. Thanks to the design features of this kettle, you can properly brew good tea in an office environment or when you want to make do with a minimum amount of dishes and don’t have time for a long tea party.
Sequence of actions when brewing tea:
1. Open the top lid and pour dry tea leaves into the upper compartment of the kettle. (Pre-heat the kettle by rinsing it with hot water)
2. Pour water at the desired temperature corresponding to the selected category of tea.
3. In accordance with the rules or at your own request, when you feel that the tea has brewed, press the button located on the lid of the kettle. The valve in the upper compartment will open and the tea infusion will move to the lower compartment of the kettle. And the tea leaf will remain on the strainer in the upper compartment of the kettle.
4. The finished tea infusion should be poured into a separate cup or cups. Next, we repeat the steps described in points B and C. As long as we are thirsty or the selected type of tea allows.
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When it is not possible to use the above methods, you can brew tea simply in a mug or in a regular large teapot. In this case, it is important to be able to catch the moment when the tea has already been brewed and when it is worth pouring it into another vessel to avoid overstaying, or drinking it immediately, without letting it steep for too long. Here you have to do everything according to your feelings, learn to feel the tea. But it is important to understand that the use of simplified brewing methods does not allow tea to fully reveal its properties. This is especially true for expensive tea - high quality
Over its thousand-year history, black tea has become famous not only for its taste, aroma and unprecedented popularity, but even caused a number of historical conflicts, contributed to the emergence of high-speed shipping and, in the full sense of the word, conquered the population of the globe.
Useful properties of the drink
Initially, in its homeland - China, tea was used as a medicinal drug. And only in the 5th century it began to be consumed as a drink. Nowadays tea is the second most popular drink in the world after ordinary water.
There are about 1,500 varieties of tea, all these many types are classified into six main groups, in which there are varieties that reflect a special national flavor:
- black (Indian, Turkish, Ceylon and so on);
- green;
- white;
- red (oolong);
- yellow;
- post-fermented (puer).
In addition, according to the characteristics of consistency, several tea groups are distinguished:
- long leaf (contains unopened buds of tea petals with whitish fibers - from the Chinese “bai hoa”);
- pressed (contains shoots and lower leaves of tea bushes);
- extracted (in liquid or powder form).
Each species has its own characteristics of production and consumption and, naturally, its fans. There is hardly a more multifunctional drink in the world.
The most consumed tea in the world is black tea, accounting for approximately 75% of global consumption. It is curious that in China they drink little black tea, preferring various types of green tea, but in India, oddly enough, coffee drinks are held in higher esteem.
Good and properly prepared black tea contains more than 130 elements that have a beneficial effect on the human body. Moreover, approximately half of the compounds are extractive (soluble in water). Phenols and polyphenols not only give the drink a pleasant taste, but also have bactericidal properties. Tea leaves contain vitamin P (not produced by the human body), which is responsible for the health of the vascular system; vitamins C, B1, B2, K, PP and others.
According to doctors, tea reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases by an average of 25%. According to Nicolas Danchen, a scientist from France who has studied the effects of tea and coffee on human health for a long time, tea is much healthier than coffee.
Black tea can:
- tone the body due to the presence of caffeine in its composition, which is softer in its properties and acts longer than coffee caffeine;
- remove waste and toxic substances from the body, stimulate weight loss;
- optimize digestive functions: stabilize intestinal microflora, prevent the development of intestinal diseases, normalize the level of acidity in the stomach;
- have a general strengthening effect on the cardiovascular system: improve blood circulation, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and capillaries, prevent the formation of blood clots (eliminate “bad” cholesterol and reduce the risk of stroke);
- stimulate the work of mental operations, promote concentration;
- stimulate the level of production of the hormone of joy - serotonin;
- increase the level of stress resistance and reduce the risk of various types of depressive conditions;
- fluorine and tannin have a beneficial effect on the condition of the human skeletal system.
Black tea is used in medicine and cooking. They are advised to wash their eyes if they have conjunctivitis. Strong tea is used as an antiemetic, and in some cases it is used to relieve pain. Tea promotes the healing of cuts, is able to remove odors, is used to fertilize young shoots, as a marinade for meat, and even as a repellent against mosquito bites.
