How do you prepare your tea?

[balance.]

I swear by Rishi Tea..... (www.rishitea.com) .... They keep it real by offering only loose-leaf tea.... which means you'll need to procure empty tea bags or proper brewing kettles etc...... well worth it though.

 

.. I only use filtered water... Tap water butchers the flavor of even the highest quality teas... The water used is all important....

 

..After that,I set the kettle on.. wait for it to boil, pour off what I require, and keep track of the temperature with a thermometer so that I can steep whatever tea I've chosen to indulge in at the proper temperature... Green teas (for instance) are sensitive and can be burned easily, making them bitter and unpleasant... so knowing just how hot the water is becomes essential.. Once the water has reached the desired temp, add in your leaves (in whatever way you've found most convenient) and steep for the time stipulated for that particular tea... Most teas will provide you with an ideal steep time... and once you gain a sense of how you enjoy your tea... heavier/lighter in taste.. you can adjust the steep time accordingly... but keep in mind that not all teas respond well to violent alterations in their ideal steep time/temp.... You can get away with less, but longer steep times can become erratic.

 

 

...and I realize that some have offered up instructions for the preparation of specific teas. I've done no such thing.. but this approach will equip you with the wherewithal to properly prepare and enjoy a wide variety of different teas...

Edited April 2, 2010 by balance.

[Old Man Contradiction]

The way someone who isn't me prepares tea:

 

1oz of dried Ps.Cubensis

1 can of frozen juice concentrate

3 cans of water

 

Empty can of concentrate into a bowl. Use that can to measure three cans worth of water into pot. Bring to boil. Throw cubensis into pot. Let boil for 5-10 minutes. Filter mushrooms out. Mix mushroom tea and frozen concentrate in big water bottle or container of choice.

 

If you don't like cubensis. Than just "less-than-boiling" green tea in filtered water does perfectly.

Edited April 2, 2010 by Old Man Contradiction

[tyler zambori]

boy there are some real tea afficionados here !

 

I like the Fresh & Easy brand decaf Black tea with chocolate flavor.

 

Nothing Asian about that I guess. And I cook it in the microwave.

[steve]

I like gongfu tea (probably not done in the ceremonially correct way or whatever)...but getting a Yixing clay pot (which is like the size of a mandarin orange usually) and putting a scoop of tea leaves in there, then putting hot water in for like 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then you can use the same tea leaves for like 4 or 5 cups. There's a little bit of skill involved in making it not taste bitter. If you use good tea leaves, it can taste REALLY great and be so relaxing.

 

It's fun.

I like Gong Fu tea method also -

Yixing pot, water just a tad cooler than boiling, enough tea (Wulong) to cover the bottom of the pot in a single layer.

1st round - steep for ~ 30 seconds

2nd - steep for ~ 45 secondes

3rd - 60

4th - 90

The above times may vary depending on tea, water temp, size of pot, preferred strength,...

After each "round" steeps, pour it into a pitcher. Once the pitcher is full, serve.

Delicious!

[Bum Grasshopper]

A wise man once said :

 

"Even the finest tea becomes bitter if steeped too long."

 

Hmmm...

[z00se]

In china they have these cool flasks. It's just like a cup/mug that has a lid. You can get metal or glass ones. Inside the top is a mesh filter so you put your tea leaves inside, click the filter in and drink your tea. Or you can put the lid on and drink it later. Stays hot for 5 hrs =]

[trailmaker]

Oolong in the morning in a teaball in a cup

just add water at a boil and steep as usual

[soaring crane]

Pour in the water and let this brew and sit for at least a few hours (overnight is the best). Now you have a 'tea concentrate'. Then as needed pour out a third of a cup and add boiling water.

 

This reminds me of the kebab stands here - they usually have an ornate pot of "tea concentrate" on a burner that they dilute with hot water, before adding about a tablespoon of sugar to the tiny cup they serve it in. Ah well, it's gratis while you wait

 

I drink this stuff:

 

http://7x7-kräutertee.de/index.html

 

hmm, no link in English. It's called 7x7, with 49 herbs, comes from Switzerland. Jentschura's preparation guidelines say to use boiling water and only let it steep for 2-3 minutes. I think this is true for most herbal teas. 7x7 has strong de-tox effects and is intentionally supports a de-acidification of the body.

 

With green tea, I boil the water and let it sit a few minutes before pouring it over the tea, like Stig said. I got that from the directions on a package once. But, I learned a trick at a Chinese restaurant - at first, only pour a little water over the tea, to "shock" it, let it steep a few seconds and then pour that out, dump it. And then pour the rest of the water in the pot or cup and let it steep a few minutes, not too long. (edit: I mean, pour out the tea water, not the tea leaves, of course).

 

Also, you can and should use gren tea leaves a few times over. The second or third "pouring" is very good. I like basic Chinese Gun Powder.

 

I saw a travel show years ago about Japan where they visited some very exclusive tea regions. The most interesting was a tea made with spring water that was extremly hard - like almost skin burning alkaline. The tea was neon green and foamy, it looked like something from the primordial soup, but was apparently indescribably delicious. Anybody know more about this?

Edited April 4, 2010 by soaring crane

[Uncle Screwtape]

If you want to know about tea ask an Englishman! We drink more per person than any other nation on earth. Click here to see how many cups we have drunk today.

 

Allow me to introduce you to Gerald:

 

 

He is on the right with Geraldine on the left. One spoonful of black tea per person and 'one for the teapot'. Let it brew for about five minutes and pour into a china cup through a strainer. Add milk and sugar to suit your personal taste. I have a knitted tea cosy to keep the pot warm, but I have no picture of it to show you. I sometimes wear the tea cosy on my head when I think no one is looking.

 

Richard

[thelerner]

The tea was neon green and foamy, it looked like something from the primordial soup, but was apparently indescribably delicious. Anybody know more about this?

 

When I think of foamy primordial souplike tea, I think of Matcha, the powdered green tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony. Its expensive, a little bitter, more akin to a green drink then what I regard as tea.

 

I collect Yangtze tea pots. I was using them to make tea 'authentically', but I was making 16 ounces at a time to fill the pots, using two teaspoon. I knew I could reuse the tea 2 or 3 times, but didn't feel like having 32 or more ounces a day.

 

Now I just use a tea strainer and make my teas one glass at a time, and reuse the same strained leaves throughout the day.

 

Michael

[Apech]

If you want to know about tea ask an Englishman! We drink more per person than any other nation on earth. Click here to see how many cups we have drunk today.

 

 

 

Wow I can't believe we drink that much tea! Its amazing.