How to Make Perfect Tea

When it comes to preparing tea, British people probably do it best. If you want to taste the best tasting tea, try making one the British style.

Next to coffee, hot brewed black tea is enjoyed both with meals and as refreshment by majority of the population.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tea cup that could maintain heat
• Teapot (preferable made of clay, glass or porcelain)
• Fresh water
• Tea bag
• Loose leaves
• Sieve
• Milk, sugar, honey (optional)

1. Boil water. Be sure not to over boil it or repeatedly boil it since it greatly reduces the amount of water in the oxygen.

2. In a cup or pot, add the boiling water to the tea bag and not the other way around.

3. Make sure the teapot or cup is hot enough. Rinse out with near-boiling water if necessary. Keep the pot covered while brewing. Brew for 3 – 5 minutes.

4. Leave the teabag for at least two minutes. Dunking the teabag is not necessary.

5. If you are using loose tealeaves, make the tea in a teapot rather in a cup. Ratio is one teaspoon of tealeaves per person or cup and another further teaspoon for the “teapot”.

6. Once the tea has steeped into perfection, strained into a second pre-warmed pot.

7. Add milk, sugar or honey.

Tips & Warnings

• A perfect tea color should be somewhat dark red and not opaque.
• Better have the milk already in the cup before pouring the tea into it.
• Avoid adding milk after the tea is poured in a cup because this will produce denaturation of milk proteins, which will leave milk tasteless.
• Drink tea with a little milk but avoid putting cream or high fat milk into your tea.
• Never put honey into your tea when you are in Britain, unless you want some British guy or girl laughed at you in a teashop.
• Use filters, buy bottled water, or find soft water. It should be tasteless and colorless.
• To ensure that none of the tea will be left in the teapot, pour freshly boiled water into the number of teacups required. After that, return the water to the teapot and add tea.
• For Black, Green and White tea, the water should be below boiling point. This is to maintain the tea’s sweet flavor.
• For Oolong tea, hottest temperature is ideal to get the optimal flavor and fragrance.
• For white teas, no need to add sugar or milk.
• For green teas, honey is recommended over sugar.
• For black teas, anything goes.
• Brewing your tea for less than the recommended period would result to a watery tea.
• Over brewing it, on the other hand, would result to a bitter and grey tasting tea
• Avoid teapots made of metal or those that have plastic parts. It can alter the tea’s natural flavor and may add a strange taste to your tea. Use white sugar because other kinds may alter the overall taste of the tea.