Regular and moderate consumption of black tea accelerates weight loss processes. The daily intake of black tea is no more than 4-5 cups. By drinking more, you risk reducing the level of magnesium in your body, which is responsible for the stable functioning of the nervous system. An excess of tea manifests itself in the form of increased nervous excitability, sleep disturbances, muscle spasms and fatigue. To restore, you should supplement your diet with almonds, cocoa and wheat bran.
Doctors believe that moderate consumption of black tea is a good prevention for a number of cancer diseases. A high-quality drink significantly reduces the likelihood of stomach, intestinal and breast cancer, which is explained by the presence of a special substance in the drink - TF2, which prevents the growth of cancer cells.
What kind of water should I take?
Doctors have not found any contraindications to drinking high-quality tea. Its temperature when consumed should not be higher than 56°C. There are other medical opinions regarding tea. Thus, scientists believe that tea is incompatible with alcoholic drinks, especially strong ones.
Depending on the characteristics of tea production, there are different types of tea - leaf, granules, powder and pressed. The best and, of course, the most expensive is loose leaf tea. Its qualities are determined by the shape and color of the leaves - high-quality tea leaves should be curled and almost black in color. The presence of a brown color indicates violations in production technology. The gray-black color is characteristic of a product that has become unusable during storage. It is more difficult to find pressed tea (briquettes, tiles), but in China this is the most popular tea product.
Even when brewed correctly, tea of the same variety differs to some extent in its taste, since this is influenced by several factors: the quality and source of water, temperature, and brewing time. Chinese experts recommend using fresh lake and river water. However, from an environmental point of view, it is better to simply use spring or mountain water of spring origin.
Since this problem is difficult to solve in cities, ordinary water can be used after long-term settling or filtering. For better brewing, soft water is required. If you don’t have one at hand, you can soften hard water somewhat by adding a pinch of sugar or baking soda.
Some tea gourmets use a special technology to prepare water - they condense the steam coming from the spout of a kettle with boiling water. Such water will meet all the necessary requirements for preparing a quality drink.
Dishes
It is not recommended to brew tea in a metal teapot. The best option is a porcelain vessel. In this context, Chinese experts focus on the quality of the clay from which the teapot is made. The clay must “breathe”. A good and inexpensive porcelain teapot heats up and retains heat better than a faience teapot, and “breathes” better than a glass vessel.
Temperature
To brew tea correctly, you need water brought to the so-called “white key” boiling point, characterized by the appearance of a mass of bubbles emanating from the bottom of the container. It is important to “catch” this point, since overexposure during boiling subsequently leads to the destruction of the chemical composition of the tea leaf and its taste. Underexposure in this case leads to insufficient brewing.
By the way, this moment coincides with the Russian traditions of samovar tea drinking. The essence of the question is that the samovar is a real resonator, and tea gourmets surrounding the table with the samovar can hear that first the device begins to make noise, then “sing” and seethe. The “singing” stage of the samovar corresponds to the “white key” boiling state.
Brewing tea with a “white key” provides an optimal combination of the obtained tea qualities that are beneficial for human health, activating all the healing properties of the tea leaf. According to the British, tea becomes unsuitable within 20 minutes after brewing, since during this time the drink has already largely lost its beneficial and tasteful qualities.
Consumption
The consumption of dry raw materials for brewing is a parameter that depends on a number of aspects. The traditional option is 1 teaspoon per cup. If the water is unfiltered and hard, and even with possible impurities, take 2.5 tablespoons of the raw material. Finely chopped tea cooks much faster than coarse tea. In this case, slightly less than one spoon per cup is placed in the brewing container. For large tea leaves, the serving of raw materials is 1-1.5 teaspoons per person.
After smoking or a hearty lunch, it is necessary to increase the portion by about 30%, since a person’s taste perception changes after these procedures. In general, it is better to drink tea at least 30 minutes after eating. It is recommended to shake the raw materials poured into the teapot for a more uniform distribution of its particles, so that in the future each teacup will be covered in boiling water and warmed up thoroughly. Strong tea is consumed as an amateur or as needed to invigorate.
detailed instructions
Delicious and healthy brewed tea can be prepared using the following English technology:
- After placing the raw materials in a preheated kettle, fill it with slightly cooled boiling water to 30%. After waiting for 2-3 minutes, add another 60-65% to the container.
