How to Prepare the Perfect Cup of Tea
The art of Tea Making
There is nothing so refreshing, calming, and nourishing as am enticing cup of tea. Of course, for the perfect cup of tea, the right preparation is necessary. For this the right knowledge and mindset is needed.
To make fine, loose-leaf tea is admittedly not as easy as using a tea bag, but the results are incomparable. The unmatched flavor and fragrance is sublime. It connects a person to nature, calms the mind, and brings joy to the heart. The simple pleasure of tea brings peace and tranquility to one’s daily existence. It helps a person to stop and enjoy the beauty of nature. The ritual of making tea is a deeply contemplative and soothing practice. This was well understood by the Japanese tea masters who turned the simple act of making tea into an elevated art form, a meditation, and a simple means for communing with the Divine. Making tea is the perfect daily retreat from our stressful and busy modern lives. Rather than dreading the act of making tea as a laborious task which must be completed along with other daily chores, we urge you to relish the opportunity to take a break from your busy schedule and stressful routine to enjoy the simple pleasure of making tea.
Life is simple and beautiful when enjoying a nice cup of fine tea in silent reflection. This attitude is essential to making a good cup of tea. People long for the nostalgic pleasure of the home cooked meals prepared by their mother. No food can ever seem to match what we recall from our youth, because a mother's love is poured into the food she prepares for her children. Foods and beverages prepared with love, care, joy, and attention are assuredly more savory and fulfilling. We put great care into every step of the preparation of our tea, and to get the most from it, it is necessary that people prepare it with a little attention. With this understanding, we hope to inspire people to make their tea making ritual a sacred retreat which fulfills them spiritually, physically, and emotionally. In the contemplative practices of boiling water, measuring the herbs, and timing a cup of tea to perfection, and finishing it with the right accompaniments, there is great silence and peace. It is a simply non-sectarian ritual which helps us become silent. In silence there is connection to nature and to the Divine. If people can begin to see the Divine in the sacred ritual of making tea, they will begin to slow down in their busy lives and see the Divine all around. Tea is not a convenience, it is a sublime experience. This is a simple luxury which is accessible to all.
To make fine, loose-leaf tea is admittedly not as easy as using a tea bag, but the results are incomparable. The unmatched flavor and fragrance is sublime. It connects a person to nature, calms the mind, and brings joy to the heart. The simple pleasure of tea brings peace and tranquility to one’s daily existence. It helps a person to stop and enjoy the beauty of nature. The ritual of making tea is a deeply contemplative and soothing practice. This was well understood by the Japanese tea masters who turned the simple act of making tea into an elevated art form, a meditation, and a simple means for communing with the Divine. Making tea is the perfect daily retreat from our stressful and busy modern lives. Rather than dreading the act of making tea as a laborious task which must be completed along with other daily chores, we urge you to relish the opportunity to take a break from your busy schedule and stressful routine to enjoy the simple pleasure of making tea.
Life is simple and beautiful when enjoying a nice cup of fine tea in silent reflection. This attitude is essential to making a good cup of tea. People long for the nostalgic pleasure of the home cooked meals prepared by their mother. No food can ever seem to match what we recall from our youth, because a mother's love is poured into the food she prepares for her children. Foods and beverages prepared with love, care, joy, and attention are assuredly more savory and fulfilling. We put great care into every step of the preparation of our tea, and to get the most from it, it is necessary that people prepare it with a little attention. With this understanding, we hope to inspire people to make their tea making ritual a sacred retreat which fulfills them spiritually, physically, and emotionally. In the contemplative practices of boiling water, measuring the herbs, and timing a cup of tea to perfection, and finishing it with the right accompaniments, there is great silence and peace. It is a simply non-sectarian ritual which helps us become silent. In silence there is connection to nature and to the Divine. If people can begin to see the Divine in the sacred ritual of making tea, they will begin to slow down in their busy lives and see the Divine all around. Tea is not a convenience, it is a sublime experience. This is a simple luxury which is accessible to all.
