Chinese teas come in a rich variety, each with its own unique brewing method. Not all teas are best enjoyed when steeped in boiling water! The amount of tea used, water temperature, and brewing time all play a crucial role in the quality of the tea infusion. Today, let's discuss the proper brewing methods for the six main types of Chinese tea!
Green Tea
Teaware: Clear glass cups/bowls with lids
Water Temperature: 80-90°C
Ratio: 1:50 / Amount: 3-5g
Brewing: Soak in a glass cup for 1-2 minutes
Brew in a bowl with lid: First infusion 12-15 seconds, second infusion 20 seconds, third infusion 30 seconds (can be brewed 3-4 times)
Yellow Tea
Teaware: Clear glass cups/bowls with lids
Water Temperature: 85-95°C (for yellow bud tea use lower temperature at 85°C, for larger and smaller yellow teas use higher temperature at 95°C)
Ratio: 1:50 / Amount: 3-5g
Brewing: Yellow tea has properties similar to green tea, and when brewed in a glass cup, only needs an additional 20 seconds compared to green tea.
Brewing in a bowl with lid requires an extra 3-5 seconds for pouring out the tea (can be brewed 3-4 times)
White Tea
Teaware: Bowls with lids
Water Temperature: (Silver Needle and White Peony 85-95°C, Shoumei and Gongmei cake tea 100°C)
Ratio: 1:20 / Amount: 5-8g
Brew in a bowl with lid:
New white tea: Usually good for five infusions, first three infusions should be quick, after the fourth infusion add 5 seconds for each subsequent infusion
Aged white tea: Rinse for 10 seconds, increase by 5 seconds per infusion based on new tea brewing time (can be brewed more than 5 times).
Oolong Tea (Wulong Tea)
Teaware: Bowls with lids
Water Temperature: 100°C (boiling water is necessary to activate the aromatic compounds in oolong tea)
Ratio: 1:30 / Amount: 5g
Brewing: For non-balled oolong teas (Phoenix Dancong), first infusion pour out after 5 seconds, second to fourth infusions pour out after 10 seconds, fifth to seventh infusions pour out after 20 seconds, eighth to ninth infusions pour out after 40 seconds.
For balled oolong teas (Tieguanyin), rinse for 10 seconds, second to fourth infusions pour out after 10 seconds, fifth to seventh infusions pour out after 20 seconds, eighth to ninth infusions pour out after 40 seconds.
Black Tea
Teaware: Bowls with lids
Water Temperature: 90-95°C
Tea-to-Water Ratio: 1:30 / Amount: 3-5g
Brewing: First four infusions pour out after 10 seconds, after the fifth infusion add 5 seconds for each subsequent infusion. Black tea should not be steeped too long; pour out the tea quickly after adding water, then open the lid to dissipate heat.
Whole leaf tea can usually be brewed 3-6 times, while broken leaf tea is typically good for 1-2 infusions.
Pu'er Tea (Dark Tea)
Teaware: Thick-walled purple clay teapots/pure silver teaware/bowls with lids
Water Temperature: 100°C (boil water to brew, aged teas can be boiled)
Ratio: 1:30 / Amount: 5g
Brewing: Rinse for 10 seconds, first infusion pour out after 20 seconds, after the third infusion add 5 seconds for each subsequent infusion. When brewing, the first infusion should be used to moisten the compressed tea, allowing it to fully expand and release any off-flavors, making the second infusion even better (can be brewed more than 8 times).