Learn to Brew Darjeeling Tea by Learning All Varieties

In my opinion wrong preparation is actually the key reason why lots of individuals aren't keen on tea. Owing to different teas having their distinct brewing method, many folks are understandably clueless as to the way to make them in the proper way. And committing just a few crucial mistakes will leave you with a terrible cup of tea. The good news is that any kind of tea can be prepared by using pretty much any procedure. Taking care of a few crucial elements is really enough and I'll cover those below.

Why don't we start with the easiest one. Most individuals have no issues making a great cup of black tea. Basically, you dump 100 ºC water on top of the leaves and leave them to steep for 2-3 minutes. This process will be successful for Assam tea and pretty much all of the widespread Chinese teas, Ceylon teas or Nepalese teas. The one notable exception is Indian darjeeling tea. Owing to the fact that it is not fully oxidized, it needs to be brewed with cooler water (80-90ºC or 180-194ºF), very similar to an oolong tea.

Green tea is not quite so easy to prepare the correct way, given the great variance of different varieties and the great difference in brewing methods. The proper water temperature and the steeping times are the main two factors you absolutely must do right. The majority of green teas are brewed using a temperature of around 80°C (176°F).

Make sure to use a much cooler 50°C–60°C (122°F–140°F) for the high quality Japanese tea gyokuro, however. The Japanese tea Houjicha, which is roasted, is one more exception. Perhaps the hardest possible tea to prepare incorrectly, it can simply be brewed employing 100°C water. The instructions printed on the package will indicate a good time to start in terms of steeping times. In the absence of suggestions, start with two minutes for most teas and one and a half minutes for gyokuro.

There is one green tea that is very unlike the others and that cannot be made using the guidelines I wrote above: Matcha green tea powder. As it is a powder, it requires a different and very involved way of brewing, which includes different utensils. If you've ever had the pleasure of viewing a Japanese tea ceremony, you've witnessed the making of matcha. I could fill several pages with guidelines on the way to prepare matcha, but I'll leave that for another place.

White tea is quite a bit more difficult to make the right way, too. This includes white darjeeling tea. It calls for a significantly lower water temperature than green tea, for the leaves are quite a bit more delicate. The two most popular varieties, White Hair Silver Needle and White Peony, are each best prepared at 75-80°C (167-176°F). I'd start with a steeping time of 2-3 minutes and fine tune it as you see fit. If you prefer a stronger cup of tea, increase your steeping time; should you prefer your tea weaker, subtract from the time spent steeping.

The most difficult kind of tea to prepare in the correct way, not counting matcha, is oolong tea. Usually, they are prepared using a ton of leaves and very short steeping times over a number of infusions. You'll be able to get a satisfying cup by using regular methods, however. Take care with the water temperature: it has to be slightly below 100°C.

I amaware that the guidelines I've presented above are pretty basic. Naturally, the most delicious results are achieved by using the specific preparation guidelines for each specific kind of tea. If you don't have those, however, making use of my instructions will get you a tasty cup of tea, no matter the type. Should you have formerly determined you hate tea, let's hope reading this will encourage you to give the world's most common beverage, apart from water, another chance. You absolutely won't regret it.