Brewing your Cup of Black Tea

Brewing Black tea is an interesting matter, especially for a housewife.

Black tea is easily prepared by adding a bag to a cup of hot water until the brew is strong enough, which can be derived from the color the water gains. Then one can choose to add milk and to taste. This is the simplest method.

Most conservative housewives prefer the traditional method, which has come down from their forefathers.

The traditional method of making a cup of tea in Sri Lanka is to place loose leaves, either directly, or in an infuser, into a pot or cup and pour hot water over the leaves. After a couple of minutes the leaves are usually removed again, either by removing the infuser, or by straining the tea while serving.

• Many native Sri Lankans prefer their a stronger liquor in a plain cup they call “Kahata”, flavored with a little crushed ginger, with or without adding sugar. Some even prefer biting a piece of juggery to have a plain cup. A plain cup of tea gives a pungent smell and taste and even gives a little ‘kick’ to the tired nerves.

The quantity to be used per amount of water differs from type to type but one basic recipe may be one slightly heaped teaspoon of tea (about 5 ml) for each teacup of water (200 ml) (8 oz) prepared as above.

Stronger types, such as Assam, to be consume with milk are often prepared with more leaves, and more delicate high grown teas such as a Darjeeling are prepared with a little less (as the stronger mid-flavors can overwhelm the champagne notes).

The best temperature for preparation depends on its type. Teas that have little or no oxidation period, such as a green tea or white tea, are best prepared at lower temperatures between 60 °C and 85 °C (140-185 °F), while teas with longer oxidation periods should be brewed at higher temperatures around 100 °C (212 °F).

The higher temperatures are required to extract the large, complex, flavorful phenol molecules found in fermented tea, although boiling the water reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water.

Some types are often infused several times using the same tea leaves. Historically, in China, tea is divided into a number of infusions. The first infusion is immediately poured out to wash the leaf, and then the second and further infusions are drunk.

The third through fifth are nearly always considered the best of liquid, although different types open up differently and may require more infusions of hot water to bring them to life.

REMEMBER –

• The water for black tea should be added at boiling point (100 °C or 212 °F). Many of the active substances do not develop at temperatures lower than 90 °C. For some more delicate teas lower temperatures are recommended. The temperature will have as large an effect on the final flavor as the type used.

• The most common fault when making black tea is to use water at too low a temperature. Since boiling point drops with increasing altitude, this makes it difficult to brew it properly in mountainous areas.

• It is also recommended that the teapot be warmed before preparing, easily done by adding a small amount of boiling water to the pot, swirling briefly, before discarding.

• Black teas are usually infused for about 4 minutes and should not be allowed to steep for less than 30 seconds or more than about five minutes.

• Longer steeping times make the tea bitter. When the tea has brewed long enough to suit the tastes of the drinker, it should be strained while serving.

• However, there is no need for straining if ‘tea bags’ are used.

FROM BREWING BLACK TEA - go to BREWING GREEN TEA