The Correct Way To Prepare Oolong Tea
If you are a tea connoisseur, you will be very aware that to get the exact intended taste of a particular tea, you need to follow the variety specific brewing instructions. It may be the case for some teas that the tea should "steep" for 10 minutes or more. This is indeed the case for teas such as "Senna". However, for others, the full flavor may be reached after just 2 or 3 minutes, in which case further brewing will cause the intended taste to be too overpowering or strong.
So, given the Oolong tea variety, what is the correct way to ensure that the most appropriate flavor is acquired at the end of the brewing process? Here is a quick guide for informational use.
Quantities & Measures.
It is vitally important that you measure 3 things. These are the amount of tea powder that you are using for a particular brew, the amount of water you are using, and the time you leave for the tea to steep. In the case of Oolong tea, here are a few general guidelines.
Tea Portion: 2.25g
Water Portion: 170 mls
Brewing Time: 2 - 3 minutes
If you don't want to have to get your measuring devices out each and every time you make a cup of Oolong tea, an approximate ratio is about 2 teaspoons of tea per cup of water.
The brewing time is the amount of time that the water is actually allowed to fuse with the tea substance - not the total time that it will take you from the start to the end of preparation and serving. Keep this in mind when taking time out to make the Oolong tea.
Water Temperature Is Also Important.
Most people would assume that boiling the kettle and pouring the hot water over the tea leaves or tea bag is sufficient to get the perfect result. This is probably the case for home brewed teas, however, when it comes to absolute perfection, the initial water temperate becomes more important.
As an official guideline for all teas, water should be between 82 degrees celsius and 87 degrees celsius - which is actually not actually the full boiling point (100 degrees celsius). Keep this in mind if you are attempting the absolute perfect cup of tasty Oolong tea.
