Brew tea in a regular cup
If you have not yet acquired special tea drinking vessels , do not rush to refuse delicious tea or postpone acquaintance with it. Today, using Shu Pu Erh as an example, we will tell you how to brew Chinese tea at home using the pin cha method using a minimal set of utensils.
We will need:
Thermos with hot water 95°C
Coffee cup with a capacity of 90-100 ml
5-6 gr. any Shu Pu Erh available to you (we have Shu Pu Erh Shu Wang harvested in 2022)
Tea strainer
Any cup for draining water and a saucer for a tea strainer
Some tips:
1. Use the smallest cup you can find at home. It is almost impossible to correctly calculate the amount of tea for an ordinary cup weighing 250-300 grams: the tea will turn out watery, tasteless, and the consumption of raw materials is unreasonably high. A small coffee cup will allow you to correctly calculate the brewing time and the amount of infusion, and you will be able to feel the same taste and aroma for which we love and appreciate Chinese tea.
2. Use a thermos, not a teapot. It will take at least half an hour to prepare 6 brews (the average amount that high-quality tea is designed for) and enjoy the drink without rushing. During this time, the water in the kettle will cool down and you will have to heat it up. A thermos will maintain the right temperature for a long time.
We place Pu Erh in a tea strainer, pour hot water, after a few seconds we drain the water - this is a spill for rinsing. We should wash off the fine dust from the tea, and also saturate the tea leaf with water and wake it up.
First rinse: pour water over the tea, hold for 10-15 seconds and remove the strainer. This pour is usually the most delicate - the tea leaf has not yet fully opened. But you can already feel the notes of the tea, its taste, aroma and character.
The aroma is subtle, a bit skerky, the taste is not bright, a bit earthy.
The second brewing is often the most intense in taste: the tea leaf has warmed up well, opened up and happily releases essential oils. So try to shorten the brewing time a bit and see how the taste of the tea has changed, whether you like it.
The color of the infusion has become deeper, reminiscent of cognac, the taste is woody, with a slight tartness at the end.
From the fourth brewing, the taste of the tea gradually begins to weaken, becoming mild, sweet, slightly watery. Observe these changes and listen to yourself. You can extend the brewing time, for example to 20 seconds or even longer. Remember: Your tea, your rules!
A good Pu Erh can withstand 6-7 infusions, so you're in for an exciting tea journey. We got a pleasant, slightly tart, soft drink that's suitable for evening tea drinking.
This brewing method is suitable for all teas . Try it, experiment, enjoy!