- After the brewing vessel is filled, pause for 5-10 minutes. It is important to know that large leaves release their beneficial qualities, taste and aroma within about five minutes.
- While filling the container with boiling water, it is necessary to make circular movements with the teapot, which helps to heat each teacup more evenly. High-quality tea forms foam with a yellow tint. Poor quality tea raises small sticks to the top.
- It is not recommended to fill tea raw materials with boiling water more than twice, and the break between brewing should not be more than 15 minutes.
- The tea leaves should be stored in a tightly sealed porcelain container, which preserves its aroma and taste well. Long-term storage is not recommended.
Buying good tea is half the battle; the main thing is to be able to brew it correctly. Methods for preparing brewed tea are still the subject of fierce controversy, even in England.
Failure to follow the order of brewing and drinking tea can lead to undesirable results. For example, if brewed for too long, the product loses a significant part of its beneficial properties, and the alkaloids it contains become carcinogenic.
In cases of stomach ulcers and gastritis, it is advisable not to drink strong tea, as it greatly irritates the gastric mucosa.
Golden Rule
The golden rule of tea drinking is the number series 2-5-6, which reflects the time in minutes corresponding to the stages of the tea leaf releasing soothing, stimulating and flavoring chemical components. Thus, the calming effect of tea occurs after 2, the stimulating effect after 5, and the bouquet of taste and aroma “blooms” 6 minutes after brewing, when the process of evaporation of essential oils begins. The optimal state for consumption of a properly prepared tea drink does not last long.
Can the tea leaves be reused?
You should not brew tea multiple times: firstly, this detracts from the very idea of the tea ceremony; secondly, subsequent brewing of already used tea leads to undesirable chemical reactions and the release of harmful substances.
The beneficial properties of tea are most fully manifested approximately 15 minutes after brewing. A period of 7-8 hours turns the drink into a carcinogen.
In other words, you should not brew used black tea a second time or drink yesterday’s brew. Tea cannot sit in a teapot for a day without retaining its beneficial properties.
You will learn how to brew black tea correctly in the following video.
Brewing tea correctly is a difficult art. Without knowing the secrets, you can spoil the most delicious and rich variety.
Tea is rightfully considered the most delicious, aromatic and healthy drink. And the British, without any right to do so 🙂, consider him their national treasure. In the sense that there are no tea plantations in the country of Foggy Albion, but there are more connoisseurs and connoisseurs than leaves on the bushes of a large tea “deposit”.
It just so happens that they are great masters at brewing. Below are tips from English chefs on how to brew tea correctly so that it meets the strictest expectations. (Source: Family Circle)
What kind of water should you use to make your tea tasty?
The ideal option for these purposes is mountain spring and spring water. It is clear that in urban life there is no need to talk about spring water, but even the most ordinary tap water can be significantly improved by filtering or simply standing in an open container for several hours.
Hard water with a value higher than 8 mg equivalents per liter should not be used - it is not suitable for properly brewing tea. Of course, not every household has a device for determining this very hardness, but just in case we will assume that it is more than moderate in hardness.
Hard water is not suitable for properly brewing tea. It must first be softened.
In order to soften the water, you need to add a pinch of sugar, salt or baking soda. Or you can use a more complex method, which consists in condensing the steam that comes out of the spout of a boiling kettle. The water obtained as a result of such manipulations will not only be soft and clean, but ideal, and ideally suited for proper brewing of tea.
Under no circumstances should you use a metal kettle. The best option is a porcelain vessel. By the way, the Chinese pay great attention to the types of clay - it must be special, “breathable” and imbued with the power of the place where it comes from. But we are unlikely to understand this Chinese magic, so we will limit ourselves to using a good, not too cheap porcelain teapot. It warms up better compared to earthenware, and is softer in texture compared to glass.
