All about tea

Tea Preparation

How to properly prepare leaf tea? That depends a lot on you and your approach to it. For some, proper preparation can be a quick set of instructions: amount of tea, water temperature, steeping time. For someone else, it's a long life journey, a quest for perfection and alertness in the present moment. Everyone has their own personal approach.

Let's look together at a few basic factors that can fundamentally improve the experience of enjoying our beloved drink. Which ones are they? Above all, the quality, age and quantity of tea leaves used. Water quality, temperature and quantity. Tea utensils and, last but not least, the current condition and mindset of the tea drinker.

The quality of the tea leaves

At the beginning, there is always a choice of high-quality tea, to which we devote the entire article. We should use high-quality tea leaves from a reputable source to prepare tea. In most cases, the fresher the better. Unless you're a fan of archival teas. The way we store the tea is also important. The tea is best stored in a well-closed container in a dark, dry place without access to air. You always receive our teas in airtight, opaque and resealable containers. If you pour them into a jar, choose the appropriate size so that it is not half empty. Otherwise, the tea degrades quickly. Containers made of clear glass are not suitable. Delicate, lightly oxidized teas with more pronounced higher flavor notes are prone to rapid degradation over time. Conversely, dark teas with deeper or earthier tones age more slowly.
 

Water first

In the article about water, we also wrote about comparing different sources of water. The ideal water for making tea has as few minerals as possible. The minerals prevent the release of aromatic substances from the tea leaves. It should not contain iron and other heavy metals. Calcium and magnesium values should be kept below 10 mg/l, total mineralization below 100 mg/l. We prefer to prepare tea from water from our favorite wells, where the water is of high quality and soft. But bottled Dobrá voda is also of good quality. Tap water is softened by filters (e.g. Brita). But the well water just doesn't compare.

Another topic is the temperature of the water for making tea. We always let the water boil and then cool. But be careful - boiling for too long spoils the taste of water (it increases the pH). In most cases, it is possible to pour hot water over the tea leaves that has just been boiled. Such water is about ninety-five degrees (Celsium). The preparation of green tea is usually recommended with water cooled down to about 70-80 degrees.

However, it is a matter of personal preference. Some people like their teas more pronounced and bitter, so they choose a higher water temperature, while others prefer milder and sweeter ones, so they use slightly cooled water, even when preparing black tea. At higher water temperatures, catechins, substances contained in tea leaves with more pronounced bitterness, are leached. At lower temperatures, rather amino acids, which are sweet.
 

Well chosen teaware

Last but not least, you need to choose the appropriate utensils for preparing tea. The result is influenced by the material, shape and thickness of the ware, but also the aesthetic impression of the teapot, pitcher, gaiwan, shiboridashi, bowl, chawan or mug. In the first years of tea drinking, we recommend using teaware made of white porcelain or glass. These materials hardly affect the taste of the tea or its aroma. In addition, tea stands out visually in white or clear dishes. Sight is a sense that we must not forget when drinking tea. Thanks to our long-term experience with these materials, we will clarify the basic taste and aromatic properties of our favorite teas.

We can subsequently reflect on this experience when experimenting with materials such as different types of stoneware or cast iron, copper or also silver and gold. Teaware made from these materials has a little more influence on the resulting taste, and without previous experience with porcelain, we could feel somewhat lost in the world of tea flavors.

We should choose the size of the pot according to the circumstances. Do we want to drink tea alone or with more people? Shall we drink tea for one or more infusions? Do we prepare the tea separately or while drinking it? Is sipping tea just a peripheral matter during work or other activities, or on the contrary the center of our interest? I will try to clarify similar questions now.

Different approaches to tea preparation

A bowl of tea

A simple and ingenious method of preparation often used by Asian farmers. Just throw a few tea leaves in a bowl, pour hot water and sip as it gradually cools. The taste of the prepared leaves changes before our eyes and we have the opportunity to realize it with every sip. If the tea becomes too strong, just add hot water. 1-2 grams per 1.5-2 dcl of water. This method is especially suitable in situations where we have a new tea in front of us, for which we are not sure of the correct preparation.

The continental way of preparing tea

Here, the most widespread method of preparing tea, which we remember from the days of visits to our grandmother. A large pot of prepared tea on the table, often larger than one liter. Tea is poured into prepared cups, often sweetened with honey or sugar, lemon or milk is added. Tea is prepared somewhere aside, most often in the kitchen, in another container where the tea leaves remain. The prepared tea is poured through a strainer into a teapot, from which it is then served. Additional infusions are not always prepared, we try to get everything into a single first infusion. We use relatively fewer tea leaves for more water. About 5-10 grams per liter of water. The leaching time is usually longer, most often 3-5 minutes. For this method of tea preparation, teas from places of production where Europeans began to grow tea are more suitable. For example, India, Sri Lanka, Java or Kenya.

