Cool water is a necessity for white tea. Silvery buds will be bitter if you use boiling water. When exposed to high temperatures, leaves release unpleasant flavors. That’s not because there’s something wrong with them; it’s just because they haven’t been processed much at all. White tea simply doesn’t stand up well to the attack of near-boiling water.
The type of tea also determine temperature. For instance, if it’s a more oxidized tea (like a black tea) you want hot water to release full flavor of its bold tannins (as in Ceylon and Assam teas). But if you give boiling water to a less-oxidized tea such as sencha green, you extract harsh chlorophyll notes that taste like overcooked vegetables. You want to match the energy level of the water with the structure of leaf.
How to Brew Different Teas
Oolong teas falls somewhere between green and black in terms of oxidation. Green teas are loaded with antioxidants and are full of life, but they can be easily damaged by hot water. If you don’t have a kettle that allows you to adjust temperature, then just bring the water to a full boil and wait two or three minutes for it to cool. Waiting long enough will cool the water enough so that the grassy sweet flavors comes out without extracting bitter elements from leaves.
Because oolongs are somewhere between green and black in terms of their level of oxidation, these teas tend to have more nuance. Light roasts such as Baozhong will behave more like a green tea, whereas a darker roast such as Da Hong Pao is going to tolerate heat similarly to a black tea.
Infusions and herbal teas follow a different set of rules, as they don’t derive from the Camellia sinensis plant. No tannins to burn here: Peppermint, chamomile, rooibos, you can use boiling water and let them steep awhile. These herbal blends are made with toughened-up dried flowers and herbs, whose cell walls has to be softened by heat before they give up the goods. Steep a cup of hibiscus for five to seven minutes so that the vibrant color and deep fruity acids comes out.
The same applies to dark teas such as Puerh, which require heat and patience to smooth out their earthy, aged profiles.
How You Brew Is As Important As what You Brew The quality of your tea also depend on how you store it. Tea is porous and will absorb moisture, light, and surrounding odors with alarming efficiency. To retain its original character, store your tea leaves in an airtight, opaque container, removed from coffee maker or stove.
To prevent either a muddy or watery result, measure your leaves, don’t guess by eye. A good place to start is one teaspoon per cup but feel free to adjust from there. Tap water (unless you have very soft water) can adds unwanted hardness and mutes some of those subtle flavors. Fresh filtered water allows the leaf to do what it needs to do. Being precise gives the leaf what it needs to function.
The next time you make a cuppa, examine kind of tea first. Some are delicate, such as Silver Needle; they need cool water and tender love. Others, like Earl Grey, can take it hard and stand up to heat. The right approach makes all the difference, from a good cup to a great cup, and it’s often about patience and temperature. You’ll taste the change right away.