A little about the temperature of proper tea brewing
When you read culinary advice on how to properly brew tea, one general recommendation catches your attention - bring the water to a boil with a “white key”. What it is?“White Key” is a condition when the water is filled with a mass of bubbles rising from the bottom. This moment should be “caught” accurately. If you keep water on fire, then when it gets on the tea leaf, it will decompose all its constituent elements, destroy the bouquet and chemical composition of the tea. On top of that, boiling water for a long time will become harmful to the human body. If you don’t wait, the tea simply won’t brew.
When brewing tea, “catch” the moment of boiling water with a “white key”. This is one of the main secrets of properly brewing tea.
Brewing tea correctly is an art not only to please the taste, it is also intended to achieve the optimal combination , activation of all the healing that is included in it.
It is for this that it is necessary to strictly adhere to the brewing rules, even the slightest deviation from which can lead to disruption of the favorable balance of substances in the infusion. Everything is important: including the time of drinking the drink. According to English experts, 20 minutes after brewing, tea will become unfit for drinking, since as a result of prolonged brewing, the solution will become saturated with substances harmful to human health.
How to brew tea correctly? Step-by-step instruction
Wash the teapot in advance to remove any old tea leaves and dry it. Fill the kettle with fresh water and boil it over low heat.
After groups of small bubbles appear in the water, causing it to become slightly cloudy, remove the kettle from the heat and wait until the water cools to 80-85 degrees.
Don't waste time and while the water is cooling, rinse the teapot 3-4 times with boiling water to warm it up.
Pour dry tea into a warmed and slightly damp teapot at the rate of one teaspoon of tea for one cup of water included in the teapot, plus another spoon for the teapot itself. The tea prepared in this way will be of medium strength.
Allow the dry tea in the teapot to swell for a few seconds.
Pour 2/3 or half of the cooled water that fits into the teapot. Close it with a lid and a napkin on top so that the holes in the lid and spout are closed.
Now let the tea brew. It is not recommended to brew loose-leaf black teas for more than 5 minutes, and small-grade black teas for more than 4 minutes. If all the above rules regarding the condition of the teapot, the softness of the water, its boiling with a “white key”, and pouring twice, the optimal infusion time will be 3.5-4 minutes. Exactly that much, and not a minute more.
Somewhere in the middle of this process, add water to the teapot, making sure that there is space between it and the lid. Cover the kettle again with the lid and napkin.
At the end of the infusion process, add water to the very top. This threefold filling helps the water cool more slowly.
The foam that appears during the infusion process is a sure sign that your actions are correct. You should not remove it, because many useful substances accumulate there, for example, essential oils. After completing the infusion process, stir the foam with a spoon in the kettle.
How to brew green tea correctly?
Almost the entire process is similar to brewing black tea. The difference concerns infusion time and pouring patterns. You can infuse green tea for no more than 8-10 minutes. You can fill it 3-4 times. During the first pour, pour water in a layer of 1 cm, after 3-4 minutes water is added to half the kettle, after another 2-3 minutes - to the top or three-quarters of the kettle, after 2 minutes - to the top.Important! Find out if a green drink is good for you - AND - especially important! If you are preparing to become a mother, can you drink green tea?
How to brew red and white tea?
To brew red and white teas, you can use two methods:
- Pour a double portion of red tea into a very hot dry kettle (see how to brew black tea correctly) and leave for no more than 2 minutes, then add 2-2.5 cm of water, after another minute or two, add water to half the teapot, and after another 2 minutes to the top (almost). Brewing time 4 minutes.
- Pour a triple portion of tea into a very heated dry infuser, fill it with water to the top and brew (hold) for 3 minutes, during which time pour boiling water over the outside of the kettle.
English connoisseurs of white tea believe that this divine drink of emperors and future babies should be brewed at a temperature of exactly 85 degrees Celsius, arguing that only in this case will it reveal all the magical power of its subtle, refined aroma.
How to brew yellow tea?
There is one important nuance in the correct brewing of yellow tea - a soft mode with a reduced infusion time. Yellow tea can be drunk immediately after the first pour (1-1.5 minutes), then brew it again (second pour - 3 minutes) and again (third pour - 4 minutes).
By adhering to all these simple principles, you can easily prepare tea that will not only delight you with its unique aroma and taste, but will also bring great benefits to your body.
