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Water For Tea - A Subject of Debate and Connoisseurship
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The importance of water in brewing teas, and what types of waters work best for which teas. Our guest writer, Amanda Mayer Stinchecum, explains more about hard and soft water, and why mountain spring waters are considered the best by the Chinese and Japanese.
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How to Brew Tea
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Brewing tea can be complex or simple. In China it has been taken to the level of an art form and in Japan, an expression of Zen Buddhism.
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Tea and Water Temperature
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Everyone has a different perspective on tea and water temperature. The Taiwanese use boiling water on their oolongs, the British swear by boiling water on their black teas, the Japanese use barely warm water to brew their finest gyokuro green tea. Here is our brief approach.
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The Gong Fu Style of Drinking Fine Tea
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Successive brews of loose tea are poured into small ceramic cups to be shared and appreciated, steep by steep, by a gathering of friends.
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Brewing Iced Tea
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In the summer it can get very hot here in New York City. So we like to make iced tea. Below are some notes on some general guidelines for when you make iced tea.
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Cold Brew Japanese Green Teas
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Serving cooling foods and drinks in glass vessels—maybe because of their resemblance to ice--is a
trope of summer in Japan.
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Measuring Tea
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How much tea should I use when I make tea? This question comes up often and is a difficult one to answer. The old adage of a teaspoon per cup and one for the teapot sounds good but is not at all a consistent measure.
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The Gaiwan Method of Preparing Tea
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Making tea using the gaiwan method is the simplest, quickest, and most widely used method in Taiwan and China. I like to use a gaiwan (or chung) for all types of tea. I make tea and then pour the brewed tea into a sharing pitcher or larger cup when on my own
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Three Ways to Prepare Tea
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I'd like to use the new oolong, Eight Dieties, to illustrate the various methods to making a wonderful oolong. This is because the most frequent questions I get are: "How much tea should I use?", "How long should I steep it for?", and "What temperature should the water be?"
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Loose Tea in Restaurants
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It's great that restaurants are beginning to realize how important it is to provide high-quality tea as part of their culinary offerings.
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Enjoying Tea Gong Fu Style, Without a Yixing Pot
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Oolong are best enjoyed Gong Fu style, but you can achieve similar results without the Yixing (purple clay) pot.
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Tea Storage and Packaging
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How long does tea stay fresh? When tea is stored in optimal conditions -- vacuum-packed or nitrogen-flushed in temperature- and moisture-controlled environments -- the tea will stay fresh.
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Brewing Tea in a French Press
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Many people have asked us whether one can brew a cup of tea in a French press. Yes, it can be done -- in a pinch. But it’s not ideal.
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