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Chapter 27 · Drinks

27.2 Tea

Make the same tea several ways and compare them, to learn what shapes a good cup:

  • the quality of the tea
  • the kind and heat of the water
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  • what the teapot is made of
  • how the cook works

The method

  • Start with a clean teapot and warm it by filling it with boiling water.
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  • Measure fresh cold water and bring it just to the boil. The moment it boils, empty the warming water from the pot, put in the tea and pour the fresh boiling water over.
  • Cover and steep for the time the tea needs. Then lift out the bag or tea ball, or strain off the leaves.
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  • To judge it, serve it in the pot it was made in. If the pot is china, pour a little into a small clear glass so the color shows.

How much tea, and how long

TeaAmountSteep
Black, in a tea ball½ tsp. leaves for each 6 oz. of water, in a ball big enough for water to move through3 minutes
Black, tea bag1 bag for 2 servings (12 oz. of water)3 minutes
Black, loose½ tsp. leaves for each 6 oz. of water, then strain into a warmed serving pot3 minutes
IcedDouble strength: 1 tsp. leaves or 1 bag for each 6 oz. cup, poured into a pitcher full of iceas for hot tea
Oolong1 bag or 1 tsp. leaves for 2 cups (6 oz. each)3 minutes
Green1 bag or 1 tsp. leaves for 2 cups (6 oz. each)3 minutes
Instant iced, flower, spiced, decaffeinatedfollow the package—

Amounts and steeping times.

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What good tea looks and tastes like

Good tea is bright and clear, with no oily film. Its color fits its kind: pale straw for green, deep amber for black, light golden brown for oolong. The aroma is gentle and the flavor delicate, with as much astringency as the kind should have. Green tea is more astringent than black.

Figure 27.2Green, oolong and black
not fermentedpart fermentedfermented GreenOolongBlack pale strawlight golden browndeep amber more astringent than blacksits between the twoa strong taste All true tea comes from the leaves of one plant, Camellia sinensis.
Good tea is bright and clear, and its color fits its kind: pale straw for green, light golden brown for oolong, deep amber for black.

Green tea is made from leaves that are not fermented, and it is said to hold the most polyphenols, which are antioxidants. Tea and coffee can be brewed several ways:

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Sources

This chapter is written from these open textbooks:

  • Fermentation in Food Chemistry — Kate Graham, College of Saint Benedict / Saint John's UniversityCC BY-NC-SA 4.0
  • Fruits, Vegetables and Farinaceous Products — Thibodeaux & Bienvenu, Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, Nicholls StateCC BY-NC-SA 4.0
  • Basic Scientific Food Preparation Lab Manual — Dept. of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State UniversityCC BY-NC-SA 4.0
  • Food Safety, Sanitation and Personal Hygiene — BC Cook Articulation Committee, BCcampusCC BY 4.0