Click on the picture to learn about today's recommended tea
Refreshing and crisp, this tea's sublime aroma tantalizes the senses. Combining fruity notes from raisins, hints of minty Perilla leaves, spicy cinnamon, soothing lemongrass and other spices, this blend supports the body's natural process of detoxification.
Refreshing and crisp, this tea's sublime aroma tantalizes the senses. Combining fruity notes from raisins, hints of minty Perilla leaves, spicy cinnamon, soothing lemongrass and other spices, this blend supports the body's natural process of detoxification.
Equipment
To make a great cup of tea, the right ingredients and equipment is required.
1) pure water
Tap water or treated well water which is full of chlorine and other additives like fluoride will add a chemically smell and taste which can mask the subtle bouquet of a fine tea. Distilled water is pure and will not taint the flavor of tea, but it has less prana (life-force) and will not carry the health promoting qualities of the herbs as well as other water. Fresh spring water, rainwater, or river water from pure sources (filtered and sterilized if needed) is best for making tea.
2) high quality tea
Fresh or dried herbs which are pure and and fragrant should be blended for the perfect herbal tea. We have 14 blends you can try for a variety of flavors and occasions.
3) a scale or teaspoon for measurements
For precision, we recommend using a gram scale, available at most supermarkets or cooking ware stores. If this is not available an approximate amount may be measured using a teaspoon.
4) a kettle or pan for boiling water
There are many stove top and electric kettles available. It is recommended that the kettle or pan used for heating water for tea be reserved for that purpose to avoid contaminating the flavors of the tea with the lingering tastes of other foods.
5) a heatproof tea pot or cup for steeping, a cloth teabag, tea ball or fine strainer, and cup(s) for serving
There are a variety of teapots on the market made from various materials. We recommend glass, ceramic, or earthenware. Unglazed pottery teapots tend to absorb the fragrance of tea and are best used for one variety of tea, in which case the flavor deepens with time as absorbed flavors are infused into the tea from the pot itself. Plastic and metal can add unwanted flavors of their own to tea, so we do not recommend them. Many teapots contain strainer baskets. These should provide ample room for the herbs to expand without being crowded so that the flavors may be released into the water. They should have fine enough strainers as to remove fine particles from the water after steeping. A french press style pot, which does not remove the herbs from the water after steeping is not ideal, because it will cause over-steeping if all the tea which is made is not poured from the pot immediately. Certain teapots are better at keeping tea warm for a long time, "tea cozies" are available to help insulate a pot and maintain warmth. The right sized pot should be used for the amount of servings made. For a single serving, it is possible to steep tea right in the cup using a teabag or tea ball.
There are many great products available now for making loose leaf tea available at most supermarkets, specialty shops, and home wares stores.
When brewing a pot of tea, it may be advisable to fill the pot (or cup) with boiling water and then to drain this before adding the tea. This step is not necessary, but it serves a dual purpose. It preheats the pot which enables the tea to maintain warmth for a longer time and it rinses any remaining residue and aromas from the previous batch of tea from the pot.
1) pure water
Tap water or treated well water which is full of chlorine and other additives like fluoride will add a chemically smell and taste which can mask the subtle bouquet of a fine tea. Distilled water is pure and will not taint the flavor of tea, but it has less prana (life-force) and will not carry the health promoting qualities of the herbs as well as other water. Fresh spring water, rainwater, or river water from pure sources (filtered and sterilized if needed) is best for making tea.
2) high quality tea
Fresh or dried herbs which are pure and and fragrant should be blended for the perfect herbal tea. We have 14 blends you can try for a variety of flavors and occasions.
3) a scale or teaspoon for measurements
For precision, we recommend using a gram scale, available at most supermarkets or cooking ware stores. If this is not available an approximate amount may be measured using a teaspoon.
