How to brew the perfect cup of tea

Have you ever wondered why your tea may not live up to expectation? Here are a few tips to ensure that you always make terrific tasting tea!

1. Start with one teaspoon (2 grams) of tea per cup (200ml). You may want to adjust the amount if you feel your tea is too weak or too strong.

2. Use only fresh cold water.3. Ensure that you steep your tea with the best temperature water (this is crucial!) for the type of tea you are brewing:

• White tea and green tea: 70-80C
• Oolong tea: 80-90C
• Black and Herbal tea: 90-95C

Don't have a thermometer? For white and green tea bring your water to a boil and wait 5 min before pouring over tea leaves. Boiling water may scorch the tea and give you a bitter astringent cup.

4. Steeping time is just as crucial as the temperature of the water! Here is a simple steeping guide:

     • White Tea 90 seconds - 2min
     • Green Tea 2-3 minutes
     • Oolong tea 90 secondes - 2 minutes
     • Black tea 3-5 minutes
     • Pu-erh tea 2- 5 minutes
     • Always cover your tea when steeping, it really does improve the taste!
     • Black teas should be steeped only once. All other teas can be steeped several times (makes your $ go further!).

5. If you still feel that you do not have the perfect cup of tea then vary the amount of tea you use and/or the amount of time you steep. Tea is a personal experience, there is no "wrong" way if you enjoy your cup!

Now sit back and enjoy the perfect cup of tea!

*Source: "The Story of Tea" by Mary Lou and Robert Heiss