10 Ways to Up Your Tea Game
What you will gain with a bit of extra care to tea time:
Unlocking the hidden flavors in your tea. Tea is so mysterious and flavorful when done right. It’s like that perfect summer romance you had on some sunny breezy island in Greece, where all the circumstances came together with that special someone, and you’ll be remembering those memories until you wrinkle into a ripe 110yrs-old. I have to admit it’s not happened to me, but hey that’s where tea can take me.
Many players contribute to creating a beautiful cup of tea—like the dreamy Grecian getaway described above— and those factors range from the leaf quality, your water, the steep time, brewing method and what you serve it in (teaware), just to name a few. Hiding in the tea leaves are an abundance of essential oils that give the beverage its mysterious bouquet of aromas and flavor. These aromatic essences get a chance to express itself fully when you brew it well.
One of the most basic things you can do to improve your beverage right away, is to make sure you have the temperature and brew time correct. Overbrewing can cause a tea to be too tannic (that dry, chalky mouthfeel), decreased nutrients and flavor. Under brewing can cause the full flavors of a tea to not be fully present in your cup. What a shame—womp, womp. Especially if you are paying top dollar for a fine loose leaf tea, you’ll want to invest the proper care so that your tea actually tastes good! Plus tea is a precious commodity and it requires a lot of labor to bring it to your humble tea pot, so we must honor that by brewing our leaves well whenever we can. If you have a low-grade tea, that’s more the reason to brew it well so that you maximize what you have. Sip and read on my tea peeps...
Extra health benefits from properly brewed teas. So you’ve already heard that tea comes with antioxidants and certain health benefits. When you get the brew time correct, you’re making sure you’re not heat-zapping away the nourishing healthful compounds in teas such as the amino acids, enzymes, and polyphenols. I can use any age-defying help I can get, if you know what I mean?! ***Cue “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. ‘Cause you can’t bring mee dooooown whoa whoooaa!!!***
You’ll have more options for social gatherings besides the generic coffee or alcohol-centric hangs. I know many people are looking for more ways to consume less alcohol these days because of health goals. It came as a delightful surprise to learn that tea has been used historically as a way to wean groups of people off alcoholism. I plan on doing a more in depth look on this. If your social defaults are to grab an alcoholic drink or coffee with friends and you’re trying to find other alternatives to these overplayed options: gathering for tea in-person (safely distanced, of course) or virtually can be just as stimulating and relaxing. If you master a good cup of tea (which is not hard and a never ending path of amazing self-discoveries) which I’ll be teaching you more here, you may just find your new sub for alcohol and/or coffee…!
Gain mental relaxation, a.k.a.: Zen. Back to this idea that teas are mysterious or that they can be. I think one of the reasons tea is the most popular beverage in the world, is due to its feel-good properties. It aids in digestion (our stomachs are where our Enteric Nervous System, or “gut feelings” are housed), contains GABAs (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) that can lighten and soothe our mood, and comes with a bouquet of relaxing fragrances. The very culture of tea drinking is relaxing, kick-back type of social activity—which I know many of us are starved for these days—or a mindful solo ritual that we use to relax or fortify ourselves with during our long days.
Anyways, enough of me convincing you on the benefits of putting a bit of extra work into tea time. Here are 10 ways you can improve your tea time game…
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10 ways to improve your tea game:
1
Make sure the brewing temperature is right for the tea you’re brewing. This is a quick video for how to observe the bubble and steam for gauging temperature by sight. Ancient tea master and most people throughout history before thermometers pretty much had to do it this way! How to Check Water Temperature Without a Thermometer. In general, Black teas, pu-erhs and tisanes (herbals) require fully boiled water (212°F/100°C), while white, green & oolong teas require less than boiling temps (176 - 185°F / 80 - 85°C or less).
Gauging temp on common un-fancy electric water kettle: Open and observe the water when the sound of the boil gets to a loud rumble. When you notice mini-pearl shaped bubbles start to form and dance, you should notice some steam begin to release, you’ve got yourself somewhere close to 175°F/80°C which is perfect for most matchas and green teas. Use a food thermometer and check to see how accurate this is for your particular boiler your first couple times doing this. Let me know what you discover in the comments below!
