How to Make Tea？/ How to Brew Tea？

1、Boil water

1.1、What kind of water is suitable for making tea?

I. Mountain Spring Water
Mountain spring water mostly comes from rocky and mountainous areas with dense vegetation. The spring water, which is formed by the accumulation of trickles from mountain rock faults, is rich in carbon dioxide and various trace elements beneficial to the human body. The spring water, filtered through sandstone, is crystal clear and contains minimal amounts of compounds such as chlorine and iron. Using this spring water to make tea can maximize the color, aroma, taste, and shape of the tea. However, not all mountain spring water is suitable for making tea. For example, sulfuric mineral water cannot be used for tea.

II. Well Water
Well water is groundwater with low suspended solids and high transparency. However, it mostly belongs to shallow groundwater, especially in cities, and is easily contaminated by the surrounding environment. Using contaminated well water to make tea can detract from the tea’s flavor. Therefore, if one can obtain water from a live well, it can also be used to make a good cup of tea.

III. Purified Water
Purified water contains no impurities and has a neutral pH. Using this water to make tea not only results in a clear and transparent tea due to its purity, but also produces a tea with a pure aroma and taste, without any off-flavor, fresh and mellow.

1.2、The water temperature required for making tea

2、Heat the teapot (Scald the pot)

After you have prepared the boiling water for making tea,
Next, you need to briefly rinse the tea set with the boiled water. Fill the teacups and teapot with boiling water, and also rinse the outside of the teapot. While cleaning, you are also preheating the teapot to maintain its temperature. This way, the water temperature can be better maintained during the tea-brewing process, allowing the tea leaves to release their aroma more effectively.

3、Place the tea (Put in the tea)

After rinsing the tea set, proceed to place the tea leaves into the teapot.

Usually, about 3-8 grams of tea leaves are used. Often, tea leaves are packaged in single-use portions, so you can simply add one small packet or block of tea leaves at a time. You don’t need to be overly concerned about the exact amount of tea leaves. As mentioned earlier, there are no absolute standards for brewing tea. The joy of tasting tea lies in constantly experimenting, adjusting the amount of tea, water temperature, and brewing time to achieve different flavors until you find the taste you like.

4、Pour the water (Add water)

For the first pour, wash the tea!
When brewing, raise your arm as high as possible and pour the boiling water into the teapot from a height. Use the boiled water to rinse the tea leaves, let it sit for 5-10 seconds, and then pour out the tea water after the tea leaves have mostly unfurled.
The tea from the first brew should not be drunk; instead, use it to wash the teacups and teapot.

Repeat the brewing process again, pour the brewed tea into the teacups, and start tasting the tea.

During the tea brewing process, as the number of brews increases, the flavor of the tea leaves will gradually weaken. To maintain the taste of the tea, you can appropriately extend the steeping time. Generally, tea leaves can be brewed 5-10 times, while top-quality tea leaves can still maintain an excellent taste even after being brewed up to 15 times.

5、Taste the tea (Sample/enjoy the tea)

Before drinking, you can first smell the tea aroma. Bring your nose close and take a deep breath to enjoy its subtle and elegant fragrance.

Observe its color, checking the color and transparency of the tea liquor, as well as the changes in color between each brew.

When drinking gongfu tea, sip it by placing the cup near your mouth and sucking in some air along with the tea. The air will help the tea liquor swirl around in your mouth, allowing you to better taste the tea leaves. You can also exhale to let the aroma linger in your nasal cavity before swallowing. After a few sips, you will experience a sweet aftertaste.