The golden rule of tea drinking
Interestingly, tea can both excite and calm.
Remember three magic numbers: 2-5-6,they will help you drink tea correctly.
The calming effect of tea occurs 2 minutes after brewing, the stimulating effect - after 5 minutes, and just a tasty drink with a faint aroma - after 6 minutes (this is exactly how long it takes for essential oils to evaporate).
The balanced and beneficial properties of tea manifest themselves in full only 15 minutes after brewing, some medicinal (for example, antimicrobial) may manifest themselves after a while, but after 7-8 hours they finally turn into either a “special remedy” or a real poison!
With wishes for a pleasant and healthy tea party!
Let's talk about brewing black tea. You don't have to be English to brew a cup of aromatic and delicious tea. But if you neglect the basic rules for brewing tea, it loses all its beneficial properties.
Did you know that black tea prevents your cells and tissues from aging? Or that black tea is full of tannins, amino acids, alkaloids, pigments, essential oils and vitamins. From carotene, which is present in black tea, vitamin A appears in the body. The presence of thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and nicotinic acid (these are B vitamins) helps fight diseases such as diabetes, gout, stomach ulcers, skin problems and allergic rashes.
Its function is to strengthen your immune system. There is every reason to think about how to brew black tea correctly.
TOP 10 assistants for brewing tea
It is advisable to boil water over a fire. Do not boil water several times. Electric kettles and boilers are not the best helpers for this. The water heats up to 95°C.
- Teapot (teapot)
To make tea, you should use teapots with a slightly curved neck. There is no need to add water to the top. Leave 1-3 cm, this allows the tea to brew evenly.
- Warm kettle
Before pouring water, the kettle is preheated so as not to allow the water temperature to drop by 15-20 degrees. The teapot can be warmed up by lowering it into a bowl of hot water or pouring boiling water over it for 30 seconds. You can warm the kettle over an open fire, or put it in the oven.
- Type of tea
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of varieties and types of black tea. Large-leaf, loose, bagged or with additives and many others will satisfy the taste of any gourmet. Everyone has thought at least once about how many times you can brew tea leaves or a bag of tea. The answer is unequivocal, and there is no BUT! Only once, otherwise all the beneficial properties and taste will be lost.
- Welding
Everything is individual and you can only rely on taste buds, but there are generally accepted dosages of tea leaves. For 150mm of water - 1 teaspoon of tea leaves. If you prefer bagged tea, then the manufacturers have decided the issue for you. It is worth paying attention at what temperature of the water you put the tea leaves into it.
- Tea filter
For bagged tea, a filter is not needed. Loose leaf tea, after brewing, must be separated from the water. Use an empty tea bag, ball strainer, filter basket, or strainer.
- Tea accessories
In many countries, drinking tea is accompanied by many rituals and traditions. The Japanese, for example, undergo special training in schools, they are taught how to brew black tea. This is the highest skill and the real art of receiving guests through the tea ceremony. Even if you are not a Japanese geisha, brew tea in a beautiful teapot, prepare your favorite cups, this will help you cope with the daily hustle and bustle, relax and enjoy the moment.
- Sugar
Add a spoonful of sugar to your tea, or serve tea with a saucer of honey. And real sweet tooths always keep a jar of jam or preserves in stock.
- Spices
Mint, vanilla, saffron or cinnamon. Create your favorite scent. This will not only enhance the taste of the tea, but also add an aesthetic appearance to any tea party.
- Tea punch
Sore throat or runny nose? Tea punch will be a real panacea in the fight against the disease. Add 50 grams of whiskey to the teapot and drink with honey throughout the evening.
You don't have to be native Japanese or English to know how to brew black tea correctly. It is enough to follow a number of simple rules.
Tea is a traditional drink in most modern countries. A wide variety of varieties allows you to discover its flavor facets from different sides and every time enjoy a new mug of aromatic invigorating potion. There are many general recommendations on how to brew tea, but it is also important to follow the technology for opening the tea leaves of each variety separately.
What to pay attention to
First you need to learn the general rules for brewing tea:
- Use only fresh tea leaves, as when stored for a long time, it loses both its taste and its benefits. Thus, green, red and white varieties, as well as oolongs, must be consumed within 3-6 months after harvest. and herbal infusions can be stored for up to 1 year. But pu-erh is a real long-liver and may not lose its properties for several years.