2
Use filtered water if your area has poor tasting or hard tap water. Distilled is not recommended. The flavor compounds in tea interact with the oxygen and minerals in water. Water that has been boiled too many times loses its oxygen content after each boil and wouldn’t make ideal water for bringing out flavors in tea. If the water has too many minerals (mineral fortified water) or little-to-no minerals (distilled), it will dull the affect of the flavor as well.
3
Take tea leaves out once brew time is up. This will ensure a smooth cup and prevent tannins from being released when you over brew it. If you happen to over brew your tea, adding a bit of milk (my favorite is oat milk these days) which will help mask the tannins. It’s not that tannins are not good in tea. In fact, I love brisk tannin in my tea in the morning to wake my senses for the day and or anytime to refresh my palate. However, the tannins that come from over brewing your tea won’t create a pleasant mouthfeel. Experiment with your own brew and see if you can tell the difference with an extended long brew time. Generally high quality teas should withstand any kind of poor brewing methods—but then why would you! Do it right and it may change your perspective on that tea.
4
Serve in an unexpected glass. Have fun with this. Experiment with different tea ware that is heat-safe when serving your tea. The shape and material of the tea cup affects the over aesthetic and sensation of your tea drinking experience. In that way, your tea ware itself can enhance flavor and your overall experience significantly. In the picture above, I used old-fashioned whiskey glasses to accentuate the light gold, slightly green-tinged crystal liquor of this Tung Ting oolong. Be sure to rinse with warm water immediately after use to prevent staining over time with any glassware.
5
If you must add sugar, add rock sugar. I’m not a sugar-in-tea kind of gal usually. I find that high quality oatmilk is naturally sweet and of course the natural honey notes in nice loose leaf black teas. If you have a tea that calls for it like most black tea steep bags or certain herbals like hibiscus for example, serve Mishri rock sugar because its delicious and has been touted with impressive health benefits. Gotta say, I was introduced to it by my Iranian soprano friend and I’m convinced. She told me that throughout Persian culture, the people swear by “Persian tea,” a black tea brewed in a samovar that is flavored with cardamom or other spices and always served with rock sugar, as one of the ultimate cure-all remedies. Catch this lovely lady’s musical work at www.andreazomorodian.com.
6
Add flowers or something plucked from nature. Pick something green or natural from your surroundings and put it in a tiny vase or glass and place it near your tea table. First of all, it’s simply nice to look at, but it also brings a piece of our natural surroundings inside with us as we contemplate our day with our tea. The flower, leaf, herb or twig plucking helps us connect with the season. Its delicate nature demonstrates to us the impermanence of all things, (such as this lovely cup of tea that’s about to go in our bellies and nourish us!) and in turn we are reminded to treasure more moments in our everyday lives.
7
Serve alongside your tea a few of your favorite healthy snacks. To start I’d suggest serving nuts, dried or fresh cut fruits to have alongside your tea, and perhaps a baked good. I also will post a GF & dairy-free recipe for blackberry scones soon that I love.
8
Add some chill music. If you don’t have the sounds of a natural soundscape to enjoy because you’re in an urban environment or other, put your favorite chill jams in the background. My current favorites are - Retro funk for rowdy fun tea times, quiet string music like contemporary harp or archlute playlists for a meditative and rejuvenating sesh, or the Classic: a quiet space.
9
If you can, find a tranquil spot. If you can, pick a spot where you can have a bit of peace and quiet. If not, then see if you can designate a spot that gets close to this. Maybe you can achieve this by sitting near a window, adjusting the lighting in your surroundings, or have your tea outside. And if neither a tranquil spot or slightly more private spot is available, see if you can find quiet within your yourself by focusing on the aromas of the tea and enjoying the movements during the brewing process: using the tea ritual as a way of meditation during your day.
10
Invite a friend you’ve been meaning to get to know, connect with, catch up with. Remember to prepare ahead of time and suggest a time frame of about 2 hrs, more or less, depending on your preferences.
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When we take time for ourselves and time to spend with others doing mindful activities we become more present in our lives.
This way we can take our developed mindfulness into the rest of lives creating more meaning and satisfaction wherever we go. Let me know if there are any other topics you want me to explore or go more in-depth about.
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MinTea OOx