Preparing Tea Made Simple
I've met many people who hate the flavor of tea, but I can't help believe that in many cases, they just have never had the pleasure of enjoying tea that was prepared using the proper method. The chief reason why countless men and women haven't had the pleasure of drinking well-brewed tea is not hard to comprehend, taking into account the extensive variation in brewing procedures for all the different varieties of tea. And when certain mistakes are made, the ensuing tea will taste unappetizing. The good news is that you can essentially use pretty much any procedure for just about any variety of tea. Being aware of a small number of critical points is really all you need to do and I'll show you those below.
Why don't we start with the easy one. Almost all people have no difficulty preparing an excellent cup of black tea. Basically, you pour 100 ºC water onto the leaves and allow them to steep for a few minutes. This technique will do well for all black tea, from the widespread Assam tea, to the Chinese teas, Ceylon teas and Nepalese teas. The only notable exception is Darjeeling Tea (for more on Darjeeling, head to:
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). It should be prepared employing colder water (80-90ºC or 180-194ºF), owing to the fact that it is not fully oxidized and pretty much like an oolong tea.
Green tea is not quite so easy to brew the correct way, given the great difference of different varieties and the sizable variance in the way of brewing. The factors you have to take care to get right the most, are the steeping times and the water temperature. If you employ a temperature of 80°C (176°F), you should have no problem with pretty much all green teas.
A major exception is the high quality Japanese tea gyokuro, which demands a colder water temperature of 50°C–60°C (122°F–140°F). Another exception is Houjicha, a roasted Japanese tea. It is perhaps the simplest and most forgiving tea to brew, and you can just employ boiling water. Check the guidelines written on the package for a good steeping time to try first. Otherwise, try going with a minute and a half for gyokuro and two minutes for all other teas.
There is one green tea that is completely unlike the others and that shouldn't be prepared with the guidelines written above: Matcha green tea powder. Due to it being a powder, it needs a different and somewhat complex preparation method, which includes special gear. If you have ever seen a Japanese tea ceremony, you've seen the brewing of matcha. The way of brewing for this very high quality tea could fill several pages, so I won't go into it here.
Also quite a bit more difficult to prepare the right way is white tea. It calls for an even lower water temperature than green tea, since the leaves are quite a bit more delicate. The correct range for both White Hair Silver Needle and White Peony is 75-80°C (167-176°F). I'd start with a steeping time of 2-3 minutes and adjust according to individual taste. Adding to the steeping time will make the tea stronger, while shortening it results in a weaker cup.
Excepting the above-mentioned matcha, the toughest variety of tea to make properly is oolong. Usually, they are brewed using a heap of leaves and very quick steeping times over a number of infusions. A normal method of preparation will result in tasty cup, however. Just ensure that the water temperature is just a bit below 100°C and you should be fine.
The instructions written are quite watered-down, I know. Naturally, the perfect results are reached by following the specific preparation instructions for each specific type of tea (for instructions on Darjeeling tea, try Wikipedia). Most individuals don't have the correct guidelines or the specific utensils necessary and if that's the case for you, employing my instructions will give you a good cup of tea, no matter the type you have. Tea is the most consumed drink on earth, apart from water and I hope you will give it one last taste, if you're one of those individuals who have in the past made up their mind that they don't like the taste of it. I am 100% sure you'll be thankful you did.