MARUISM

Since my brother Evan shared me his collection of assorted tea bags last month, I gradually find myself shifting from drinking coffee to sipping breakfast tea or any kind of tea – everyday. Slowly I am enlightened with tea health benefits, and now it has become a part of my daily kick-start.

Though the innovations of tea bags have made tea preparation much more convenient, preparing tea with loose tea leaves in the traditional way is also an experience to savor all the way up to the flavorful cup of brewed tea. So don’t be left behind and start brewing your own blended cup of tea today. Here’s how:

1. Measure out the tea leaves to be used and place in teapot. The typical proportion is about 1 tablespoon of loose tea leaves for one cup of hot water. Your personal preference is needed here since others prefer a stronger or milder cup of tea. Adjust the measure as needed.
2. Boil hot water for the tea and pour into the teapot. Aside from the amount of hot water to use, the temperature of the water also affects the final cup. This will depend on the type of tea leaves being used. For black and oolong tea, pour in boiling water to extract the full flavor. For green and delicate tea, allow the water to cool for 1-2 minutes before pouring in to prevent it from burning the green tea leaves.
3. Steep the tea leaves. The number of minutes for steeping depends once again on the type of tea leaves being used. Black tea is steeped anywhere from 2-5 minutes. (2-3 minutes for a milder brew). Green tea is steeped for a shorter time of 2-3 minutes while oolong tea can be steeped from 4-6 minutes. Some tea leaves such as white, oolong and green tea labeled as delicate can be steeped for an even shorter time of 30 seconds.
4. Pour out the brew. Separate the tea leaves after steeping and pour the brewed tea into warmed tea cups.

Warming up the tea cups helps preserve the tea flavors. Pour hot water into cups and swirl around to warm it up. Throw away the hot water before serving.

TEA accompaniments:

• Milk and sugar with tea has been a European contribution. Milk is often used for stronger flavored tea blends such as Indian chai, Assam and Kenya blends.
• Lemon slices can be served with Ceylon, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Jasmine, and Chinese tea blends.
• Tisanes are rarely served with milk and other activities since it would mask the natural flavors of the tea.
• Other side accompaniments for tea are sugar and honey. Use as needed.

Looking for more assortments? Click the website of this tea company.

Tags: black tea, breakfast tea, tea