When it comes to brewing techniques and ways of drinking tea, it often feels intimidatingly complex. Today, we bring you an ultra-practical tea brewing method. With this one technique in hand, you can brew all teas under heaven.

As the saying goes, "firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea." Although tea is listed last, it is indispensable for many people. How can we brew tea for better flavor? Depending on the variety of tea leaves, the brewing method varies slightly.

● Green Tea:

Brew with 80°C–85°C water and drink immediately. Green tea is non-fermented. Common types include West Lake Longjing and Biluochun. These teas are relatively tender and not suitable for freshly boiled water. 80°C–85°C is ideal. The tea-to-water ratio should be 1:50, with a brewing time of 2–3 minutes. It's best to brew and drink immediately. If the water temperature is too high or the brewing time is too long, polyphenols will be destroyed, turning the tea liquor yellow and causing the aromatic compounds to evaporate.

It is best to brew green tea in a porcelain cup. First, moisten the leaves with 1/4 of the water, wait 20 seconds or half a minute, then add the remaining water. Generally, do not cover the cup when brewing green tea, or the liquor will turn yellow.

● Black Tea:

First, rinse the cup with hot water, then brew with boiling water. Black tea is fully fermented. Common types include high-grade Gongfu black strip tea and broken black tea. Unlike green tea, high water temperature promotes the dissolution of beneficial compounds. Therefore, it's best to brew black tea with freshly boiled water. The water amount is similar to green tea, with a brewing time of 3–5 minutes. High-grade Gongfu black strip tea can be brewed 3–4 times, while broken black tea 1–2 times.

Black tea is best brewed in a glass cup to appreciate the leaves unfurling in the water. Specifically, you can use the "middle投法" method: first pour about 1/10 hot water into the cup to warm it, then add 3–5 grams of tea leaves, then pour water along the inner wall of the glass for brewing. Cover the cup when brewing black tea to enhance the aroma.

● Oolong Tea:

Brew multiple times with boiling water. Oolong tea is semi-fermented, such as Tieguanyin and Dahongpao. When brewing Oolong, keep a kettle boiling nearby. Pour the water immediately after it boils. Discard the first infusion. Use the discarded water to rinse all cups. Then pour in boiling water to brew and drink. Oolong tea can be brewed multiple times; good quality can be brewed 7–8 times. The brewing time for each infusion increases gradually, ideally from 2 to 5 minutes.

It is best to brew Oolong tea with a professional Yixing clay teapot or a lidded bowl (盖碗杯), and you must use 100°C boiling water. The amount of Oolong leaves is relatively large, basically half or more of the pot or bowl capacity. Cover after adding water.

● Dark Tea:

First rinse the tea, then brew with boiling water. Dark tea is post-fermented. It can continue to age naturally during storage over time and, within a certain period, develops a richer aroma with age. For brewing Dark tea, also use 100°C boiling water.

For the first brew of Dark tea, perform a quick 10–20 second rinse: first put the leaves in the cup, pour in boiling water, wait a moment, pour out the water, then pour in boiling water again and cover the cup. This not only filters out impurities but also makes the brewed tea liquor more mellow and aromatic. Subsequent brews typically take 2–3 minutes.

Dark tea is generally brewed with professional tea ware, such as a Yixing clay teapot or a lidded bowl. The amount used is usually twice that of green tea.

Finally, it should be noted that to preserve the aroma of the tea, it is best to use "soft water" with low metal ion content for brewing, such as purified water or high-quality mineral water.