The three essential elements of brewing tea that cannot be ignored
Water temperature and brewing time for brewing tea
Water is the mother of tea, and good tea not only requires good water quality and quality, but also appropriate water temperature. The temperature of water affects the proportion of water-soluble substances in tea and the degree of aroma volatilization. The water temperature is too low, and the beneficial components in the tea cannot be fully dissolved, and the aroma of the tea cannot be fully released; Excessive water temperature can damage beneficial bacteria in tea leaves and affect their freshness and tenderness. Different types of tea have different requirements for water temperature.
Types of Tea, Brewing Temperature, Brewing Time
Green tea at 75-85 ℃ for 30 seconds to 1 minute
Black tea at 95~100 ℃ for 30 seconds~1 minute
Oolong tea at 85~95 ℃ for 30 seconds
White tea at 75-80 ℃ for 30 seconds to 1 minute
Yellow tea at 75-85 ℃ for 30 seconds to 1 minute
Black tea at 100 ℃ for 1-2 minutes
Tea dosage
The amount of tea added refers to the amount of tea used, in other words, the ratio of tea leaves to water. The amount of tea added is closely related to tea drinking habits, brewing methods, and the properties of the tea leaves, and is highly variable. When brewing in a regular cup, the ratio of tea leaves to water is 1:50, and it is advisable to fill the cup with seven or eight parts of water. If the volume of the cup is 200 milliliters, only about 3 grams of tea leaves are needed. When brewing with a pot, it is necessary to add tea according to the different types of tea leaves. For example, when brewing Tie Guan Yin, the amount of tea added is generally 1/4 to 1/3 of the pot volume; When brewing Wuyi rock tea, the amount of tea added is generally 1/2 to 2/3 of the pot volume; When brewing Erbing tea, the amount of tea should be controlled at 1/5~1/4.
Brewing time and frequency
The time and frequency of tea brewing are related to the type of tea leaves, brewing water temperature, amount of tea added, and tea drinking habits. If the tea leaves are tender, they are generally not resistant to brewing, while if the tea leaves are coarse and aged, they are more resistant to brewing. If you brew tender green tea in a cup, it usually takes 2-3 minutes to drink. After brewing 2-3 times, it can no longer be consumed; If it is black tea or oolong tea with relatively coarse and aged ingredients, it usually still has a tea aroma and flavor after being brewed 3-5 times. The brewing time of tea generally increases gradually with the number of times it is brewed. For example, when brewing Pu’er tea with a small purple clay pot, the first steeping time is 1 minute, the second steeping time is 1 minute and 15 seconds, the third steeping time is 1 minute and 40 seconds, and the fourth steeping time is 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Starting from the second steeping time, the brewing time should be gradually increased so that the concentration of the brewed tea is uniform.
