brewing dark Tea is a preferred choice for many tea enthusiasts, but brewing dark tea isn't like boiling pork ribs—simply tossing them into a pot and boiling, right?

No, let's follow the editor to explore the guide on brewing dark tea.

01 What Types of Dark Tea are Suitable for Brewing?

1. When brewing, prioritize compressed teas and older dark teas as their tightly compressed form and age help lock in aroma and flavor, making the brewed tea more flavorful.

2. Lower-grade dark teas, such as old dark bricks, are recommended due to their coarse leaves and high stalk content, which make them durable and easy to extract flavor from during brewing.

Such as after aging, like old dark bricks and flower bricks, they are even better!

3. Higher-grade dark teas, such as Sky Tip (Tian Jian), should be aged for at least 3 to 5 years before brewing to achieve a richer taste. New teas without aging will not produce a smooth broth, lack aged aroma, and are not recommended for brewing.

02 How to Adjust the Tea-to-Water Ratio?

Based on tea lovers' preferences, the general tea-to-water ratio for brewing dark tea is around 1:50 to 60.

03 How to Adjust Water Temperature?

Old dark teas are rich in essence and very durable when steeped. You can first Brew the old dark tea using a covered bowl, then proceed to brew it by boiling. This method maximizes the use of the abundant substances in dark tea, resulting in a full-bodied and layered taste in the brewed tea.

2. If you're directly boiling the tea, never place the tea directly into cold water to boil.

Boiling tea in cold water does ensure thorough contact between the tea and water, but it can easily lead to excessive extraction of substances from the tea leaves, causing the tea broth to become overly bitter and astringent.

Tea boiled in cold water often has a strong and intense taste but is not durable when boiled.

3. Boiling the tea with boiling water is the correct approach. After the water comes to a boil, add the prepared tea leaves and let them boil together for one minute, then turn off the heat.

The tea can be heated by residual temperature for about two minutes before consumption. Tea brewed with boiling water will not be overly bitter or astringent and is durable, suitable for regular drinking.

It is evident that boiling water is ideal for brewing dark tea.

04 How to Refill After Finishing a Pot?

1. When pouring out the tea, don't empty all the tea from the Teapot; leave some water behind. This method is called the “root retention method,” and the remaining tea broth is referred to as mother broth.

2. The purpose of the mother broth is to maintain the overall style and taste of the tea broth, ensuring a consistent flavor experience without significant fluctuations in taste, preventing a sudden drop in strength.

If the brewed tea is completely emptied from the pot, one may enjoy a pot of smooth, thick, and pleasant tea, but the next pot will taste different, potentially leading to disappointment.

3. The root retention method not only ensures the continuation of the tea's flavor but also makes the tea leaves more durable when brewed.