The art of making green tea

I am a big fan of green tea. Every morning I take the necessary few steps to brew the perfect cup of green tea. It is an ART. So many places offer great green tea selection yet they do not take the necessary care to brew the tea to perfection. If you think Green tea is astringent or bitter, it is probably because it was not well prepared.

Lock Cha tea Shop

I was fortunate last year to go to Hong Kong for a friend's wedding. I love tea and was in search of a good tea shop. I came across the beautiful Lock Cha Tea Shop in Sheung Wan. "Lock" means Happiness, enjoyment and fortune. The shop was small yet very cute with a few tables to taste tea. As we entered we were offered to sit down around a table to sample some teas. The Tea Master, as I call her, asked us what kind of tea we like and proceeded to the tea making initiation. We were able to sample 6 different teas, from green to greenish via white to black teas. For each type of tea, the tea master explained to us in details the delicate steps to make that perfect cup of tea. Here are the various notes I took from that day.


Various types of teas

Green Tea, best known for its health properties as it contains a high amount of antioxidants. Fresh tea leaves are picked and quickly heated up by pan firing or steaming to prevent further fermentation. The flavors are refreshing, from grassy and vegetal to nutty and floral. This tea is best brewed with a glass. As Green tea is delicate, it is best made with low temperature water.

White Tea, one of my favorite tea. It is minimally processed and generally only picked and air-dried, therefore it is slightly fermented. The flavors can be described as savory, mellow and sweet. White tea is very popular in Southern China and Hong Kong.

Yellow Tea is a kind of green tea with a special prolonged process of drying. The taste is deeper, the color more yellowish and it has a pronounced fragrance. Even though this tea used to be common amongst people, it is rare today.

Greenish Tea or Oolong Tea is rolled and oxidized after picking, allowing the essential ingredients to react with air. This process turns the leaf to a darker green and produce distinctive fragrances before heat is applied to set the taste. The Oolong flavors range from highly floral, very fruity to mildly roasted with honey flavors. Patience and Care are essential to make this tea. Apparently Tea connoisseurs take it to the level of an art and call it Kung-Fu tea.

Red Tea or Black Tea, as it is known in Europe and the US, is a result of complete oxidation of the leaf. First produced in China, this tea achieved worldwide acceptance after the British cultivated the plant in places like India, Sri Lanka and Africa. Theses teas are known for their robust and full-bodied flavors.

Chinese Black Tea (also known as Pu-er) is aged and twice fermented and you will find it often compressed into cakes or bricks. Its name comes from the town of Pu-er in south-western China. Pu-er has a strong green and earthy taste that gains complexity over time. Some rare premium pu-er teas are more than 50 years old and become treasures of collectors.

10 Must-dos to do to brew the best tea

Porcelain Tea Set

1. Buy good quality tea from specialty tea providers
2. Store your tea properly in airtight container and in a cool place
3. Make sure you use your tea quite quickly, especially green teas. as most teas lose their flavors over time
4. Use good water such a spring or filtered water. Impurities, like chlorine or rust will affect the taste of your tea so filter your tap water
5. Do not overboil or re-boil water as this depletes the oxygen in the water and makes the tea flat
6. Use good matched tea-wares. Try to avoid plastic and metal tea-wares. Glass, stone-wares and porcelain are good and dissipate heat in different rates. For example, use glass for low temperature brewing tea (green tea) and stoneware for high temperature brewing tea. Chung (covered bowl) is a very convenient option for most teas. I got myself a nice red tea set in HKG
7. Make sure you warm up your tea-ware, just rinse them with hot water.
8.  Put the right amount of tea leaves. Lock Cha recommends 5 grams of tea to 100 cc. of water and 8 grams for stronger tea. Just try and adjust to your taste
9. Use the right temperature which is one of the most important thing you need to think about. Know your tea and determine what temperature is best. The rule is lower temperature for greener, smaller leaf; higher temperature  for browner and tightly rolled tea (see below). Invest in a small thermostat to help you out
10. Right timing, brewing the tea too long will make tea astringent and bitter. Adjust timing or use less tea will avoid these problems. For example Oolong tea is more critical and brew fast while other teas are more flexible

       
            Tea Type                 Temp (Celsius)       Temp (fahrenheit)            Brewing time

              Green                         40-75                         104-167                       2 min +
              White                         80-85                         176-185                       1 min +    
              Yellow                      75-85                         185-203                        30 sec
              Greenish                    80-95                        176-203                        15 sec - 1 min
              Red                            95-100                      203-212                        1-3 min
              Black                          100                           212                               1-3 min

How to brew tea?

1. Heat pure, preferably soft, water
2. Warm the tea-ware
3. Add the right amount of tea
4. Rinse the tea when necessary and strain quickly
5. Check the temperature, add water and steep for a while
6. Strain
7. Enjoy
8. Re-steep for more pleasure

Now go and enjoy your tea. Tea has been associated with its medical and health benefits. Please enjoy those guidelines to brew your next cup of tea. Thanks to Lock Cha Tea Shop for their initiation in to making the perfect cup of tea.