Brewing the Perfect Cup of Tea

1. Heat water in kettle and pour in pot.
   

2. Fill fresh water in kettle, preferably spring water
   

3. Heat water
   
   

   a. Bring water to boil for black tea, rooibos, oolong, pu ehr, herbal and fruit teas (200 degrees F/95 degrees C) b. Bring to a simmer- when the steam is rising and wafting off on an angle, water is ready for green and white teas (180-190 degrees F/90 degrees C) Remember that a tea leaf is like a vegetable- don’t over cook your tea leaf it will taste bitter and ruin your tea experience

4. Pour warming water out of teapot (reserve for watering plants after it cools completely)
   

5. Measure tea into the heated teapot- 1 tsp to every cup of water is a good rule, however, you may prefer a stronger tea. For iced tea, use 2 teaspoons for every cup
   

6. Pour water over the top of leaves and steep according to type of tea. Loose tea provides the best flavor because the leave have an opportunity to unfurl and release its nuances. Follow the following steeping or infusing directions

a. Black and Pu erh teas for 3 to 5 minutes

b. White and Green teas for 1 to 3 minutes

c. Oolong teas for 1 to 3 minutes

d. Tisanes (herbal) and display teas (peonies) for 5-10 minutes

Place a strainer or filter over your cup to capture the leaves

From the wonderful people at Petali Teas
Photo by Jennifer L Porter