Tea Brew Guide

Green tea is unoxidized, preserving its delicate grassy, vegetal, or sweet flavors. The biggest mistake is using boiling water—this scorches the leaves and creates harsh bitterness. Japanese greens like sencha and gyokuro prefer cooler temperatures (160-170°F), while Chinese greens like Longjing can handle slightly warmer water (170-180°F).

Signs of proper brewing: Light yellow-green color, fresh aroma, smooth taste without bitterness. If your green tea tastes bitter, lower the temperature or shorten steep time.

White tea is the least processed tea, made from young buds and leaves that are simply withered and dried. This minimal processing creates subtle, delicate flavors—honey, melon, hay, and light floral notes. White tea is very forgiving; it's harder to over-steep than other types.

Popular varieties: Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yinzhen) uses only buds and is the most prized. White Peony (Bai Mudan) includes leaves and has a fuller body. Both benefit from longer steeping times than green tea.

Oolong spans a wide oxidation range (15-85%), creating enormous variety. Light oolongs like Tieguanyin taste floral and creamy; darker oolongs like Da Hong Pao offer roasted, fruity, and mineral notes. Many oolongs come in tightly rolled balls that unfurl dramatically during brewing.

Multiple infusions: Quality oolongs are meant to be steeped multiple times. Each infusion reveals different flavor layers. Start with shorter steeps (30 seconds to 2 minutes) and gradually increase time with each resteep. A good oolong can provide 5-8 delicious infusions.

Black tea is fully oxidized, producing bold, robust flavors. It's the most forgiving tea type—boiling water works well. Assam teas are malty and strong; Darjeeling offers muscatel grape notes; Keemun has wine-like complexity; Ceylon varies by elevation from brisk to smooth.

Brewing tip: Unlike other teas, black tea releases most of its flavor in the first steep. Second steeps are possible but noticeably lighter. If you enjoy milk in your tea, choose robust Assam or Irish Breakfast blends that won't get lost.

Pu-erh is a fermented tea from Yunnan, China. Sheng (raw) pu-erh is aged naturally and develops complexity over decades. Shou (ripe) pu-erh is artificially fermented for immediate drinking, with earthy, smooth flavors.

Rinse first: Always rinse pu-erh before brewing—pour hot water over the leaves, then discard after 5 seconds. This "awakens" the leaves and removes dust from aging. Pu-erh excels in gongfu brewing with many short infusions, revealing evolving flavors across 10-20 steeps.

Herbal teas aren't technically tea—they contain no Camellia sinensis leaves. Common herbals include chamomile (calming), peppermint (digestive), rooibos (smooth, caffeine-free), and hibiscus (tart, vitamin C-rich).

Steep longer: Unlike true teas, most herbals benefit from longer steeping and don't become bitter. Use boiling water and steep 5-7 minutes (or longer for medicinal strength). Cover while steeping to trap beneficial volatile compounds.