Asian way of preparing tea

Serving tea in the original places of production, such as China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan, looks completely different. Teapots, bowls, pitchers, everything is very small and delicate. The tea is prepared in front of you and is almost always infused many times. Sometimes you can taste over twenty infusions. We use roughly 5-10 g of tea per 1-2 dcl of water. The steeping time is very short, roughly 10-20 seconds. We prepare tea in a small teapot, gaiwan or Japanese shiboridashi or houhin, and then pour it into a little jug or yuzamashi, from which we pour the tea into bowls. The ideal teas for this method of preparation are those from the original growing areas - China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan.

Tea tasting

Tasting tea sets are used to compare multiple teas prepared under the same conditions. We most often meet them at tea merchants. Pour 1.5 dcl of boiling water over 2.5 g of tea and steep for 5 minutes. Pour through the lid into a bowl with the same content. It is not the most ideal way of preparing individual teas, but the same conditions and longer, intensive steeping will bring out all the strengths and weaknesses of the tea leaves.

Iced tea - cold brew or tea maceration

Most high-quality leaf teas can also be prepared cold, without using hot water. Thanks to the longer gradual release of volatile substances into the water, we get a surprisingly delicious macerate, very rich in higher aromatic notes without significant bitterness. We recommend macerating Japanese green teas or first-harvest darjeelings in this way. We like to prepare iced tea according to the recommendation of our friend Bachan Gyawali, the founder of the legendary Jun Chiyabari Garden in Nepal. We use 9 grams of tea per 1 liter of water and steep for 1 day/night. As Bachan said, it's a well-remembered 911, it's like a Porsche 911.

Preparation of matcha - Japanese tea ceremony

A beautiful example of the various possibilities of tea preparation is the Japanese powdered tea - matcha. Matcha became famous thanks to the Japanese tea ceremony, which has its own strict rules and which the student learns for many years before achieving perfection. Every movement is predetermined, every gesture has its own meaning, every detail is given maximum attention. It is a certain tea ritual where meditation, high aesthetics and tea drinking intersect.

We can try to bring the perfection of the tea ceremony closer or, on the contrary, we are concerned with the nutritional value of ground matcha tea, and then we prepare it in our own way. Making matcha tea in a shaker or making a matcha latte using an electric milk frother is popular. Cold preparation is also possible with matcha tea.

The classic procedure is the preparation of matcha tea in a chawan, where we first heat the chawan with hot water, then wipe it dry and add approx. 3 g of matcha tea (two full teaspoons). It is ideal to sieve powdered matcha tea through a classic fine sieve or traditional Japanese burui before use. The tea can then be whipped better and does not clump. Pour in 1-1.5 dcl of water cooled to 80 degrees and whip with a whisk. Move the wrist to the sides, first slowly at the bottom and then faster until the foam is made. The better the matcha, the more intense and rich the taste experience.

Recipe for masala tea - yogi tea

We should not forget about this great Indian delicacy. Especially during the cold winter months, the yogi tea recipe will come handy. Boil three teaspoons of a mixture of spices (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger and white pepper) in water, ideally for 20-30 minutes, so that the aroma and taste of the spices develop properly. Then add the same amount of black tea and let it just simmer. Then add sugar, stir and bring to a boil again. Finally, pour in about 3 dcl of milk and boil again briefly. In the final phase with the milk, we have to be careful not to "leak", because with milk the mixture tends to foam and run out of the pot. Pour through a strainer and serve. Sugar can be replaced with honey, which is then added at the end.

The condition of the drinker - a subjective view of the taste of tea

When sipping a cup of tea, the current condition of the drinker has a fairly significant effect on the taste experience. If we are tired, stressed, or have a cold, our sense of taste will be greatly affected or weakened. We perceive the taste of tea differently when we are fully concentrating and differently when we are engaged in other activities. We are quite dependent on the influence of the taste of food or drinks that we consumed in the time before drinking tea. This often affects the choice of tea. Certain aromatic foods or, for example, coffee, weaken the perception of taste and aroma for several hours after consumption. People have their taste and smell apparatus tuned in different ways. Similar to the perception of subtle shades of color, it is similar to taste and smell. This tuning requires longer training and many tasting experiences.

We sincerely hope you found some interesting or new information about tea in the article. Cheers, let's drink tea!