Tea kick still going strong

Three posts ago, in July, I mentioned my love of good tea and the process of making it conveniently. Since then, the following aspects have changed:

• I use a better method for brewing tea at work;
• I much prefer plain tea over flavoured tea;
• I like to drink tea out of a nice cup.

At work I now use a Teeli infuser, which sits in a mug and gives the leaves plenty of room to expand, thus developing the flavour better than the spring-clip infuser I used to use. I heat the cup with hot water before using it, so the tea can brew in sufficient heat.

As regards tea varieties, my favourite ones at the moment are, in no particular order:

• Assam Joonktollee, a strong Indian black tea with slightly sweet aroma;
  
• Sen cha (fine Japanese green tea), a terrific mental recuperative;
• Darjeeling Goomtee, with an incredible grassy flavour, very relaxing;
  
• Sikkim Temi, similar to above but more subtle in flavour and effect;
• Pai Mu Tan, a Chinese white tea with very mild flavour;
• Keemun Mao Feng, a bold Chinese black tea with nutty overtones.

All of these have in common the property of being pure tea. They are single-source, meaning that all the leaves in my cup were grown in the same region, even the same estate (e.g. the Joonktollee, Goomtee and Temi estates, in the Assam, Darjeeling and Sikkim regions, respectively). The flavours of tea represent the soil and climate in which it's grown, just like wine. And just as a wine lover outgrows cheaper bottles that have been blended from several regions (thus sacrificing the distinctive flavour of one region for a predictable and mass-producable product), so does a tea lover outgrow blended teas, and this includes flavoured teas. Without intending to, I've outgrown flavoured teas, and rarely drink Earl Grey, Stockholm Blend, etc. It's not that I object to the flavour that is used; it's agreeable and of high quality. It's just that the tea used in Earl Grey tea (for instance) is indistinct. It's not sensible to use good quality single-source tea when the subtle flavours of that tea will be overpowered by, and may even clash with, the flavourings that are applied.

As an aside: four of the six teas mentioned above should be brewed with less-than-boiling water. It makes a huge difference. You have to be careful not to let them brew too long, too. A little knowledge (and a $7 thermometer) goes a long way.

Finally, tea cups. Not a big deal, but I've always believed that a list of bullet points should have at least three items in it. Until recently, the cup that delivered my tea to my mouth was given little consideration. A month ago, however, my better half purchased us a pair of Spode blue and white painted teacups (here's hers). At home at least, it's become a nice part of the overall experience.

At a recent "bring a plate" lunch I attended, my contribution was to make tea for everybody. I made Pai Mu Tan in a huge pot, its light flavour and healthy qualities being a good match for the rich food we were eating. Not only was it much appreciated, there was a sense of disbelief among some people that tea could be so nice. It's nice to be reminded that it's worth putting some effort into that daily cuppa.