Tempest in a Teapot (A Teapot Collector Mystery)

by Amanda Cooper

  Allow 3–5 minutes for the full flavor to come out before removing the infuser or strainer, or if you have made the tea without the aid of one, you can begin to enjoy the subtleties of the tea. Many people add milk or sugar, but we recommend you try the tea without adding anything that will obliterate the flavors.

  Green tea, white tea, and oolong tea are all prepared the same way, with one major difference; water temperature should be well under the boil, no more than 75 degrees centigrade or 167 degrees Fahrenheit. Green tea leaves should not be cooked, which the boiling water will do. All the tannins are shocked out of the leaf and you are left with a bitter cup of tea. Made properly, green tea, white tea, and oolong tea are not bitter but exude a smoothness that needs to be savored.

  To summarize: bring freshly drawn water (filtered is preferred) to a boil, use 1 teaspoon or 2 grams of tea per cup, pour boiling water over the leaf, let stand or steep for 3–5 minutes. Enjoy the tea. For green, white, and oolong teas, you want to bring water to a boil and stand to cool down. A thermometer is helpful; once the water has cooled to 75–80 degrees centigrade or 167–176 degrees Fahrenheit, it is poured over the leaves, left to steep for 3 minutes and enjoyed!