Tempest in a Teapot (A Teapot Collector Mystery) (29 page)

How to Steep the Perfect Cup of Tea

Courtesy of the tea experts at The Tea Haus (theteahaus.com), London, Ontario, Canada.

Steeping tea involves a few processes, all equally important in producing the desired beverage. In the world of tea, we like to use the word
steep
rather than
brew
since it conveys more of the process involved.

Three things are required to make that perfect cup: water, good tea, and time. Depending on the origin of the particular tea, various tricks of the trade may be employed.

Black tea is the most common tea in the west. It is a tea that is fully fermented or oxidized and has the highest caffeine content. It requires water that is at a rolling boil. One level teaspoon or two grams of tealeaf is needed per cup.

Remember that in the world of tea, a teacup is a 120-milliliter, (approximately four-ounce) not a 250-milliliter (eight-ounce) measuring cup! You may wish to utilize a strainer or infuser, a way to keep the leaves from invading the cup. Many people desire a clean cup of tea. Add the boiling water and make sure the leaves are completely immersed. They will start to uncurl themselves and begin releasing flavor and aroma. This part of the steeping is often called “the agony of the leaf.”

Allow 3–5 minutes for the full flavor to come out before removing the infuser or strainer, or if you have made the tea without the aid of one, you can begin to enjoy the subtleties of the tea. Many people add milk or sugar, but we recommend you try the tea without adding anything that will obliterate the flavors.

Green tea, white tea, and oolong tea are all prepared the same way, with one major difference; water temperature should be well
under
the boil, no more than 75 degrees centigrade or 167 degrees Fahrenheit. Green tea leaves should
not
be cooked, which the boiling water will do. All the tannins are shocked out of the leaf and you are left with a bitter cup of tea. Made properly, green tea, white tea, and oolong tea are not bitter but exude a smoothness that needs to be savored.

To summarize: bring freshly drawn water (filtered is preferred) to a boil, use 1 teaspoon or 2 grams of tea per cup, pour boiling water over the leaf, let stand or steep for 3–5 minutes. Enjoy the tea. For green, white, and oolong teas, you want to bring water to a boil and stand to cool down. A thermometer is helpful; once the water has cooled to 75–80 degrees centigrade or 167–176 degrees Fahrenheit, it is poured over the leaves, left to steep for 3 minutes and enjoyed!