How to brew tea correctly

How to properly brew tea: what many don’t do and then complain about mismatched taste and aroma?

Today, green tea is one of the most consumed beverages in Ukraine. But that doesn’t mean everyone buys good tea and brews it correctly. Most people don’t pay attention to the quality of the raw material, buying “whatever is available” at a regular supermarket or a local shop. That’s not surprising. Traditionally, Ukrainians are not accustomed to the rituals of Eastern tea drinking, especially to the elite varieties of the Celestial Empire. Many have heard about this topic (something here and there), but few know what “Dragon Well” or “Emerald Spring Spirals” actually are. Unfortunately, the value of green tea is not important for everyone. Just imagine how great it would be if we truly appreciated the best things in the world and could enjoy them till the end of our days. Our nation would be not only beautiful but also healthy. But today, alas, we cannot boast of that. Diseases spread so fast and consume our bodies that sometimes you start wondering – how weak the health of Ukrainians has become. Constant queues in pharmacies prove this well... But let’s not dwell on the bad... The situation cannot be fixed instantly… However, if every family regularly consumed quality, properly brewed green tea, the situation would improve over time.

Experts and doctors unanimously state – the benefits of green tea for the human body are enormous! The drink contains a large amount of vitamins, microelements, antioxidants, and numerous chemical compounds that significantly improve health in general, namely:

• improves complexion and skin, adds shine to hair,
• provides prevention of cardiovascular diseases,
• strengthens blood vessels, maintaining their elasticity,
• fluoride and iodine, present in excess in tea leaves, help remove heavy metals from the body (attention to people working with computers! Today, that’s every second person),
• reduces the active growth of cancer cells,
• is an excellent antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial agent.

But remember! One cup of green tea per week won’t change anything or show positive results. The “elixir of health” must be drunk regularly and in certain portions – at least 3 cups a day.

To fully get important and useful ingredients from green tea, you need to brew the dry raw material correctly. Now we are interested in the questions:

• How to properly brew green tea?
• How many times can you brew green tea?
• At what temperature should green tea be brewed?
• How often can you drink green tea?

So, how to properly brew loose leaf green tea? Definitely – with soul and good mood! This is loose leaf tea, referring to high-quality Chinese varieties grown on the tea plantations of the Celestial Empire. It consists of young leaves (tips), quickly dried in the shade. Therefore, it has maximally preserved the beneficial properties of the tea plant. To obtain them, let’s turn to the topic “rules for brewing green tea”.

Utensils

To brew green tea correctly, you need the appropriate utensils – a teapot made of porcelain, faience, glass, or clay. The ideal option is a teapot made of Yixing clay, allowing the tea leaves to fully open and “breathe.” Exceptions: metal and plastic utensils.

Those familiar with Eastern tea traditions may use a gaiwan. But that’s another story…

Now about something many have heard but few do… Before brewing, the vessel must be warmed up! This helps the leaves to open perfectly.

Water

The answer to “How to properly brew tea?” should start with “the right water.” Yes, it all starts not only with tea leaves but also with water quality. For a tasty and healthy infusion, water must be soft, purified, without additional taste or aroma impurities. Green tea is very delicate, so with poor quality water, it can lose its natural beauty and refined aroma. You can use bottled water or water purified at home using special filters.

Another simple way to soften water is to freeze it! Just fill a plastic bottle with water and put it in the freezer. When the ice melts – that’s soft water.

How to properly brew Chinese green tea considering water temperature?

Loose leaf green tea should be brewed with boiling water not exceeding 80-90°C. How to achieve this? Very simple! No need for a thermometer. Just bring the water to a rolling boil, then turn off the heat and open the teapot lid. After a while (depending on room temperature), bring your hand close to the steam. If it doesn’t burn – the water is ready for brewing green tea.

Now, briefly answer the question “How to brew green tea?”

• First, rinse the teapot with boiling water.
• Put the tea leaves into the vessel, pour hot water, and immediately pour it out.
• This is necessary to clean the tea leaves from dust.
• Pour water again and steep. How long to brew green tea? Usually from 30 seconds up to 3 minutes.
• Do not leave longer – bitterness may appear. So, second brew – 30 seconds, third – 1 minute, fourth – 1.5 minutes, and so on.
• If you need to raise blood pressure, the infusion is steeped for 5-7 minutes in later brews.
• Pour into cups or bowls.

How long to brew green tea? You can brew multiple times. With each new brew, the steeping time increases so that the new infusion is fully enriched with beneficial substances. Usually, the leaves are used up to 5 times, but some find 3-4 times sufficient.

How to drink green tea? In small sips and with pleasure! It offers a chance to enjoy a mild, delicate taste with frequent honey notes and floral-fruity aromas carrying a warm atmosphere of spring and summer.

How many times a day can you drink green tea? Definitely at least twice. Ideally, before 8 p.m. (to avoid insomnia at night). The perfect norm is no more than 3 cups a day. But everything is individual. For a healthy body using tea for weight loss, up to 5 cups are allowed.

Now you know how to brew and drink green tea properly. But it can also be combined with milk. This gives a rather interesting and useful combination. Green tea with milk: how to brew?

This is a true elixir for weight loss. The mixture is very rich in composition and can work real wonders, namely:

• eliminates headaches and energizes,
• normalizes digestion,
• promotes active weight loss,
• eliminates hunger feelings,
• strengthens nervous and vascular systems,
• fills the body with calcium, strengthening bones and tooth enamel,
• has pronounced diuretic effect,
• prevents kidney stone formation.

How to brew Chinese green tea with milk? Here are some ways.

First: in milk heated to 75°C (1 liter), add 2 teaspoons of dry tea mixture and bring to a boil on the stove. Let it steep for about 30 minutes and consume throughout the day.

Second: brew green tea separately by all the rules. Add warmed milk to the cup. Ratio 1:1.

Sometimes people say: “I know how to brew tea, but mine always turns out different.” We hurry to calm you down: for elite loose Chinese varieties – this is normal. Don’t expect color, taste, and aroma to always be identical. Flavor and aroma notes often change due to various factors (from raw material composition to storage method), but the main thing is that with proper brewing, essential oils don’t evaporate and vitamins are preserved.

There is another way to get an exquisite drink – the method: how to brew green tea in a cup? Some consider it the fastest and best for a very busy modern person. For this, 1 teaspoon of tea leaves is placed in an ordinary cup (250 ml), poured with 80-90°C boiling water and steeped no longer than 2 minutes. When a noticeable film appears on the surface – the tea is considered brewed.