Brewing Temperature for Green Tea
Green Tea is renowned for its fresh, delicate flavor and numerous health benefits. The brewing temperature is crucial to fully release the aroma and taste of green tea.
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Optimal Temperature: 75-80°C
Too high a water temperature will make green tea bitter, while too low a temperature will not adequately extract the tea's aroma and flavor. Using hot water at 75-80°C allows green tea to display its unique freshness and crisp taste. The brewing time is generally controlled at 2-3 minutes, ensuring that the tea liquor is clear and flavorful.
Brewing Temperature for Black Tea
Black tea, after full fermentation, has a bright red color and rich flavor. Suitable water temperature is key to brewing a cup of black tea with excellent color, aroma, and taste.
Optimal Temperature: 90-95°C
Black tea requires higher water temperatures to fully release its rich flavors and aromas. Hot water at 90-95°C allows the polyphenols and aromatic substances in black tea to dissolve fully, making the tea liquor bright red and the taste full-bodied. The general brewing time is between 3-5 minutes, ensuring that the black tea is rich without being bitter.
Brewing Temperature for Oolong Tea
Oolong tea lies between green and black teas, with a unique semi-fermentation process, so its brewing temperature is different.
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Optimal Temperature: 85-90°C
Oolong tea requires slightly higher temperatures to bring out its complex aroma and taste. Hot water at 85-90°C allows oolong tea to fully display its floral, fruity, and tea aromas. The brewing time is controlled at 3-4 minutes, allowing you to appreciate the layers and nuances of oolong tea.
Brewing Temperature for White Tea
White tea, due to its simple production process, retains more natural components, so special attention needs to be paid to controlling the water temperature when brewing.
Optimal Temperature: 80-85°C
The tender buds and leaves of white tea are very delicate; too high a water temperature can damage its fresh and delicate flavor and subtle aroma. Using hot water at 80-85°C allows white tea to release a fresh aroma and sweet taste. The brewing time is usually 4-5 minutes, which maximally preserves the purity and naturalness of white tea.
Brewing Temperature for Yellow Tea
Yellow tea has a unique production process involving “yellowing,” giving it a distinctive sweet and smooth taste and golden liquor.
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Optimal Temperature: 80-85°C
To fully display the sweet and smooth taste and unique aroma of yellow tea, 80-85°C is the ideal water temperature. This temperature can stimulate the aroma of yellow tea while avoiding bitterness. The brewing time is controlled at 2-3 minutes, allowing the flavor and aroma of yellow tea to reach their best state.
Brewing Temperature for Dark Tea
Dark tea, after post-fermentation, has a unique aged aroma and a heavy taste, making it one of the traditional health teas.
Optimal Temperature: 95-100°C
Dark tea requires high temperatures to stimulate its aged aroma and rich flavors. Boiling water at 95-100°C can fully extract various beneficial components from dark tea, making the tea liquor rich and full-bodied. The brewing time is generally 3-5 minutes, allowing the flavor and aroma of dark tea to reach their best state.
Brewing Temperature for Pu'er Tea
Raw Pu'er Tea
Optimal Temperature: 85-90°C
Raw Pu'er tea requires slightly lower water temperatures to bring out its fresh and slightly astringent taste. Hot water at 85-90°C allows the aroma and flavor of raw Pu'er tea to be fully displayed, with a brewing time of generally 2-3 minutes.
Ripe Pu'er Tea
Optimal Temperature: 95-100°C
Ripe Pu'er tea, after long-term fermentation, requires high temperatures to stimulate its aged aroma and heavy taste. Boiling water at 95-100°C brings the flavor of ripe Pu'er tea to its best, with a brewing time of generally 3-5 minutes.
Brewing Temperature for Flowering Tea
Flowering tea, known for its intense floral aroma and sweet taste, is widely popular, and special attention needs to be paid to controlling the water temperature when brewing flowering tea.
Optimal Temperature: 80-85°C
The petals and tea leaves of flowering tea are relatively delicate; too high a water temperature can destroy its aroma and taste. Using hot water at 80-85°C allows the aroma and flavor of flowering tea to be optimally released. The brewing time is generally 2-3 minutes, allowing you to appreciate the fragrance and sweetness of flowering tea.
Conclusion
Mastering the optimal brewing temperature for tea is basic knowledge that every tea enthusiast should possess. Whether it's green tea, black tea, oolong tea, white tea, yellow tea, dark tea, or Pu'er tea, each type of tea has its unique optimal brewing temperature. By reasonably controlling the water temperature and brewing time, we can maximize the stimulation of the tea's aroma and flavor, enjoying one perfect cup of tea after another. We hope this guide helps you easily brew one good cup of tea after another at home, enjoying beautiful tea times.