- It is correct to brew tea already during tea drinking, so as not to miss the moment of obtaining a rich, but not strong infusion, because the brewing time is only a couple of minutes.
- A tasty drink can only be obtained by using soft water. Ideally, the hardness should be no more than 1 mEq/L.
These indicators are always written on the bottled water label. If the water is running or taken from a spring, then the hardness can be determined experimentally - after boiling, there is no residue left on the walls of the kettle, and you will not see sediment in the cup. Hard water can be softened at home. There are two ways to do this: freeze it - then the excess metals will precipitate, or add a pinch of salt, sugar and baking soda to it. However, when using a flow-through system, it is recommended to install special filters for cleaning.
Water temperature
To get a truly delicious drink, tea must be brewed at a certain water temperature. Professionals call this process boiling water until the “white spring”, that is, waiting until it is filled with oxygen. As soon as the water in the kettle begins to boil and steam appears from the spout, immediately remove it from the heat. This is an ideal state in which water in its properties resembles distilled water without salts and heavy metals.
The rules for brewing tea are not just a fad. Only by following them can you get maximum pleasure from the drink and activate the beneficial properties by awakening the tea leaves.
Brewing utensils
Brewing tea correctly is not an easy task. In addition to following the cooking technology, you should also take into account the quality of the utensils used for this. Different countries have their own traditions, but in any case, preference is given to dishes that retain heat longer and do not react chemically with water.
The best choice is a porcelain or earthenware teapot. Porcelain is considered a more advantageous option, since it is able to quickly warm up through and through. The Chinese, for example, approach the issue very carefully and choose special “breathing” types of clay.
The shape of the dishes should be cylindrical or spherical. Be sure to have a tight-fitting lid with a small hole to allow air in and steam out. In the Russian tradition, teapots always have a silver strainer, which prevents tea leaves from getting into the drink.
For the tea drinking process, you will also need beautiful porcelain cups, which perfectly maintain the temperature of the tea and have a beneficial effect on the senses. True connoisseurs of the drink should definitely have in their arsenal a silver spoon and a linen napkin, which is used to cover the teapot while the tea steeps.
In the east, elite Chinese tea is brewed in a special flask. This is not only very convenient and protects your fingers from burns, but also allows you to make the infusion crystal clear
The flask consists of two cylindrical vessels that are placed one inside the other. The inner vessel has small holes through which the finished infusion is poured into the outer cylinder. Thus, the tea leaves remain inside, and a clean drink gets into the cup.
So, it is poured inside the flask. It is optimal to take no more than 7 grams. tea leaves Try to place the tea leaves in one direction, lightly pressing them with your fingers, but maintaining the integrity of the leaf. Then hot water is poured into the flask and after a couple of minutes the inner vessel must be carefully removed, allowing the infusion to flow into the outer form. The first brew must be drained, and in the second brew the drink can already be consumed. Tea is brewed in quick pours, so the process should take a few minutes. You can adjust the strength by increasing the holding time after the second drain. But you should not overuse it, otherwise bitterness will appear and the tea will not be tasty to drink.
Step-by-step instruction
There are general rules for preparing a high-quality tea drink, regardless of what plant varieties are used:
- Prepare the dishes - rinse the kettle, dry it, and then rinse it with boiling water so that its walls warm up.
- Place the brewed tea in a bowl.
- Wait a few seconds for the tea leaves to swell a little.
- Pour warm water into the kettle, leaving 1/3 of the space free.
- Cover the teapot with a lid and insulate the top with a linen napkin.
- It's time to insist. Each variety has its own optimal time for saturating the water with the taste and aroma of tea. On average, infusion time varies from 3 to 4 minutes.
- A minute after the start of brewing, add more water to the kettle and again leave the tea under the lid and napkin.
- At the end of the process, add water to the very top, thereby preventing the tea infusion from cooling.
If these conditions are met, foam should form on the surface of the drink. You should not get rid of it, as it contains beneficial essential oils. Just stir the foam with a spoon and enjoy delicious tea.
