So many of us think we do not like tea, but the truth is that we may just have not found the perfect tea for us yet. Maybe you did not prepare it correctly. Tea is an art form, and it needs to be made properly to really give you its full potential.
Lovers of tea have been spending a very long time experimenting with tea to find out just how they need to be prepared. But, there is no one type of tea.
There are thousands of types of tea worldwide and yourcoffeeandtea.com can tell you all about how you should be making them.
But, let’s focus on the 5 main types of tea for a moment.
Making Tea
Making tea needs more than just water and a bit of a stir. You should always start with the recommendation from the supplier on how you should prepare it, as every tea is different, and the supplier will have tested it out.
Some tea drinkers like to experiment though. If you want to experiment, consider the following.
Temperature
When it comes to tea, temperature impacts flavor, and you should always use cooler water, if it is a bit too hot it can ruin the tea altogether.
If you are unsure about what temperature tea needs to be brewed at then, it depends, however, most tea will be happy at a temperature between 160 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tea Vs Water
How much water you put in your tea also matters. The ratio will vary based on the tea, however. But, it is best to go by the general rule that one teaspoon of tea leaves to eight ounces of water is usually ideal.
Note that our mugs are usually about 12 to 16 ounces in size, so if you want a full mug, you may need to add extra tea to balance it out.
Steeping
Steeping is when you extract the flavor of your tea leaves via hot water. The longer it steeps for the stronger the flavor will be. How long this takes will depend on what tea you have, but if you go by the general rule of between 2 and 5 minutes you should be fine.
Longer will make the tea taste sour.
Milk/ Sugar
Tea is usually best enjoyed solo, however, some people enjoy putting things in it, sugar to make it sweeter, and milk to cool it. This can work with some teas, but not all.
The Types Of Tea
Teas pretty much all come from the same plant, but they will offer a more diverse array of flavors, so let’s look at how you make each.
Black Tea
You want to begin with a kettle at the boil, add your bag into your mug and pour in boiling water to help the flavor. The type will depend on how long you need to steep. We recommend:
- 5 minutes for Earl Grey.
- 4 minutes for English Breakfast.
- 5 minutes for Black Chai.
- 3 minutes for Darjeeling.
Remove the bag and add in your milk, cream, sugar, and so on as you wish.
Green Tea
To make green tea start off with a boiling kettle and let it cool off for a couple of minutes. Add in your bag or infuser and pour hot water onto the tea to gain its flavor.
Steep the tea for between 1 and 3 minutes, note that the smaller the leaves are the faster they will infuse. Once satisfied remove the bag/ infuser.
White Tea
To make white tea, boil your kettle and let it cool for 2 minutes. White tea is delicate and light, so you should use filtered water to avoid hard water tastes.
Add the tea bag to your mug and pour the water over the tea. Most steep times are 5 minutes but for white tea can be higher, up to 10 minutes, so check before you pour.
It is hard to over steep this tea. Once steeped remove the tea and enjoy your drink.
Herbal Tea
Boil your kettle, and make sure it is very hot, then add the tea bag to your mug and pour the water over. Steep your tea for 10 minutes, do not worry about oversteeping this tea.
Once the flavor is to your desire, remove the bag and enjoy it. It is best to drink this without any sugar or milk.
Oolong Tea
To make Oolong tea, allow your water to cool off from a boil and then add your bag and pour the water over to bring out the flavor. Steep for only 2-3 minutes before you remove the bag/ infuser.
Interesting Related Article: “Health Benefits of Tulsi Tea“