Tea and Sympathy

Bread and water can so easily be toast and tea. ~Author Unknown

If you’re going to have tea, don’t just have tea… have a good one! There aren’t just black, white, and green tea. There are actually a lot of variations done with infusions.

I have a few personal favorites I’d recommend others to try:

1. Twinings Earl Grey Green – green tea infused with bergamot oil. This was named after a British Prime Minister in the 1830s, when a chinese diplomat was rescued from drowning by one of the Earl’s men. This tea is good for breakfast or afternoon tea leisure.

2. St. Dalfour Peppermint Black Tea – this French tea company has mastered the art of tea infusions while using Ceylon tea leaves which works great with peppermint.

3. Gold Leaf Honey Lemon Green – the aroma of this particular variety is very energizing, sure to lift up any glum day. Its affordable too!

Tea, I think, can be as tricky to prepare as brewed coffee. As there is no known (that is, to me) machine that can automatically prepare the perfect cup, you have to master making it like a trainee alchemist.

First off, know what your tea is. Different teas require different steeping time (that is, the number of minutes it infuses the water) and different water temperature.

Black tea generally should be made with water at a full, rolling boil, 212 degrees. Steep 4-6 minutes. Darjeelings are the exception, they should be steeped 2-3 minutes.

Oolong tea (also known as wulong tea) should be made with water a little bit below boiling, between 190 and 203 degrees. The water should be steaming rapidly and there should many bubbles rising in the kettle, but not really breaking the surface. Oolong teas (also known as wulong tea) vary dramatically and you need to experiment or follow the suggested steeping instructions on the bag. Many oolongs (wulongs) are perfect at 3-4 minutes, some need 6-8 minutes.

Green teas should be made with slightly cooler water, between 160 and 180 degrees. The steam should be wafting or gently swirling out of the kettle. Green teas should typically be steeped for much less time, 2-3 minutes.

White teas should be made with even cooler water, anywhere from 150 to 160 degrees, when you see the very first hint of steam. White teas typically should be steeped around 2 minutes, although some can be steeped much longer with good results.

Puerh teas are very different, I have had them made with cooler water, similar to a green tea. But my favorite method is to make them with boiling water and steep them a long time. Puerh teas should be steeped at least 7-8 minutes. I like to steep Puerhs up to 20 minutes.To keep puerh hot, while steeping 20 minutes, simply cover your pot with a tea cozy or even wrap it with a dish towel. It will stay piping hot.

Herbal teas should typically be made with boiling water. Herbals typically should be steeped a minimum of 4-6 minutes, some for up to 10 minutes.

taken from TeaSource

If you’re having coffee more than once a day, trade that one cup for green tea instead of coffee. Its known to have more effective antioxidants than coffee and can even help you boost your metabolism.

Lets go green!