Good tea is not simply a hot drink. Its roots are ancient, veiled in romanticism and belong to a tradition that goes from quiet oriental ceremonial rites to colonial imperialism, to protests in Boston harbor. This article will help you to clarify many extremes, allowing you to enjoy a good cup of tea within the reach of mere mortals!
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Method 1: Tea Bags
Step 1. Start with the water
It doesn't matter if you use tea bags or loose tea, water is an indispensable ingredient. Warning: any aftertaste of chlorine, iron or sulfur present in the water will make the tea unpleasant both in taste and in aroma. Fill the kettle with 250ml of fresh water. Tap water is acceptable, but a good cup of tea should be made with filtered or spring water. Never use distilled or boiled water. The more oxygen it contains, the better the tea will taste!
Step 2. Insert the kettle plug into the socket and turn it on
If you don't have an electric kettle, you can use a simple saucepan or traditional kettle to heat the water on a stove. Basically, all you need is boiling water.
Step 3. Bring the water to a boil
Wait for the electric kettle to turn off automatically or for the traditional one to whistle.
Step 4. Heat the cup
Rinse the cup with boiling water, then place the sachet inside it.
Step 5. Add the water
Pour the water into the cup, filling it 4/5 full, to leave room for the milk in case you want to add it.
Step 6. Leave the sachet to infuse
Wait three to five minutes, depending on the type of tea you are making. Follow the directions suggested on the package. If you like to enjoy tea with the addition of milk, wait for the end of the infusion to do so. Some feel that it is best to add milk before boiling water, while others prefer that the infusion is done exclusively in water and do not add other ingredients before the tea is ready.
Step 7. Use a teaspoon to remove the sachet from the cup
Throw it in the garbage can or recycle it, according to your preferences.
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If you drink sweet tea, add a teaspoon of sugar or honey and mix well.
Make a Good Cup of Tea Step 7Bullet1
Step 8. The tea is ready
Enjoy this delicious drink without haste, enjoying its goodness. Maybe you could serve the tea with some cookies or a slice of cake.
Method 2 of 2: 2nd Method: Loose Tea
Step 1. Start with the water
Fill the (empty) kettle with fresh water. Tap water is acceptable, but a good cup of tea should be made with filtered or spring water. Never use distilled or boiled water. The more oxygen it contains, the better the tea will taste!
Step 2. Insert the kettle plug into the socket and turn it on
If you don't have an electric kettle, you can use a simple saucepan or traditional kettle to heat the water on a stove. Basically, all you need is boiling water.
Step 3. Bring the water to a boil
Wait for the electric kettle to turn off automatically or for the traditional one to whistle.
Step 4. Prepare the teapot
When the water boils, pour it into the teapot and then close the lid. Fill the kettle again, bring the water back to a boil, then turn off the stove.
Step 5. Let the water cool slightly
Wait for about a minute so it isn't actually boiling. At that point, empty the teapot, filling it with water from the kettle.
Step 6. Add the tea
Add a teaspoon of loose tea to each cup, plus an additional "teapot" teaspoon. You can also use an infuser, but the important thing is that the amount is right.
Step 7. Leave the tea to infuse
Wait until it's ready. The brewing time depends on the variety of tea:
- About a minute for green tea.
- 3 to 6 minutes for black tea.
- 6 to 8 minutes for Oolong teas.
- 8 to 12 minutes for herbal teas.
- Warning: if you prefer the tea to have a stronger taste, do not leave the leaves to infuse longer, but add more.
Step 8. Strain the tea, then serve it in preheated cups
Advice
- Slowly pour the water directly onto the sachet, so you can reduce the brewing time.
- By boiling the tea with water, you will get a very intense tasting drink that is usually drunk with a lot of sugar, but it is not for everyone.
- If you prefer to drink the tea warm rather than hot, brew the tea as normal and then let it cool to room temperature or add some ice cubes. Do not use lukewarm water for brewing as this will result in a mild tasting tea.
- When preparing green tea, do not leave it to infuse for more than two minutes, otherwise the flavor will be too intense and bitter.
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If you prefer to use loose leaf tea, your patience will pay off:
- Try combining different types of loose leaf tea (the name of some famous English brands corresponds to the nickname of the families that produced that particular blend).
- The grandmothers left the apple peels inside the tea boxes for a few months, until the tea acquired the apple flavor. Try it yourself and, when it's time to pour the tea, add a pinch of cinnamon.
- When using the leaves instead of sachets, pour boiling water directly over the leaves in a teapot. Then empty it, leaving only the leaves. Refill it with more boiling water for a second brew. According to an oriental tradition, only the tea of the second infusion should be consumed; this method is used to make sure that all impurities have been eliminated from the leaves.
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You can experiment with alternative brewing methods with the sachets to get different flavors:
- If you have an espresso machine, put the tea bag in place of the coffee. You will get the tea instantly, with no need to wait.
- If you can keep the sachet off the string, shake it after a couple of minutes. The tea will have a stronger taste and a more intense aroma.
- You can heat the water on the stove using a traditional saucepan or kettle that will emit the typical whistle when the water has come to a boil.
- If you don't have an electric kettle and are forced to use the microwave, it will take a couple of minutes to bring the water to a boil. Let it cool down a bit before making the tea.
- Serve it with cookies or a cake.
- It is important to become familiar with the different tea varieties, as some require different brewing times, or hot and not boiling water, while others require a particular proportion between the amount of tea and water (especially if you use tea in powder, such as maté).
- Try varying the brewing time before adding the milk.
Warnings
- If you add the lemon along with the milk, the milk may curdle.
- Do not leave the tea to steep in an electric kettle.
- If you drink the tea for health reasons (for example, due to its EGCG intake), do not take it with milk, as it contains casein which would bind to EGCG. If you want to make it creamy, use soy, almond, buckwheat milk, or any other non-animal milk substitute.
- Be careful when tasting! You could burn yourself and even damage your taste buds, preventing you from enjoying the tea to the fullest.
- When pouring the water, be careful as you may get burned by the steam.
- Don't let it get cold!
