Steeping the Perfect Cup of Tea
We all look forward to tea time, for a couple of hours at least. Then you put the water to boil, maybe call a friend over. Talk a while, or just try to find something to do, because it feels eternity before the water comes to a boil. Then you infuse the tea leaves by passing hot water through the leaves and you watch them slowly bloom, coloring the infusion and filling the room with heady scents. Perfect! Pour it in a cup, maybe two. Sit on your favorite chair, take that first sip. Feel the noisy world quieten for a few seconds, feel at peace. Thus, making a cup of tea is a ritual and an experience.

Tea Brewing Methods
“When tea making becomes a ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things” Brewing tea and enjoying it, has very little to do with instructions; it is an art that is perfected with time and throwing your heart into it. But some directions could get you there faster. So here, we give you a basic technique to brew tea. And a few pointers to ensure you get the best out of every cup.

The Classic Infusion
The most popular method, this infusion marks the birth of tea preparation itself. This simple infusion works well for all teas. You can control the temperature and steeping time, so the tea will be of the strength you desire. Here is how you go about it.

• •   As a thumb rule, use one teaspoon or 2 grams for every cup (230ml/8oz) you’re making. Leafier tisanes like Mint and Chamomile, or teas with larger leaves like Green tea or Oolong could use an extra teaspoon.
• •   Tea bag teas are usually one per cup (230ml/8oz) of tea, though you can always double-up when you want it stronger!
• •   Always use fresh cold water. Never use water from the hot water tap. Let the tap water run for a few seconds until it is quite cold as this ensures that the water is aerated (full of oxygen) to release the full flavor of the tea leaves.
• •   Try not to let your water reach a rolling boil, as that will release oxygen and result in a flat-tasting cup of tea.
• •   If brewing with loose leaf tea, there are several different types of infusers available, sometimes you’ll need to experiment a little until you find the perfect one for you.
• •   Many teas are good for a second and even third steeping. Multiple steeping can bring out more subtle flavors and notes. Green tea, Oolong tea, White tea and Pu-erh tea fall into this category. Give it a shot — you might end up liking the second infusion better than the first!

Step 1: Heat water to desired temperature. Ensure the water isn’t boiling, as very high temperatures can easily destroy the delicate notes in the tea. Place the tea leaves in a infuser.

Step 2: Pour the hot water over the tea leaves until they are submerged.

Step 3: Let it steep for the recommended time. Take care not to over-steep.

Step 4: Remove the tea leaves. Pour into a cup and enjoy.

After this point, you can sweeten your tea with sugar, cream or honey or add a dash of lemon juice or mint for that extra flavor. But us being the purists that we are, recommend you to drink it plain. If not always, just try it plain once; you'll be surprised how many layers are there to a cup of tea.

The Cold Brew Infusion
This method works excellently for Iced tea. There’s no heat involved and the liquor produced is extremely strong. A variety of ingredients can be added later, such as fresh fruits or fruit juices to enhance the flavor of tea. But do remember, sugar never completely dissolves in Iced tea, so honey works better. Freshly prepared Iced tea has twenty times the antioxidants than its bottled counterparts.

Step 1: Drop loose tea leaves in a tall jar. Add a teaspoon extra than recommended quantity. (Use 6 teaspoons of tea leaves for 1 liter of water)

Step 2: Fill it with water. Cover the jar and leave it overnight (At least 8 hours). And if you leave it in the refrigerator, you can skip ice cubes and serve it straight.

Step 3: Strain the tea to remove leaves.

Step 4: Dilute it to desired strength. If you are adding honey, now is a good time.

Step 5: And this is the point where you can go crazy with your creativity. Add fresh cut fruits, or juices of citrus fruits like lemon, orange, etc. to make great mocktails. Garnish with discs of pineapple, rinds of lemon or sprigs of mint, so it looks just as good as it tastes.

Step 6: Serve with lots of ice.

The sweetened tea tastes amazing even without all the garnishing. So in case you aren’t feeling up to it, just add some ice and honey and swig it. It will be just as refreshing.

Tea Leaf versus Tea Bags
At “HighTea”, all the virtues of tea leaf can be fully expressed here but one is quite clear, whole tea leaves retain their natural oil, yielding a more flavored and full-bodied tea! However, we also offer tea bags as a convenience and another choice for our customers.

It is important to remember that the contents of our tea bags are not the remnants of the tea leaf but the actual tea leaves cut to fit into a tea bag. We take great care in sourcing only the finest tea to use in our tea bags. When the tea is cut to tea bag size, the brew has more fullness with subtle flavor than a full leaf tea.

Thus, while enjoying leaf tea or tea bags from “HighTea”, will provide you with the same great taste and healthy benefits as we source only premium teas for our customers, whether leaf tea or tea bags!

What is the Best Method for Storing Tea?
Proper storage has everything to do with the flavor and delight that tea offers. Oxygen, moisture and smells are all enemies to the delicate subtleness of tea. Fine tea is especially fragile and can be easily ruined by such elements. It is important to store tea in airtight containers, preferably metal, to protect from exposure to light, humidity and high temperatures. Our “Signature Tea Caddies” are ideal for Tea storage. Therefore, please do not store tea in the refrigerator or freezer.