It is often said that preparing good tea is complicated – this is simply untrue. Tea is primarily an infusion made from water and the extract of the tea plant – more specifically, various plants from the subgenus and section Thea within the genus Camelliae – most notably: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis and var. assamica.
One of the key ingredients for making good tea is, therefore, good water. In addition to this, here’s what you need for the ‘proper’ tea preparation:
- A small to medium-sized teapot
- A teacup or mug
- Some tea enthusiasts also like to use a thermometer and timer to monitor the preparation process.
- Over time, many tea drinkers develop an intuitive sense of how much tea leaves, approximate temperature, and steeping time work best for each brewing technique.
- Rigid adherence to steeping times and temperatures, in my experience, is not very helpful – ultimately, personal taste matters.
Feel free to experiment!
Those who explore the preparation of different types of tea will gradually learn a lot about tea. However, it’s always a good idea to learn about some basics in a tea seminar before embarking on your aromatic journey.