 Brewing begins with the freshest water available, because the water quality greatly influences the tea flavor. Brewing is easy – only two items are needed - a way to heat the water and a type of tea ware to infuse (steep) the tea leaves! We offer a variety of teapots and teaware. INSTRUCTIONS Heating the water requires a tea kettle, microwave, or a saucepan. Bring fresh water to desired temperature, depending on the type of tea you are making. A thermometer can be used, but our visual guide is preferred by most. Add tea leaves to a teapot or infuser (tea ball, or tea wand). *Remember some leaves expand to more than a small tea ball can handle, so using a medium to large size is recommended for most leaf teas. Pour hot water directly over the leaves and cover. This begins the infusion. Infuse the leaves for 3-9 minutes depending on the type. See steeping recommendations below. White tea – 5-9 minutes Green tea - 3-5 minutes Oolong and Formosa - 4-5 minutes Black tea - 3-4 minutes Herbals – 5-8 minutes Pu-erh – 2-4 minutes Rooibos – 5-6 minutes Remove the leaves from the water if using a tea ball or tea wand. **NOTE – we offer many teapots with infusers and an integrated grid system built in (designed for straining), so this makes it an easy step! Once your hot water is poured into one of our teapots, you then pour it from the teapot to the cups for drinking. No need to remove the leaves from the teapot until ready to clean. Over-steeping can result in a bitter flavor, and under-steeping does not allow full release of the leave’s aroma, so this may require a little experimentation to achieve your desired strength and flavor. If you prefer stronger tea, add more tea leaves and steep for the same number of minutes. If you prefer weaker tea, simply add a little more water. Please visit our tea ware and tea accessories section for your “Tea Side perfect cup”. VISUAL GUIDE FOR BOILING WATER 160 – 180 degrees F – Recommended for many delicate Green and White teas, and lighter flavors. Water just beginning to bubble will look slightly fizzy with a few bubbles rising to the surface. 180 – 190 degrees F – Recommended for Greens, Oolongs, Formosa and combinations of medium bodied, and lighter Black teas such as Darjeeling and Nepal. Bubbles move more quickly to the surface and to the sides of the pan. 190 – 212 degrees F – Recommended for Herbals, hearty Black teas such as Imperial Yunnan, English Breakfast and Kenya. Boiling point is 212° F and bubbles will be larger and mostly rolling. It is not necessary to boil more than a minute or two. ICED TEA - All teas can be made into iced tea and hold the same antioxidant levels as hot tea. However, the antioxidant levels decline with increased shelf life of iced tea; therefore it is best consumed on the same day it is made or soon thereafter. Use twice the amount of tea for brewing to make iced tea, because it will be diluted when iced. Use two generous teaspoons of tea for one cup of water. Many of our herbal and flavored combinations make excellent iced-tea for a refreshing taste. Adding lemon or lemon lime to the black teas such as the Ceylon makes an ideal cup for an afternoon or evening beverage. ADDING MILK AND SUGAR Many people like to add honey to green tea, but most teas can be enjoyed without the addition of a sweetener. Tea is a way of life and meant to be enjoyed, so the addition of any ingredient for your pleasure is what is important. Strong black teas, with the exception of Darjeeling, are often consumed with both milk and sugar, but when black teas are blended with other flavors, it is recommended to taste before adding a sweetener or milk. Traditional Chai is traditionally heated with milk and honey or sugar, and we offer recipes for traditional style and café style Chai. What is Chai? Chai, an aromatic spiced tea, has been the Indian drink of choice for hundreds of years. It is the perfect blend of freshly ground spices like cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and pepper, added to a boiling pot of loose leaf tea and milk to make a delicious, satisfying and healthy beverage. Chai is much like “chili”; it has some basic ingredients but there are hundreds of variations and all result in a great taste. Chai in East African culture, bring people together, much the way they do in India, in social settings. Friendships develop over a cup of chai. In Uganda, chai is nearly an expectation; it is a culture. “Kunywa chai hate milele”! (drink chai forever) How to make Traditional Chai:
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