Everyone knows that to make Tea taste good, the way you pour water is key. This is because each pouring technique has very strict requirements for the force and stability of the pour, which better releases the inner qualities of the tea leaves, resulting in a perfect Cup of tea. How do we control the force of the pour and maintain stability? Aside from regular wrist strength training, the most important thing is to master the method of pouring water.

How to Pour Water for Better-Tasting Tea!

　　① High-Pour from a Raised Kettle

　　Purposefully raise the kettle to pour water, letting the stream strike the tea leaves and make them tumble to stimulate their aroma. This is suitable for teas with high aromas, such as Tieguanyin and Phoenix Dancong.

　　② Low-Pour at a Fixed Point (Single-Sided Fixed Point Pouring)

　　Fix the pouring point at one spot on the edge of the gaiwan, with the spout close to the rim. Slowly pour water, allowing the tea and water to slowly come into contact and blend. This is suitable for teas with a heavy body, such as aged Liu Bao and ripe Pu'er. If too much tea is accidentally added, or if the leaves are quite broken, use low fixed-point pouring and quickly pour out the tea.

　　③ Fixed Point Spiral Pour

　　Find a point and pour the water forcefully downward, making the tea leaves rotate. This is suitable for high-grade teas with balanced aroma and body, such as Longjing, Jin Junmei, Baihao Yinzhen, and Junshan Yinzhen.

　　④ Spiral Low-Pour

　　Lower the kettle and use a spiral motion to pour the tea, ensuring both the edge and center of the leaves come directly into contact with the water, allowing the tea and water to mix more quickly and thoroughly. This is suitable for black teas and loose white teas. Or, when the later infusions become lighter, this method can be used to encourage quicker extraction.

　　⑤ Circular Pour

　　Pour water by rotating around the edge of the kettle, ending up back at the starting point. This ensures the tea leaves at the edge first come into contact with the water, gradually spreading towards the center and slowly saturating. This is suitable for brewing black teas, aged Shou Mei, and the last infusions of Peony teas.

　　⑥ Central Fixed Point Pour

　　Central fixed point pouring is a rather extreme method, typically combined with a fine, slow stream of water. Only a small central part of the tea comes into direct contact with the water, while the rest slowly extracts, resulting in the most distinct layers in the tea liquor.

　　This method is suitable for teas with fresh flavors but rich layers, such as fragrant Qihong and Yinghong.