Step Three: Strain And Serve
When ready to serve, pour the tea through the strainer into individual cups.
Serving The Tea:
Specific teas traditionally use specific accompaniments:
- Serve black tea with milk, lemon, or sugar, if desired. Never serve black tea with cream: it's too rich and overwhelms the flavors.
- Green tea is served without anything at all.
- Herb teas are usually served as is, with honey, and/or with lemon.
Tips:
Use of very hard or artificially softened water can significantly mar the flavor of tea.
Some herbs used for teas need to be simmered, not steeped. These are usually roots and barks used for medicinal purposes, and are not discussed here.
Now that you're a tea perfectionist ... keep these principles in mind:
- While use of loose leaves in a pot is greatly encouraged, use of a tea ball is acceptable. Be sure it is large enough to hold the amount of tea needed for the pot. Stir
before serving. - Try to draw the line at pre-packaged tea bags. The problem is not so much concept as execution: some large companies hide inferior ingredients in those opaque little bags; some retailers don't discard old boxes that have been sitting around for way too long.
So, if you must use tea bags, try to buy them from a retailer known for his/her appreciation of tea, or at least a high turnover of product. Take as much care in preparation as you would if using loose leaves; you'll notice the difference for sure.
Now that you know how to make the perfect pot of tea, wait for a rainy Sunday afternoon, select a flavor you like, and curl up on the couch with good book and a warm cup of relaxation!
Learn2 Make A Perfect Pot Of Tea
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