Steeping tea is more of an art than it is an exact science. The steeping process itself is the coming together of leaf and water for a particular time period, with the quantity of leaf and quality and temperature of the water being especially important to extracting the sublime flavor locked within the leaf itself. Simple rules of thumb given a specific category of tea will go a long ways toward insuring a good cup, but since the enjoyment of the tea is a very personal thing, one cannot discount adjusting these rules of thumb to accommodate personal taste preferences.
Assuming that you will begin the process with a fine quality tea leaf such as we purvey, the next most important consideration will be the quality of the water that you use to steep that same leaf.
Adhering to the ancient Chinese philosophy on tea water, we would recommend the following sources in descending order of preference: mountain spring water, river water, then well water. Lake water and water from deep, still wells are not recommended for tea–making. The water you use for making your tea should be freshly drawn, and therefore well-oxygenated. We also recommend the Chinese tradition of always bringing the water to a full boil (just at the point in which the small bubbles of the initial stage of boiling are replaced by continuous streams of larger bubbles) before pouring it over your tea leaf. Some teas are best steeped at this temperature (approximately 212° F), while others will require a cooler temperature. Common steeping temperatures other than the full-boil described above would include 195° (achieved by allowing the boiling water in the kettle to cool, with the lid off, for approximately 2 minutes) and 180° (achieved in the same manner, but by allowing the same water to cool for approximately 5 minutes).
We always indicate the proper amount of tea to use on the back of our packaging, but in general terms you will probably use 1 rounded teaspoon of leaf per 6 to 8 ounce cup of prepared tea. Place the tea in the brewing vessel, add the appropriate temperature hot water to the leaf and steep for the approximate amount of time indicated on the matrix below. Separate the leaf from the brewed liquor and enjoy!
White: 195°F for 2 – 3 minutes
Yellow: 175°F for 5 minutes
Green: 175°F – 185°F for 3 minutes
Oolong: 195°F – 212°F for 3 – 4 minutes
Black, Puerh, and Herbals: 212°F for 5 minutes
We recommend re–steeping the leaves from all tea categories except for Black and Herbal. Most green teas and puerhs can be re-steeped 2–3 times, while whites, yellows, and oolongs can typically be re–steeped 3+ times. If you choose to make multiple infusions from your leaf, simply extend the steeping time approximately 50% with each successive steeping and start over with fresh leaf once you no longer care for the taste of the brew.
Once again, these figures are simply rules-of-thumb and can be altered to fit the tea and/or your own palate preference. Some teas within a category will not adhere at all to these guidelines – in which case, allow your taste to be your guide, or contact us for helpful hints. Should you desire to alter the strength of your tea, we recommend that you vary the amount of tea leaf rather than drastically altering either the water temperature or steeping time. Two things can produce a bitter tasting tea – too hot water or too long of a steeping time…