Brew Chinese Tea right

How to Brew Chinese Tea

Brewing of Chinese tea depends on the many factors, such as: tea type, water temperature, water quality, brewing vessel, proportion of tea to water.

Generally, White and Green teas need to be brewed with much cooler water (70 - 80°C) than Oolong, Black and Puerh teas, which can stand higher temperatures. In the beginning you can follow these easy guidance: first, only use a small amount of tea in the beginning; second, don’t use boiling hot water; third, only steep it for seconds at a time.

Chinese tea ceremony called Gongfu tea or Kongfu (in cantonese) tea. The term literally means "making tea with skill". In essence, what is desired in Gongfu Cha is a brew that tastes good and is satisfying to the soul. Tea masters in China and other Asian tea cultures study for years to perfect this method. However, method alone will not determine whether a great cup of tea will be produced. Essentially, two things have to be taken into consideration: chemistry and temperature.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tradition. By the end of the 14th century, the more naturalistic "loose leaf" form had become a popular household product and by the Ming era, loose tea was put to imperial use. In Japan, tea production began in the 12th century following Chinese models, and eventually evolved into the Japanese tea ceremony, meant to be exclusive to political and military elites.

Water. Water which tastes or smells bad will adversely affect the brewed tea. However, distilled or extremely soft water should never be utilized as this form of water lacks minerals, which will negatively affect the flavor of the tea and so can result in a "flat" brew. For these reasons, most tea masters will use a good clean local source of spring water.