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In
many parts of the world, tea time is an honored tradition of
refinement and elegance. When
you're planning a tea party -- whether for a shower, graduation,
birthday, or just for fun adorn
your table with your best china, silver, flowers and linens. These
add polish and glamour to your table.
Five
Steps For Preparing Tea:
-
Use
a preheated teapot. In the absence of a teapot, any odorless,
heat-resistant pot will suffice (at least temporarily).
-
Add
one teaspoon of tea leaves per cup. Experiment with the leaf
quantity as you go.
-
For
black and oolong teas, bring fresh, cold water to a roaring
boil and pour it over the tea leaves. For white and green
teas, use water that has just started to steam slightly.
-
Allow
black tea to infuse for 3 to 5 minutes, green tea for 1 to 3
minutes, and white and oolong for 2 to 5 minutes. Adjust the
brewing time to your taste. If the tea turns out to be bitter
or harsh, it is often a sign of over brewing.
-
Separate
the leaves from the tea and serve.
Planning Your Tea Party
Select
a date and send out your invitations. Purchase your tea and
related accessories. Review recipes for teat time
treats. Plan your menu. Include both savory and sweet
food. Set a beautiful table. Brew and serve a 'proper'
pot of tea. Relax and enjoy your guests while musing on the
merits of tea! **Try reading the leaves for amusement!
The
Steeping Time:
The
often-quoted 3 - 5 minutes of steeping time is a good guideline
for most sturdy black teas. Generally speaking, the smaller the
particle size, the shorter the steeping time. Variations of the
steeping time will produce equally good cups with different levels
of flavor and aroma.
The
more delicate black teas as well as all green, oolong and white
teas require different steeping times to bring out the subtle
characteristics
- Most green and white teas taste best after 1 to
2 minutes - tightly-rolled leaves take a little longer - and
can usually be infused multiple times.
- Darjeelings, with their delicate, fruity aroma
which can quickly become unpleasantly bitter, usually should
not be infused for more than 3 minutes. 15 seconds more or
less can make a huge difference.
Some Formosa Oolongs may steep for up to 7
minutes.
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