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Finding the perfect water for tea
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Tea is nought but this.
First you heat the water,
Then you make the tea.
Then you drink it properly.
That is all you need to know.
Rikyu
While tea is really a fairly simple drink there are a few things one ought to know to ensure a good brew. One of the keys to a great cup of tea is the water. Using tap water can have a big influence on the taste of the final product. Fluoride, chlorine, sulfur, minerals, and alkalinity all change the way the tea will taste. Portland, like most of Oregon, does not have fluoride in its drinking water, but all tap water has some impurities. A basic facet or pitcher filter will reduce minerals and chlorine, but if you happen to have good bottled water all the better. Make sure you do a bit more homework before you go out and buy any of these. Not all filters or bottled waters are created equal. Click this site for more on bottled water.
Tea enthusiasts can get pretty serious about the water they use, but when you think about it tea really is mostly water, so the kind of water used will make a big difference. The Ancient Chinese and Japanese used great care, tradition and ceremony in choosing the water they used for tea. Lu Yu, who authored the first book on tea (The Classic of Tea) during the Tang Dynasty, wrote, “On the question of what water to use, I would suggest that tea made from mountain streams is best, river water is all right, but well-water is quite inferior.” Many people get so absorbed in tea leaves, pots, and cups they forget to pay attention to the water they are using. Here’s your mandate: when you go to make your next cup of tea take a little time to consider the water.
Other water tips:
- Water with a PH of 7 and a TDS of 40-50 is considered the best for green tea.
- Do not use a microwave to heat your water because they can heat above the point of boiling without actually boiling the water so it is hard to tell exactly how hot the water is unless you want to use a thermometer.
- Each type of tea has its own temperate at which it should be ideally steeped.
- Avoid distilled water, as it tends to give the tea a flat taste.
- Never re-boil water that has sat in a teapot because sitting water can not only make the tea taste flat, but it also absorbs smells nearby which can make for a funny smelling brew.
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