How to make black tea
Black tea should be brewed in strict compliance with the technology described above. To determine how much tea leaves you need, remember a simple rule: take a teaspoon of tea for one cup of water. To make it stronger, add another teaspoon of tea leaves to this volume.
It is correct to brew black tea in a large vessel with a volume of 300-500 ml. The soaking time to obtain an infusion of medium strength is from 5 to 7 minutes. If you use the European method of preparing the drink, namely brewing tea in a mug or glass, then one portion of the tea can be infused up to 3 times.
Green and white variety
The technology for preparing green tea is no different from the previous one, with the exception of water temperature and infusion time. The green variety is delicate, so the water should not be too hot, the optimal temperature is from 70 to 80 degrees. The infusion time varies from 8 to 10 minutes, while first pouring a 1 cm layer of water over the tea leaves, after 2 minutes topping up to half the teapot, and after another couple of minutes to the top edge.
White tea should be brewed in a gaiwan or porcelain teapot so that the tea leaves can fully release the essential oils and flavor properties into the infusion. At the same time, the infusion time is minimal - 3 minutes is enough to obtain a rich drink. The water temperature should be average – 85 C°. The white variety can be brewed up to 4 times, while the taste of the tea is enhanced, and each time it becomes more pleasant to drink.
Preparation of pu-erh
A large group of Chinese teas are pu-erh. They have different packaging forms - from loose to pressed into large pucks.
There are two ways to prepare pu-erh:
- Traditional brewing in a teapot.
- Cooking.
The first method has already been studied in detail above, but it is worth paying attention to one nuance - the first brews should be very short, and after 3 times the holding time must be increased.
High-quality pu-erh can be brewed up to 20 times!
For the second method, you will need any heat-resistant container, even a Turk will do. The compressed pu-erh should first be crushed, filled with cold water and drained after a couple of minutes. Thus, the tea leaves are cleaned of dust and unnecessary impurities. Pour water into a bowl and bring it to a boil over heat. Using a spoon, make a small funnel and pour the pu-erh tea into it. There is no need to boil the tea for a long time, just let the water boil again and you can pour the drink into cups.
Unusual Kalmyk tea
If you are bored with the usual types of drink, you can prepare it at home, which is popular in Adygea. Its peculiarity is that the tea leaves are mixed with milk and a pinch of salt. The tea is prepared immediately in the cup, so take a larger container. To begin, pour a double portion of tea leaves and fill them with hot water to the extent of 2/3 cup. Add boiled milk and a small piece of butter to the tea. Don’t forget to add some salt and pepper to the infusion, because this is the main highlight of this warming potion.
Mate recipe
The exotic drink mate is unique in its properties, but to truly appreciate the taste, you will have to purchase special containers. It is customary to drink it from a wooden calabash in the shape of a pumpkin through a metal tube called a bombilla.
Before the brewing process, the calabash must be cleaned with boiling water. After this, the vessel is filled with mate powder to 2/3 of its volume. Cover the calabash with your palm and shake gently. Tilt the mold so that the powder is on one side, insert the bombilla into the empty space and return the container to its original position. Fill the tea leaves with hot water at a temperature of 80 degrees to the intersection of mate and bombilla. The brew is infused for a couple of minutes, and it should completely absorb the water. After this, fill the water to the top of the calabash. Mate can be brewed several times.
They say that the most delicious infusion is obtained after the fourth brew.
Brewing yellow tea
It has one preparation nuance - a reduced infusion time. The finished drink is obtained 1 minute after supplying hot water. But with each subsequent brew, the cooking time increases by a minute.
Egyptian yellow helba tea is prepared by boiling. To do this, 2 teaspoons of tea are washed and poured into a glass of water. The container with the tea leaves should be placed on the fire and boiled after the water boils for 5 minutes.
Herbal teas
Herbal drinks are used, as a rule, for medicinal purposes. The methods for preparing herbs are varied, but the main goal is to get the maximum benefit from them, so you should not brew them with boiling water, but rather prepare an infusion. Cooking times vary greatly. For example, ginkgo biloba or mock orange should be infused for 4 hours, while hawthorn needs 5 minutes to release all the beneficial substances into the water.
