Factors in brewing loose leaf tea
Loose leaf tea is tea how it was meant to be. When you steep loose tea, typically made from whole or partially broken tea leaves, the leaves are able to expand and unfurl as they interact with hot water. The result is a brewed tea that yields all of the subtle flavor nuances its grower and producer intended.
There are several factors that determine how great your brewed cup will be. Depending on the type of tea, the water temperature and steeping time will play important roles.
Another important factor is the ratio of loose leaf tea to water. In other words, how much tea should we steep to yield the perfect brewed cup? Steeping too many tea leaves could yield a brewed tea that’s too strong, astringent, or even bitter. Steeping too few tea leaves could yield a weak tea that tastes more like hot water than a cup of tea. Either scenario is disappointing and a waste of potentially delicious tea.
Luckily, the tea industry created guidelines to make brewing the perfect cup of hot tea more achievable.
These guidelines were created to make professional cupping and tasting standards consistent across the board.
But the industry standard measurements don’t take into account personal tea drinking preferences. Maybe you like your tea on the strong, astringent side because you like to add milk and sugar. Or perhaps you like to sip teas that are mild and therefore like a brew that is a tad weak. Whatever your preference, these are simply guidelines to get you closer to your own perfect cup of tea.
A single serving of loose leaf tea is typically measured as 2 grams of loose tea per 8 ounces of hot water.
Our measuring guide is based on our own experience brewing CHUNLI’s organic loose leaf teas. Other types of teas that hail from different gardens and are processed differently may have other variables to consider when identifying a volume measurement close to the industry standard of 2 grams.
Followings are some typical tea types and a suggestion of its brewing.
WHOLE LEAF TEA SIZE
Whole leaves that are large and haven’t been tightly rolled will be bulky and have more volume than tea leaves that were rolled into smaller shapes or even partially broken during processing. For example, you might use a heaping tablespoon of needle-like sencha green tea leaves versus just a scant teaspoon of pellet-rolled gunpowder green tea leaves.
BLENDED TEAS
Blended teas may have larger herb pieces that increase the tea’s volume. For example, a chai blend might have chunky cardamom pods or a floral blend might have whole rose buds. For these, you might use a heaping tablespoon to be sure and capture more of the intended herb flavor.
Fine cut tea size
Fine cut tea leaves are quick to brew and yield a strong, full-bodied flavor. Therefore, fine cut leaves should be steeped in a volume closer to one teaspoon per 8 ounces of water.
To brew several cups of hot tea in a large teapot, simply increase the amount of loose leaf tea to match the total ounces of water you’re using. For example, use up to 6 grams or 3 tablespoons loose leaf tea for a 3-cup teapot.
