Late Night Musings

I am sitting here listening to some piano etudes and musing about all the great things I have done in the last weekend. It has been excellent even though it was rainy and chilly.

Now all who know me, know that I am a tea fanatic. I love tea. There is nothing better than having a warm cup of tea on a cold day, or you can have it iced if it is unreasonable hot. There are loads of antioxidants that help to keep you healthy and well, and no sugar, preservatives, or fat. (that is to say as long as you drink it strait, without creme or sugar. My favorite is soy milk.)

There are specific techniques to making the perfect pot of tea.

1: You buy premium tea.
Your tea hast to be made from the best herbs and dried properly. You can grow and dry your own herbs, which I have done, and it's extremely hard to mix just the right herbs to make good flavors. My favorite producers are Mighty Leaf (this my ultimate favorite company), and yogi tea ( I like the inspirational thoughts that are attached to the bag, and I end up saving them all in cup).

2: You don't want to heat the water to a boil.
You only want the water to steam. Boiling water, while nice and hot will cause the tea to bruise, and that is never good. For a good taste, you steam the water to the point of boiling and then you let the tea steep longer.

3: Let the tea steep longer.
This is the real trick. Everyone is in such a hurry, but the longer you let the tea steep the deeper the flavor. It is normally recommended to let the tea steep for three to five minutes. I normally let it steep for 10 and then drink it slowly through the day. The last cup at the end of the day is so dark and wonderful.
Be warned- if you are using the tea leaf (Camellia sinensis), i.e. green tea, white tea, or black tea; the longer you let the tea steep the more bitter it will be. The actual tea leaf goes bitter the longer it soaks. I personally like bitter flavors so it's not a problem, but not everyone enjoys the flavor change.
A long steep only changes the flavor, it doesn't release any more antioxidants. Those are there from the very beginning. So a long steep is just for a preferred flavor.

4: Have a nice tea pot and cup.
This makes for a pleasant experience and presentation. Drinking tea is about becoming content and happy with your life. Drinking out of your favorite cup makes a difference, surrounding yourself with things you love helps you to love life more.

There you have it. That is four easy steps to enjoying tea. I finally got my perfect pot on Saturday while antique shopping with Carmel and Brook. It is the brown tea pot in the picture. So anyone is welcome to call me for a pot of tea and a wonderful experience with a friend.