Tea Basics
I have been drinking tea for almost all of my life. It is one of the most refreshing drinks to enjoy anytime of the year, day or night, in sickness and in health!
Here, I will share with you the best ways I have found to enjoy a cup of tea. I am never satisfied with buying tea at many of the establishments around.
By far, I prefer my cup of tea to be made with loose leaf. But there are certain types of teas that I do enjoy in the tea bag form.
In the mornings, I prefer to drink black tea. Black tea generally has a higher concentration of caffeine than other teas - green, white, oolong. I find it helps set my body in motion for the morning rush. I also use black tea as a "pick me up" when I'm tired as it helps keep me going.
During the day, I drink whatever tea "calls" to me, but as late afternoon approaches, I stick to herbal infusions or decaffeinated teas to ensure it does not affect my nightly sojourn.
Being a life long tea drinker, I am particular about the taste of the tea I drink.
When brewing black tea, I brew for 2 if I'm drinking it straight (i.e. without cream); 3 to 5 minutes if I'm adding cream. My favorite black teas are PG Tips and Tetley British blend. I also like loose leaf black teas that have have been flavored with rose or any tropical fruit. A favorite blended black tea is English Breakfast. It is a blend of Assam, Ceylon and Kenyon teas; this combination makes it a robust and strong tea that deserves to be served with a bit of cream.
With green teas, I never brew for longer than 1 minute, as I do not like my green tea strong. When green tea is brewed too long it has a bitter taste. I prefer loose leaf green teas. Green tea blended with lemon, ginger or mint is also very refreshing. When brewing green tea, do not boil the water. Green tea should be brewed at 175℉. I like green teas from Japan, although I prefer Sencha over Matcha.
By far, white tea is my favorite. After drinking loose leaf white tea, I will never go back to drinking white tea in a tea bag. The taste of loose leaf white tea is far superior to its counterpart in the bag form. White tea is especially refreshing in summer. I consume more white tea in the summer than any other kind of tea. And I drink it hot, not cold.
Oolong tea is much better brewed with loose leaf than tea bag. It is not as strong as black tea. I rarely drink oolong and I have never felt the need to try oolong blended. I find this type of tea to have a milder taste than black tea. I'll brew for 3 to 5 minutes before consuming.
Loose leaf tea can be reused for a second or even third brewing.
Two of my favorite "teas" or more aptly, infusions, as a child were Lemongrass (or fever grass) and "Red Tea". In the Caribbean/West Indies, fever grass is generally consumed when a person has a fever. We had this grass in our backyard and my mom would occasionally have me pick some to brew if her pantry "ran out" of the favorite Red Rose tea. "Red Tea" was brewed from the bark of a tree, Capadulla (Kapadulla) - doliocarpus dentatus. I fell in love with the color of this infusion and loved the taste. Rooibos is similar to Capadulla in color, but Capadulla has a sweeter, smoother taste.
If you are new to tea drinking, I would suggest that you brew your tea lightly until you're accustomed to its taste, then you can gradually increase its strength. I would also suggest trying white tea as it is very mild.
There is no one way to brew tea. It all comes down to an individual's taste. Experiment with it to find what is your preference. For the teas I drink regularly, I can tell when it's ready by the look of it.
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Types of Teas
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1. Black Tea:
Black tea is made by exposing the enzymes contained in the tea leaves to oxygen. This changes the leaves' color from green to brown. Black teas undergo the longest process of oxidation. It is considered to be a full-bodied tea with a strong taste. Many tea drinkers who drink black tea add milk to combat the strong taste of this tea.
Black tea is always brewed with boiling water and allowed to steep from 3 to 5 minutes. With some brands of black tea, you can brew for 1 to 2 minutes if you are drinking it without sugar or cream.
Varieties of black teas include Assam, Ceylon, Darjeeling. Lapsang and Souchong are the most popular.
Popular black tea blends include English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, and Earl Grey.
2. Green Tea:
Although green tea is made from the same leaves as black tea, it does not undergo the oxidation process. The type of green tea depends on the variety of the plant (Camellia sinensis) used, growing conditions, horticultural methods, production processing, and time of harvest.
Only lower quality green teas use boiling water and are steeped for a longer time. Higher quality green teas use a temperature of 175℉ or lower and can be steeped anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes.
Two of Japan's most popular green teas are Sencha (whole leaves) and Matcha (ground leaves).
Gunpowder and Longjing green teas are from China.
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3. White Tea:
There is no concrete definition for white tea. The term can be used for minimally processed or young leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis.
White tea is generally grown and consumed in China, mostly in the Fujian province. I happen to have white tea from Fujian. It is a very smooth, light tasting tea of a pale yellowish color.
Brew white tea with water that's about 185℉ for 3 to 5 minutes.
For long life and optimal taste, store white teas in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Silver Needle and White Peony are considered the best varieties of white tea.
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4. Oolong Tea:
Oolong tea uses a a semi-oxidation process. Different styles of oolong can vary in flavor from sweet and fruity with honey aromas, or woody and thick with roasted aromas, or green and fresh with complex aromas. This is due to the cultivation and production practices employed.
Oolong is traditionally a China tea. Oolong tea production is concentrated in the Fujian Province of China in the Wuyi Mountains and Anxi county.
Brew oolong tea at about 200-205 ℉ for 3 to 5 minutes. High quality tea leaves can be reused several times.
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5. Pu'er (Pu-Erh)Tea:
Pu'er is processed in a special way to encourage microbial fermentation. Pu'er is the only fermented tea. For a tea to be called Pu'er, it must be made from the large-leaf subspecies Camellia sinensis var. assamica and grown in Yunnan Province in China's southwest.
Pu'er varies in color and taste depending on how long it has been around and how it has been processed. There are three "types" of Pu'er: Young 'Raw' looks more like green tea and can be floral and sweet or bitter. You can taste the "grassy-ness" with Young Pu'er. Aged 'Raw' Pu'er has some woodsy, earthy qualities and camphor or dark fruit notes. A 7-year Aged Pu're will taste different from one that's been aged for 10 or 20 years. 'Ripe' Pu'er can take decades to mature. The taste can be thick and luscious, like a latte, with an earthy sweetness.
Pu'er tea is brewed for 15 to 60 seconds using water at a temperature anywhere from 195℉ to boiling (212℉). It all depends on the age of the tea.
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