10 secrets of delicious tea

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We've collected ten helpful tips for brewing tea, the most important of which has nothing to do with cooking.

Tea in our open spaces is a cult drink that everyone, without exception, loves. In addition to its great taste and smell, it has a host of health benefits due to its high antioxidant content. Unlike coffee, which you still need to be able to properly prepare, drinking tea does not seem to be a very difficult process. However, there are also secrets here.

1. Pay attention to the freshness of the tea

Over time, the essential oils in tea can degrade, which negatively affects its taste. Tea can last up to two years if stored in a cool, dry place (try an airtight container).

You won't get sick or poisoned if you drink expired tea, but it tastes much better if you use it for six months.

2. Freedom to tea leaves

Tea leaves expand significantly when brewed. Therefore, in order to fully reveal its full potential, take care of free space.

This means that you should give preference to loose tea. If you still like tea bags, then pay attention to the pyramids, which have more space for tea.

3. Tea is delicious water

In our cup of tea, the main part is water, so it would not be an exaggeration to say that the taste of tea depends on the water used even more than on the type of infusion.

The fact that chlorinated tap water is not recommended is understandable to everyone, but specific recommendations for choosing water depend on your preferences and place of residence. In any case, take this matter seriously.

4. Boiling point

Just as important as the quality of the water is its temperature. We know from childhood that water must be boiled well, "so that there are no microbes." However, boiling water is not required to make good tea.

So, black tea is best brewed at a temperature of about 90 degrees, and green and white varieties at 70-80 degrees. Therefore, after boiling water, it is better to let it cool slightly to the required temperature.

And in no case do not boil water again and do not mix boiled and non-boiled water - good tea will not work!

5. Not too much, not too little

Stick to 1½ to 2 tablespoons of tea per glass of water for large leaf brews and greens and herbal varieties.

For most black teas, which are more compact and have a longer drying time, 1 teaspoon is sufficient. If you want a stronger and more aromatic drink, then add tea, but do not increase the infusion time.

6. The right dishes

Using the right utensils is essential to making delicious tea. It is best to brew and consume this drink in ceramic dishes, because it is not for nothing that the triumphal procession of tea across the planet was accompanied by the fashion for porcelain and faience.

A wide variety of glass teapots for brewing are now on sale, which are also quite applicable. The main thing is to remember that making tea in metal dishes is highly undesirable.

7. Look at the clock

If the drink has stood, then it will taste too bitter, because the tea begins to release tannins. It is still not harmful to health (overbrewed tea is sometimes used as a home remedy for diarrhea), but it hardly tastes good.

Black tea will take about three to five minutes to infuse, while green and white tea only need two to three minutes to reach condition.

8. Not a drop of milk

In our country, unlike some other countries, tea with milk is not very common. And that's just great! Milk proteins can bind to the beneficial substances of tea and thus weaken its healing effect. Well, there is no need to talk about the taste of such "tea".

9. A little lemon

The addition of lemon enhances the antioxidant properties of the tea. Vitamin C provides an acidic environment for catechins within our body, making them more readily available for absorption in the highly acidic environment of our intestines. The addition of citrus fruits can also help to make the tea taste better, as they overpower some of the bitterness.

In this case, you can experiment not only with the canonical lemon, but also taste the orange, grapefruit, and so on.

10. Drink to your health

Regardless of whether you follow strict tea rules or take them completely lightly, remember that tea is not just a food product, but a real cultural tradition associated with relaxation and communication.

Even the cheapest variety, surrounded by pleasant companions, can seem unusually tasty and vice versa. So the most important secret of making delicious tea lies not at all in the field of cooking.