On Brewing Tea

There are times when I've just let my tea bag sit in my teacup until I've finished the whole cupful. And sometimes this works, and it tastes fabulous, and that's super. But sometimes, this method of drinking tea ruins the whole cup.

So, it actually DOES pay to check the steeping time on the tea you're drinking. Here's a quick guide to steeping times:

Green Tea           =  1 - 3 minutes
White Tea           =  4 - 8 minutes
Oolong Tea         =  1 - 8 minutes
Black Tea           =   3 - 5 minutes
Herbal (tisanes)   =  5 - 8 minutes
Red Tea (Pu'erh) =  3-7 minutes
Rooibos Tea       =  3-5 minutes
Honeybush Tea   =  5-8 minutes

I find herbal teas and white teas I can steep a little longer (like, through the whole cup), but some black teas or even some herbal teas need to be removed from the water sooner. I have to realize that this is not a bad thing, and it's not WEAK tea, but tea as it is meant to be.

And Tea As It Is Meant To Be is amazing.