Mon Jun 10, 2024 8:00 am
To brew a good pot of tea, the steeping time is very crucial. It affects the taste of a cup of tea, but many tea enthusiasts don't know how long to steep a tea, leading to inconsistent taste profiles from one brew to the next. So we want to provide the recommended steeping times for the six major tea categories for everyone.
1. Green Tea: The first infusion should be steeped for 12 seconds or less.
Green tea is an unfermented tea, so the tea leaves retain most of the nutrients from the fresh leaves. When brewing green tea, the water temperature should not be too high, with 80°C (176°F) being ideal. The steeping time also should not be too long, otherwise it will damage the active compounds in the tea leaves.
2. Yellow Tea: The first infusion should be steeped for 15 seconds or less.
Yellow tea is lightly fermented, and its characteristics are quite similar to green tea. When brewing, you only need to steep it for 2-3 seconds longer than the recommended time for green tea.
3. Black Tea: The first infusion should be steeped for 10 seconds or less.
For black tea, the steeping time generally does not need to be too long. For the first few infusions, 10 seconds or less is sufficient to extract the tea liquor. If the steeping time is too long, it can easily result in a bitter and astringent tea. This is the general principle. However, you can make minor adjustments based on your personal taste preferences and the specific circumstances, while still keeping within this overall guideline.
4. For white tea The first infusion should be steeped for 10 seconds or less.
For New White Tea:
Use a covered brewing vessel (gaiwan)
For the first 3 infusions: Steep for 10 seconds
4th infusion: Use 100°C water, steep for 20 seconds
5th infusion: Use 100°C water, steep for 30 seconds
For Aged/Older White Tea:
Aged White Tea Cakes:
Starting from the 2nd infusion, increase the steeping time by 3-5 seconds compared to new white tea
Still, do not over-steep
Aged Loose Leaf White Tea:
Due to extended aging, the leaves contain richer compounds
The steeping time needs to be even shorter, otherwise it can become bitter and astringent
In summary, whether it's new white tea or aged white tea, the steeping time needs to be carefully controlled to avoid over-extraction and bitterness. New tea and aged tea require slightly different handling. These detailed guidelines are very helpful, thank you for sharing!
5. For oolong tea: The first infusion should be steeped for 10 seconds or less.
Oolong tea is meticulously crafted to achieve a partially oxidized state, known as "doing green" (青). Due to this careful processing, oolong tea is able to release its flavors and aromas very quickly during brewing. Therefore, the first infusion of oolong tea only requires a very short 10-second (or less) steeping time.
6. For black tea: The first infusion should be steeped for 20 seconds or less.
Black tea is made from relatively coarse, aged tea leaves.
After the fermentation process, the water-soluble compounds in black tea leaves are released more slowly compared to other tea types.
Additionally, much black tea is compressed into tightly compressed cakes or bricks.
These compressed tea leaves require some time to fully open and unfurl during the initial infusion.
