I got nasty habits; I take tea at three.
-Mick Jagger, Musician
Now
that you know ty, where it comes from, and how it's made, we
can move on to the exciting part: the basics of brewing a great cup of
tea. The below terms will help you make an informed decision the next
time you pick up a box of tea.
While there are no
worldwide standards for grading teas, they are typically evaluated and
labeled in terms of their size and appearance. Tea blends range all the
way from dust and fanning, the lowest quality, to 100% buds, the highest
quality tea available. The size of the leaf after processing determines
how quickly it brews when hot water is added: the smaller the leaf, the
faster the brew time.
Knowing how teas are
graded informs you about the leaf size (and related brewing time),
country of origin, and flavor intensity. Tea grading is often indicated
on the packaging, allowing for a more complete understanding of the tea
you buy beyond whichever name for the tea that the manufacturer decides
on.
Water
Whether
you are brewing CHAI tea from loose leaves or teabags, there are some basic
steps that we recommend you follow. You should always start with fresh
water that has a good taste; hard water or water treated with chlorine
will affect the taste of your tea, so if the water in your area falls
into one of those categories, it should be passed through a filter.
You
also should be mindful to use the correct amount of water for the
amount of tea you are planning on using. A good rule of thumb is to use
about one teaspoon of loose leaf tea or one teabag per cup. Keep in mind
that some lighter teas (greens and whites) have delicate taste so you
may want to use less water per teaspoon of tea. Similarly, some darker
black teas have a strong taste so you may want to use less tea or more water per cup. Experiment and find out what you like best.
The
most important "water rule" you need to remember is that different teas
require different water temperatures and brewing times. The darker
teas, like black and oolong, generally require higher temperatures and
longer brewing times, while the lighter teas, like white and green,
require lower temperature water and shorter brewing times. Before you
brew your tea, be sure to find out the recommended temperature and
duration for the tea you are getting ready to prepare. This information
is usually printed on the package.
Also, water
reacts best with the tea if there is oxygen in it, so always empty the
kettle and refill it with fresh cold water before boiling. Do not
re-boil water in the kettle twice.
Chai Tea : Milk
For
many years there has been a debate about whether you should pour milk
into the cup first or whether you should pour in the tea and add the
milk second. Traditionally, the milk was added first to prevent the hot
tea from cracking cheaper ceramic cups. Today, most cups are more
robust, so cracking them isn't a concern.
Many
people think that milk mixes into the tea better if it is poured into
the cup first. However, others find that it is easier to judge how much
milk to put in if it is poured in after the tea. In the end it is
entirely a matter of choice. While most black teas are taken with milk,
green teas and other lighter teas are usually drunk without milk.
Chai Tea : Honey
Honey
has many varieties with different flavor notes, making for hundreds of
possibilities when it's combined with tea. Tea and honey are also both
well-known for their myriad of health benefits; oftentimes, the two are
combined to help with ailments from the common cold to lack of energy.
Some great combinations are clover honeys with citrus or minty teas,
orange blossom honey with black teas, and Tupelo honey with Jasmine tea.
Chai Tea : Lemon
Lemon
has always been a natural addition to tea as a flavoring agent. A
recent study by Purdue University, though, proves that this combination
is not only tasty, it's very healthy. Their study was conclusive in
finding that lemon and other citrus juices added to green teas
facilitated increased time that the antioxidants in the green tea stayed
in the digestive system. Citrus juice added to green tea accomplishes
this by allowing catechins to remain in the digestive system longer,
which have such healthy properties as reduction in the risks of cancer
and stroke.
( tea chai majestic blog )
