The ritual · Brewing
High-quality leaf deserves a little care. Pour boiling water over a delicate spring tea and you lose the very flavours you paid for. The good news: brewing well takes only three things — the right amount of tea, the right water temperature, and the right time.
1. Measure the leaf
Use about 2–3 g of tea (roughly one heaped teaspoon) for every 250 ml cup. Large, open leaves such as white tea look bulky, so use two teaspoons.
2. Mind the temperature
- White tea: 80–85°C
- Green tea: 75–80°C
- Black tea: 90–100°C
- Herbal infusions: just off the boil
No thermometer? Boil the water, then let it rest for two to three minutes for green or white tea, and about one minute for black.
3. Watch the clock
Most teas need 2–5 minutes. Taste as you go: when the cup tastes full but not bitter, it is ready. Remove the leaves so the tea does not keep steeping.
Re-steep and enjoy
Whole-leaf Himalayan teas can be infused two or three times. Add 30–60 seconds each time and notice how the flavour changes from bright and floral to soft and sweet.