Tea making is an art, and the more one masters the basic fundamentals of technique, the more one can free flow and adapt. Of course, we are referring to the art of steeping whole leaf, preferably artisan made teas. Incidentally, water, equipment, and serving vessels are all important supporting characters to the actual tea ingredient itself. Choose the tea you want to steep by its quality first, then seasonality second. High quality leaves will stand up to storage and time much better than tea dust and fannings, which are usually, not fresh. Once you have chosen the tea you wish to steep, prepare the following: Water: Choose spring waters, or carbon-filtered water. Higher mineral waters are usually preferred. Temperature: Heat up the water to the right temperature for the appropriate tea. The temperature range for most green teas are between 150-170 F, for White teas between 170-180 F, Oolongs from…
