How to brew tea correctly: 5 most common mistakes

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How long does it take to infuse different types of tea? Is it possible to brew again? And how many grams of tea does one cup actually need? Let's figure out how to avoid obvious, but such common mistakes.

Tea is one of the favorite drinks for most of us. It is loved in different ways: spicy, fragrant, tart, slightly sweet, with a nutmeg aftertaste… But not everyone knows how to prepare it correctly in order to get real pleasure and benefit from this unusual drink. We tell you what mistakes we make most often when brewing tea.

Mistake #1. Incorrect amount of tea when brewing

Classic recipe as follows: it is enough to use 2 grams of leaf tea for 200 ml of water, or, in other words, 1 spoonful of tea per cup. If you do not follow this proportion, the tea may turn out to be overbrewed and bitter or, on the contrary, an infusion without a characteristic taste and aroma.

Too strong tea can be harmful to health. It has been proven that the level of fluoride content in tea affects both the quality of the tea leaf, as well as the brewing time and the amount of tea used to brew the cup. The stronger the tea, the higher the concentration of fluoride. Its excess has a direct negative effect on the general state of health, especially on the bones; leads to osteoporosis, osteopenia and skeletal fluorosis.

Mistake #2. Re-brewing

The British tea company Newby Teas does not recommend re-brewing due to the European technology of using 2 grams per cup. Once the tea has cooled, it will never brew properly again. It will not be used in such a drink, because it will give all the useful substances during the initial brewing. And some varieties of low-quality black tea can even release toxic trace elements. In addition to the fact that tea ceases to be a tonic drink, it loses its taste qualities.

Multiple brewing of tea leaves is the norm in the Sino-Japanese tea traditions of oolong, puerh, green and some varieties of white tea. In Asia, teas with thick, whole leaves, such as oolong, are usually steeped multiple times. But they also use more dry tea for brewing than in Europe. If the tea leaf is heavily rolled or twisted, as in pressed pu-erh or twisted green tea, it is also brewed several times: this way you can get the most out of the drink.

Mistake #3. Incorrect brewing time

Each type of tea needs a certain amount of time to brew. Black tea, oolong and pu-erh should be brewed for 3-5 minutes, green and white teas – 2-3 minutes, herbal teas – 5 minutes. When brewing for too long, phenol, lipids and essential oils contained in tea begin to oxidize spontaneously, which nullifies all the benefits of theine and spoils the taste and aroma of the drink. The unpleasant bitterness that occurs during long-term brewing is most often not caused by a high caffeine content, as many believe, but by the presence of harmful substances in the drink. As soon as the tea has brewed, you should take the tea out of the water.

Mistake #4. Incorrect brewing water temperature

As a rule, tea is brewed with boiling water, the temperature of which is 95 degrees. Black tea, oolongs, and tisanes open perfectly at this temperature. But tender buds and leaves of green or white tea can be burnt, which will affect the taste and aroma. The temperature of the water directly depends on the fermentation of the tea (the larger it is, the higher the temperature of the water) and the type of brewing.

Each type of tea has its own nuances, but the general recommendations are as follows:

100 ° C – black tea, puerh, oolong, tisane

75-85 ° C – green and white tea

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Mistake #5. Choosing low-quality tea for brewing

Even if you follow all the previous points, you can get an unhealthy drink if you brew low-quality tea. We recommend that you pay attention to the following aspects when choosing tea:

Tea collection– the quality of the tea leaves is of primary importance for brewing the perfect cup of tea. The most valuable tea for traditional blending is collected exclusively during the “prime time” period – in spring and summer, when the first tea leaves bloom. It is at this time that a tea leaf has all the necessary qualities characteristic of a certain variety.

Packaging – tea leaves should be stored in a sealed, non-transparent package and protected from direct sunlight. . Violation of these rules leads to loss of aroma, taste qualities and useful properties of tea.

Place of tea packaging – find out the path the tea took from the plantation to the place of packaging. It is best if the tea is packed in the area where it grows. Therefore, it will be an additional advantage if the tea company has its own tea packaging and storage factory near the plantations — this guarantees the preservation of the freshness of the tea leaf and its useful and tasty properties.

Flavors – at when choosing flavored tea, pay attention to what the tea is flavored with: whether the tea manufacturer uses artificial chemical additives, or whether the tea is flavored with natural ingredients (fruits, berries, flowers, natural oils and extracts, etc.).

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Tea should not only please you with its taste and aroma, but also bring exceptional benefits to your body.