4) a kettle or pan for boiling water
There are many stove top and electric kettles available. It is recommended that the kettle or pan used for heating water for tea be reserved for that purpose to avoid contaminating the flavors of the tea with the lingering tastes of other foods.
5) a heatproof tea pot or cup for steeping, a cloth teabag, tea ball or fine strainer, and cup(s) for serving
There are a variety of teapots on the market made from various materials. We recommend glass, ceramic, or earthenware. Unglazed pottery teapots tend to absorb the fragrance of tea and are best used for one variety of tea, in which case the flavor deepens with time as absorbed flavors are infused into the tea from the pot itself. Plastic and metal can add unwanted flavors of their own to tea, so we do not recommend them. Many teapots contain strainer baskets. These should provide ample room for the herbs to expand without being crowded so that the flavors may be released into the water. They should have fine enough strainers as to remove fine particles from the water after steeping. A french press style pot, which does not remove the herbs from the water after steeping is not ideal, because it will cause over-steeping if all the tea which is made is not poured from the pot immediately. Certain teapots are better at keeping tea warm for a long time, "tea cozies" are available to help insulate a pot and maintain warmth. The right sized pot should be used for the amount of servings made. For a single serving, it is possible to steep tea right in the cup using a teabag or tea ball.
There are many great products available now for making loose leaf tea available at most supermarkets, specialty shops, and home wares stores.
When brewing a pot of tea, it may be advisable to fill the pot (or cup) with boiling water and then to drain this before adding the tea. This step is not necessary, but it serves a dual purpose. It preheats the pot which enables the tea to maintain warmth for a longer time and it rinses any remaining residue and aromas from the previous batch of tea from the pot.
Measurements
Once a person has selected the right vessel for steeping, the right amount of tea must be added. More or less tea can be used according to personal preferences and desired flavor and potency. For precision in tea making, a gram scale can be useful. On each pack, we have provided measurements in grams and approximate teaspoons. Because the weight of herbs will vary according to the type of herb (leaves, seeds, roots, bark etc.) and the size of the pieces of herbs, the only way to be precise with measurements is to use a scale. Though some may like their tea stronger than others, to make a good cup of tea it is essential to use the right amount of herbs. We have a specific range of recommended measurements for each tea included on the packages.
Many people know that black and green tea require a specific temperature, less than boiling for black tea, and even cooler for green tea to prevent the tea from becoming bitter or astringent. Most herbal infusions are not so finicky about temperature. As a matter of fact except for a few herbs with a highly volatile aroma like rose, jasmine, or mint, the hotter the water is the better. For the maximum transference of flavor into the water, boiling water is recommended. It is possible to use cooler water, if boiling water is not available, but the steeping time will be longer. Using room temperature water is called "cold infusion." This method of preparation is suitable for certain fragrant herbs which lose their aroma when exposed to heat. In this case it is best to steep herbs for at least 12 hours. We recommend the hot infusion or simmering method of preparation for all of our teas.
For herbal teas which are comprised of softer plant materials like leaves, flowers, small seeds and stems, steeping in boiling water will be sufficient to extract the volatile oils and nutrients from the herbs. For harder plant parts like roots, wood, bark, large stems and seeds, the best way to prepare tea, is to actually simmer the herbs in a pan. This process of simmering herbs is called decoction and it is the only way to thoroughly extract the nutrients and aromas from dense and hard plants parts. Though it is possible to make a passable tea by simply steeping such herbs, the depth of flavor resulting from simmering will not be present. When cooking herbs it is best to simmer them at a low temperature to help reduce the loss of volatile oils from delicate fragrant herbs. Each of our teas has recommendations for steeping or boiling according to the nature of the herbs included in the blend.
Many people know that black and green tea require a specific temperature, less than boiling for black tea, and even cooler for green tea to prevent the tea from becoming bitter or astringent. Most herbal infusions are not so finicky about temperature. As a matter of fact except for a few herbs with a highly volatile aroma like rose, jasmine, or mint, the hotter the water is the better. For the maximum transference of flavor into the water, boiling water is recommended. It is possible to use cooler water, if boiling water is not available, but the steeping time will be longer. Using room temperature water is called "cold infusion." This method of preparation is suitable for certain fragrant herbs which lose their aroma when exposed to heat. In this case it is best to steep herbs for at least 12 hours. We recommend the hot infusion or simmering method of preparation for all of our teas.
