Tea is the winter drink by definition. It warms us up while offering us a fruity, acidic, sweet, spicy break… Yes, there are an infinite number of flavors and a very large number of varieties of tea. But do we really know how to prepare it? Answer with the instructions found on the sites of the major tea brands such as Kusmi Tea, Comptoirs Richard and Palais des Thés.
All brands agree that it is good to choose low-mineralized water:either spring water or filtered water. Kusmi Tea recommends heating it in a kettle rather than a saucepan, as the latter can impart a food-like taste to the water.
For tea lovers, the infusion temperature is essential and differs according to the type of tea. The idea is to let the aromas express themselves. The problem? Too hot water can destroy certain flavors or develop bitterness (in the case of green or white teas). It is therefore not recommended to let the tea water boil. This is why “modern” kettles offer to adjust the heating temperature (we think in particular of the HD9380/20 model from Philips or the Adjustable Temperature Kettle from Domoclip). On the Palais des Thés website, you can find the ideal infusion temperature for many teas.
A tea bag usually contains between 2 and 3 grams of tea leaves. For loose tea, roughly the same amount is used. However, this rule must be adapted according to our tastes but also to the type of tea:black, green and rooibos teas are naturally stronger and require a lower dosage. The measuring spoons are good tools to tell us how much to use.
There, it is difficult to give a universal rule because the infusion time depends on the chemical composition of the tea, but also and once again on our tastes. Thus, it can range from a few seconds to ten minutes. Keep in mind that black tea generally infuses for a short time (2 to 3 minutes), green tea barely longer, while an Oolong can infuse for a long time (and even be reused!). During the first tasting, it is best to refer to the indication on the bag. Thereafter, we can adjust the infusion time.
The Comptoirs Richard website gives a tip for lowering the theine concentration (determined by the quantity of buds used in the preparation) of our drink:we pour a little simmering water over the tea, let it steep for 20 seconds, then we throw this first water. The action eliminates more than half of the theine from the drink. You had to know!
