The Preparation of Tea

Buying fine tea is half battle, the second one can be achieved with the right way of its preparation. In this section you can learn more about how to prepare great cup of tea. Preparation of same type of tea differs from country to country – it is prepared differently in China or in Buckingham Palace. So it is obvious that not every type of tea is prepared in the same way and this is the reason why it is complicated to define one unified procedure. But we have chosen a way for you that will definitely not spoil anything

Preparation in a teapot: 

Our recommendation is to use a teapot with volume of 300 – 500 ml (when teapot with larger volume used, occasional stirring might be needed in order to support the diffusion):

1. Heat the teapot
   In order to heat the teapot, we add into 1/3 of it hot water. Once the teapot is warm, the water can be poured out. 
2. Add tea into the strainer
   According to the size and volume of the teapot, we add tea leaves into the strainer. It is recommended to use 1g of tea for 100ml. Now, you might be asking yourself a question – why exactly should I heat the teapot? Well, hot air makes the leaves softer and ready for the next phase.
   
   This step is slightly different when preparing black tea or oolong. Add tea leaves into the strainer and rinse them with hot water. 
   
   
3. Pouring tea with hot water
   1. When preparing black tea, the recommended temperature of water is 100°C
   2. When preparing oolong, the recommended temperature of water is 90-95°C
   3. When preparing green tea, the recommended temperature of water is 70-80°C
      
      What role does the temperature of water play?
      
      From the leaves not only caffeine is released, but also polyphenol that has antioxidant effect. Tannins and caffeine are released faster when the temperature of water is higher. While L-Theanine which causes sweet taste, reacts differently. 
      
      
4. Leaching
   In general, for green tea it is enough to be brewed for 1-3 minutes. On the other hand, for the black tea it is around 3-5 minutes. It depends on the type, quality and amount of the tea leaves and the temperature of water. For example, tea which is formed into a small ball (dragon pearl), needs more time for brewing compared to those with loose leaves. In the end, so many people, so many minds.