For herbal teas which are comprised of softer plant materials like leaves, flowers, small seeds and stems, steeping in boiling water will be sufficient to extract the volatile oils and nutrients from the herbs. For harder plant parts like roots, wood, bark, large stems and seeds, the best way to prepare tea, is to actually simmer the herbs in a pan. This process of simmering herbs is called decoction and it is the only way to thoroughly extract the nutrients and aromas from dense and hard plants parts. Though it is possible to make a passable tea by simply steeping such herbs, the depth of flavor resulting from simmering will not be present. When cooking herbs it is best to simmer them at a low temperature to help reduce the loss of volatile oils from delicate fragrant herbs. Each of our teas has recommendations for steeping or boiling according to the nature of the herbs included in the blend.
Timing
When brewing tea, timing is as important as water temperature and amount of herbs. For all of our teas we recommend boiling or steeping for a time of 3 - 10 minutes. This is the optimal amount of time for most herbal teas. Depending upon the desired strength and flavor and the type of herbs used for tea making, people may steep tea for more or less time. It can be useful to have a kitchen timer (or a timer app on your phone) to help ensure the perfect timing. Once the tea has finished steeping, it is important to strain the tea to prevent over steeping. Over steeped tea will tend to have a harsh flavor.
Longer exposure to boiling water may dissipate the volatile oils of delicate herbs like jasmine, mint, or rose petals and destroy the subtle flavors of the tea. Many herbs can become excessively bitter or astringent when over-steeped. For medicinal use, herbs are often simmered for long periods of time (sometimes for 24 hours or more). Though this long, slow cooking process is suitable for extracting the most from certain herbs, it does not benefit the flavor and it produces a decoction which is too strong for regular use. Such potent preparations of herbs should only be consumed with the direct advice and supervision of a Doctor or qualified Ayurvedic herbalist.
After use, the pot used for making tea should be rinsed with hot water and wiped with a clean cloth or sponge if necessary. Avoiding the use of scented soaps will help avoid strong odors from compromising the purity and fragrance of fine teas.
Longer exposure to boiling water may dissipate the volatile oils of delicate herbs like jasmine, mint, or rose petals and destroy the subtle flavors of the tea. Many herbs can become excessively bitter or astringent when over-steeped. For medicinal use, herbs are often simmered for long periods of time (sometimes for 24 hours or more). Though this long, slow cooking process is suitable for extracting the most from certain herbs, it does not benefit the flavor and it produces a decoction which is too strong for regular use. Such potent preparations of herbs should only be consumed with the direct advice and supervision of a Doctor or qualified Ayurvedic herbalist.
After use, the pot used for making tea should be rinsed with hot water and wiped with a clean cloth or sponge if necessary. Avoiding the use of scented soaps will help avoid strong odors from compromising the purity and fragrance of fine teas.
Re-Steeping
Most teas can be used to prepare multiple infusions. The flavors do tend to change with each subsequent infusion. The strongest and most water soluble flavor notes will tend to dominate the first infusion, while the subtler flavors and aromas will tend to become more pronounced in later infusions. It is more economical and it helps a person to more fully savor the profound depth of our teas to use the same herbs for multiple infusions. Many commercial teas will let off most of their flavor in one infusion, but high quality teas will produce an unique and flavorful cup for 2 or 3 or more infusions. The flavors will not be the same, but they will still be deep and enticing as new layers of flavor are revealed with each infusion. We encourage our drinkers to re-use the herbs several times to get the most out of this fine tea. Our packages say that they make 16 cups of tea, but if the same herbs are re-steeped for three infusions, this would make 48 cups.