Even with good tea leaves and water, you may not achieve a truly fragrant and lingering tea broth. Often, it's the details that unlock the tea's inherent flavor. Let's start from the details to experience the true taste of tea.

1. Brewing Details for Finely Broken Tea

For finely broken tea, use less leaf than usual and correspondingly shorten the steeping time. For example, if you normally use 1/4 pot of loose-leaf Pu'er, use only 1/5 for broken leaves. If you still use 1/4, the first infusion might be okay with a shorter steep, but the second infusion will likely be too strong even with immediate pouring. With reduced leaf amount, you may find the tea weak by the fourth or fifth infusion—this is unavoidable. For finely broken tea, especially types with fast-dissolving "water-soluble substances," plan for three to four infusions rather than five or six.

2. Brewing Details for Aged Tea

First, check if the tea has a damp odor. If so, spread the intended amount on odorless paper and air it in a dry, ventilated place for a day. If it's too dry, place it in a slightly humid environment until it reaches the desired condition. This is the refining process before brewing. Aged tea usually requires high-temperature water—let it boil a bit longer or use a tightly lidded kettle. If the aged tea is particularly bitter, use slightly lower water temperature. Use less leaf, allowing the first infusion to steep for about 1 minute. The second infusion often needs to be poured very quickly (usually around 10 seconds).

3. Brewing Details for Green Tea

Generally, the number of infusions should also be moderate. Studies show that amino acids and vitamin C are the easiest to extract, followed by caffeine, tea polyphenols, and soluble sugars. Typically, about 50% of soluble substances are extracted in the first infusion of green tea, 30% in the second, and about 10% in the third—with diminishing returns thereafter. Therefore, three infusions are usually ideal.

4. Water Quality Details for Brewing Tea

Hard water is not ideal for brewing tea. Water hardness affects the solubility of tea's active components. Soft water contains fewer solutes, allowing higher solubility of tea's effective compounds and resulting in a stronger flavor. Hard water contains more calcium, magnesium ions, and minerals, which reduce solubility and lead to a weaker taste. Other metal ions in water also affect the tea broth. For instance, high iron ions can turn the tea dark brown; lead above 2ppm makes it bitter; magnesium above 2ppm makes it bland; calcium above 2ppm makes it astringent. Among natural waters, rainwater and snow water are soft, while spring, stream, and river water are mostly temporarily hard, and some groundwater is hard.

Because we love tea, we pay more attention to the details, brewing the true flavor of tea and experiencing its natural, fresh taste.