Making your best cup of Tea
Making your best cup of Tea
Making your best cup of Tea
The “art of tea” boils down to the brewing of tea. For a good tea, all its components are important. Water must be fresh and mineral-free, tea must be properly stored and not damp, duration of brewing must be suitable for the type of tea used and so on.
First, the water: one might wonder what is so special about it. What must be remembered is to use freshly boiled water at all times. Re-boiled water can exhaust the dissolved air in it and concentrate minerals. Use fresh, clean water and a thoroughly washed tea pot to boil it in.
Some areas are prone to calcified water, which can give a peculiar taste. Using that will deteriorate the delicious taste of the Ceylon black tea. Boiling the water until it reaches the right temperature is also important. Do not take the kettle or tea pot off the stove until it is properly boiled to a 100° C.
Storing tea is a fact to be considerate about. Ceylon black tea, or any other tea can absorb moisture and certain fragrances. Tea itself has a stimulating aroma but if another smell has overshadowed it, you won’t be able to taste the true flavour of tea. Use a cool, dry place to store your lose tea or tea bags. Avoid keeping it with any other fragranced items.
Now that you have the water and tea both ready, how much water to pour to what amount of tea? The universal measurements are one cup of water, which is roughly about 220 ml, to a single tea bag, or 2.5 grams of loose Ceylon black tea. Keep it brewing for about 2 minutes, but remember this time duration may vary depending on the type and brand of tea you use. For e.g. Ceylon black tea of BOP variety is best kept for 2 minutes for a single tea. Water for green tea is sufficient to be boiled up to about 90° C.
It is best to cover the pot when tea is brewing. Russians invented the special kettle “samovar” of which the purpose was to have water boiled to a maximum temperature at all times and have the tea brewed for a longer duration to prepare the perfect black tea they love. Russians and the MENA countries are huge fans of Ceylon black tea.
If the tea is properly brewed it should have the right colour, aroma and taste. If you are still confused, here are the steps to make that perfect tea!
- Water – fresh from the tap or a bottle depending on where you live – just make sure it hasn't been boiled before nor contains an excessive amount of minerals.
- Tea pot – clean and ample sized. Pour hot water into it; swirling some boiled water in the tea pot prior to preparation preserves its warmth.
- Place the Ceylon black tea leaves in the pot, one teaspoon, 2.5 grams or one tea bag for a single tea.
- Pour the boiled water into the tea pot. Cover the tea pot and let it brew for about 2-3 minutes. Remember this is the ideal time and method for Ceylon black tea varieties like BOP Fanning's and CTC teas.
- Strain the tea or take the tea bag out and enjoy your tea with sugar and if desired, any other additive such as milk or lemon.
Making your best Cup of Tea
The “art of tea” boils down to the brewing of tea. For a good tea, all its components are important. Water must be fresh and mineral-free, tea must be properly stored and not damp, duration of brewing must be suitable for the type of tea used and so on.
First, the water: one might wonder what is so special about it. What must be remembered is to use freshly boiled water at all times. Re-boiled water can exhaust the dissolved air in it and concentrate minerals. Use fresh, clean water and a thoroughly washed tea pot to boil it in.
Some areas are prone to calcified water, which can give a peculiar taste. Using that will deteriorate the delicious taste of the Ceylon black tea. Boiling the water until it reaches the right temperature is also important. Do not take the kettle or tea pot off the stove until it is properly boiled to a 100° C.
Storing tea is a fact to be considerate about. Ceylon black tea, or any other tea can absorb moisture and certain fragrances. Tea itself has a stimulating aroma but if another smell has overshadowed it, you won’t be able to taste the true flavour of tea. Use a cool, dry place to store your lose tea or tea bags. Avoid keeping it with any other fragranced items.
Now that you have the water and tea both ready, how much water to pour to what amount of tea? The universal measurements are one cup of water, which is roughly about 220 ml, to a single tea bag, or 2.5 grams of loose Ceylon black tea. Keep it brewing for about 2 minutes, but remember this time duration may vary depending on the type and brand of tea you use. For e.g. Ceylon black tea of BOP variety is best kept for 2 minutes for a single tea. Water for green tea is sufficient to be boiled up to about 90° C.
It is best to cover the pot when tea is brewing. Russians invented the special kettle “samovar” of which the purpose was to have water boiled to a maximum temperature at all times and have the tea brewed for a longer duration to prepare the perfect black tea they love. Russians and the MENA countries are huge fans of Ceylon black tea.
If the tea is properly brewed it should have the right colour, aroma and taste. If you are still confused, here are the steps to make that perfect tea!
- Water – fresh from the tap or a bottle depending on where you live – just make sure it hasn't been boiled before nor contains an excessive amount of minerals.
- Tea pot – clean and ample sized. Pour hot water into it; swirling some boiled water in the tea pot prior to preparation preserves its warmth.
- Place the Ceylon black tea leaves in the pot, one teaspoon, 2.5 grams or one tea bag for a single tea.
- Pour the boiled water into the tea pot. Cover the tea pot and let it brew for about 2-3 minutes. Remember this is the ideal time and method for Ceylon black tea varieties like BOP Fanning's and CTC teas.
- Strain the tea or take the tea bag out and enjoy your tea with sugar and if desired, any other additive such as milk or lemon.