Chinese Tea is produced in several grades. For many years the tea bags were the lowest grade, even as the results were convenient and tasted reasonably good. Today this is not necessarily the case, as respectable quality tea now comes in pyramid shaped tea bags. None-the-less loose leaf tea was always considered the better product in European countries. It wasn’t till more recent generations discovered that China had even higher grade teas that people really started to appreciate the art behind the famous beverage.
If you are making green tea the water should be at about 80 degrees. As some heat is lost in the teapot this translates to about 90 degrees. There are kettles available to produce water at this temperature. Boiling water on green tea produces
If you make more than one type of tea you should have a different teapot for each type. Earthenware teapots retain some of the flavour from the tealeaves, and it is not a good practice to mix different types of tea together. It the teapot is metal or glasses this is less of an issue, but purists insist that the earthenware pot makes the superior drink.
When the green tea leaves are in the pot, and the water added, they should be left for three to five minutes. After this the tea is ready to drink. The average cup takes between one and two teaspoons of tea, depending on personal preference. Adjust this ratio to the size of the teapot.
BLACK TEA
This gives superior results with absolutely boiling water. An earthenware pot is preferred for the best tasting results, but all teapots tend to lose heat quickly. Preheating the teapot (adding boiling water beforehand is one method) allows the water for the tealeaves to stay closer to boiling point, and seems to improve the taste.
Each Chinese tea has a slightly different method for producing the optimum results. Many Asian countries make a ceremony out of their tea drinking. This ceremony is not just for shoe, it preserves some good habits for getting the right results for the tea. If you have developed a taste for any tea try searching online for the best way to make it.