Six Essential Factors for Brewing Good Tea 4

One Tea One World, One Pot One Universe;
In One’s Palm move the Heaven and Earth,
With the delicate fragrance heart is contented.

Water Temperature

As standard when making tea, water temperature should be 100° C in order to allow the characteristics of the tea leaves to unfold thoroughly, as well as eliminating germs. Steeping time depends on the type of tea. Generally, leaves that are greener, thinner, more tender or even lighter in roasting and fermentation should not be steeped for too long otherwise the tea will turn bitter. Lower temperature can also be used to brew green tea, but tea leaves shaped like tight knots such as Dong Ding Oolong, Tikuanyin, or aged tea should use a higher boiling temperature with the smoke from the water boiling device appearing almost vertical.

Choice of Tea Ware

Aside from good tea and good water, there must be suitable tea ware to make tea. The texture of the teapot also plays a major role in making good tea.

Seven criteria for selecting a good teapot:

1. The way that the water flows from the teapot spout should be easy and smooth, with no splash, and no scattered water.

2. The lid must fit well with the body of the teapot. The mouth of the spout and the opening on the body should be on the same level. The body of the teapot should be shallow and not deep, the lid should be tight and not loose.

3. There should be no mud or soil taste, and no mixed tastes.

4. The teapot should withstand sudden and abrupt changes of hot and cold temperatures. It should not leak and should not be brittle.

5. The material or texture of teapot should be in harmony with the type of tea being brewed and should be able to thoroughly express the characteristics of that specific type of tea.

6. It should be convenient to place tea leaves in and has enough water capacity.

7. It should be able to sustain heat after brewing and not dissipate heat too quickly. It should let out the content of tea in a short period of time.

泡好茶的六大要素﹝四﹞

一茶一世界，一壺一天地；掌中動乾坤，清香心自得。

泡茶水溫

一般泡茶的水溫要以100度C為標準，因為100度的水溫才可以將茶葉的特性展現，且沸水才符合殺菌、健康的原則，但茶葉浸泡的時間長短，則需視茶葉而定。

一般茶葉外觀色澤越綠，或是細嫩芽茶如綠茶類，或發酵輕焙火少者，泡茶溫度為100度C，但浸泡的時間不宜太久，因浸泡太久會使茶湯變苦。

綠茶也可以用較低溫的水，但沖泡外形緊結的茶如凍頂烏龍、鐵觀音等，或是陳年老茶，則沖泡水溫則必須要再提高，必須讓水一直滾沸，直至煮水器噴出來的煙呈垂直狀，才是最適當的泡茶溫度。

泡茶用具的選擇

泡茶除了好茶、好水外，還必須要有適當的泡茶用具，尤其茶壺的質地與泡茶效果有很大的關係。

好茶壺應具備以下七大條件：

1. 壺嘴的出水要流暢，不濺水花。

2. 壺蓋與壺身要密合，水壺口與出水的嘴要在同一水平面上。壺身宜淺不宜深，壺蓋宜緊不宜鬆。

3. 無泥味、雜味。

4. 能適應冷熱急遽之變化，不滲漏，不易破裂。

5. 質地能配合所沖泡茶葉之種類，將茶之特色發揮得淋漓盡致。

6. 方便置入茶葉，容水量足夠。

7. 泡後茶湯能夠保溫，不會散熱太快，能讓茶葉成份在短時間內合宜浸出。