How do you drink your tea, mug?

[Guest realmayo]

Right, I used to think a pretty straightforward way to drink Chinese tea was to put some leaves in a mug and add water. Then drink it. And add some more water later. But I've since read warnings that you don't want to keep the tea leaves stewing too long (becomes bitter), which is what I do if I take more than a few minutes to finish drinking my mug.

So: can I ask: how do you people drink Chinese (ie loose-leaf) tea? Teapot? Jam jar?

And: these devices now seem to make more sense, right (link)?

[imron]

I go for the glorified jam-jar with accompanying strainer.

[renzhe]

I do the poor man's method, the one with leaves in the mug.

[zozzen]

My family's way.....

1. put leaves in a pot, add boiling water (a little bit lesser than 100 degree) for 10 secs. We call this "the first dunk" and we never drink it. (for washing out the dirts)

2. add water again, and wait for 30-40 secs. Put all tea in a glass pot to avoid over-stewing. We call this "the second dunk". (These glass pots can be sold in all tea houses)

3. After you finish the second dunk, add water again in a tea pot and wait for longer time. Put all tea in a glass pot again. It's "the third dunk".

4. You can always make the fourth and fifth dunk, but the leaves must be stewed for longer time. 90 sec is often a upper limit.

There's actually more tricks (like showering boiling hot pot over tea pot, make the tea pot breathing) . They've sold tea about a century bu I've never a good taster of tea and don't even recognize them well.

My way:

buy a tea bag, put it into a coffee mug, add hot water for two mins , take the bag out. But i drink coca cola more often.....

[adrianlondon]

I drink loads of chinese tea, both at home and at work.

I used to use one of these which you linked to earlier, but some really small tea leaves and the small osyamthus flowers I add fall through.

At work I use one of these.

At home I use one of these.

Sorry about the random URLs but they were just the first useful hits from a quick google search

[Hofmann]

First, get access to some boiling water. Put some leaves in a small teapot. Wash the leaves (with some of the water). Then put some of the boiling water in a separate container. Wait for the water to cool to whatever temperature (depending on the tea). Then use that water to make the first infusion. Wait for whatever time, then drink it. Repeat with longer time.

[cdn_in_bj]

At work I do the "leaves in mug" method. Maybe I should get one of those fancy mug-with-strainer that Adrian has. At home I use a teapot (with strainer).

[adrianlondon]

I don't like the mug-with-strainer things, because the strainer is made out of the same ceramic as the mug so the holes are too big. I find small tea leaves (especially with cheap tea!) and small pieces of flowers such as jasmine and osmanthus fall through.

Get one of the cheap spring-loaded ball things I linked to next to "at work I use".. Although at home I do love my more expensive German one, with the lid. That plastic top also reverses and can be used as a base for putting the strainer in once you take it off the cup, ready for the next infusion.

[DrWatson]

At home I make tea in a separate pot. At work I use a steeper--I don't know what it is called actually, it is a metal ball that holds the tea leaves but has holes for hot water to get to the leaves. I just drop the ball into a mug of boiled water and wait.

[Lu]

Either tea bags, or I just put loose tea in a mug, and drink through my teeth to avoid eating the leaves. If you only put in a little tea, it won't get too strong. Zozzen's method is the one used for extended paocha, with the right kind of cups and pots.

[Lugubert]

I've found a dedicated tea brewer, percolator type. It works perfectly for my present favourites, like Sikkim, "Russian", Qimen and various Oolongs. I'll have to experiment some more for green teas, like Long Jing, though. Or I'm not sophisticated enough to appreciate them.

[leeyah]

1.Our Chinese teachers used the jam-jar with loads of leaves steeped in water, the popular way

2.The best green tea I' ve ever tasted was 劳山绿茶 (Lao Shan Lv Cha), porcelain teapot of course.

3.The most beneficent tea-drinking method is in tranquility, in a relaxing atmosphere

4.Keep in mind that green tea changes colour if water is over 80 degrees (Celsius) and never cover the cup - if you do you may just as well throw it away or drink coke

5.普洱茶 Pu Er Cha is No 1. (sh)

[adrianlondon]

never cover the cup

Oh, really? Why's that? When I'm on my third or even fourth steep (as it gets later at night I want weaker and weaker drinks) I put the plastic cover on my silver sieve thing to keep the water warm (not hot - I know about the 80 degrees thing) while it brews.

[leeyah]

First I heard it from the Chinese then I read more about it and it seems to be true

It really keeps the green shade, it's true, it looks and tastes better

I like drinking green tea before bedtime and they say I shouldn't, not just before turning in But who cares? Then there's always my favourite Pu Er...

[Guest realmayo]

Thank you for your advice! I think I'll get one of those metal sieve-balls for the office and take it from there....

Have seen loads of stuff online about posh teapots and how the Chinese really love their teas -- is this still the case, particularly among the younger generation?

[cdn_in_bj]

I don't like the mug-with-strainer things, because the strainer is made out of the same ceramic as the mug so the holes are too big. I find small tea leaves (especially with cheap tea!) and small pieces of flowers such as jasmine and osmanthus fall through.

That is true - I suppose it would be ok with Oolong.

Then there's always my favourite Pu Er...

I've just recently started appreciating Pu Er - they say it helps with losing weight? It's expensive tea however. :o

[adrianlondon]

they say it helps with losing weight?

Yeah, if you have it instead of a pie ;) I drink Tikuanyin tea after greasy food as someone told me it aids digestion of oily food..

[HoVis]

Hmm... have come to the conclusion that I must be quite uncivilised since I usually have my tea with the loose leaves in the bottom.

Then again my favourite teas are rose or peppermint so for both of those teas the 'bits' are large enough to avoid easily.

I use the single-cup strainer (that looks like a starship IMO.... ) for jasmine :

[Caidanbi]

I only drink loose-leaf tea now, it has so much more flavor! I actually got this thermos with a strainer in it. So I boil water, pour it into the thermos, put the lid with the strainer in it, and then just pour the tea into whatever mug I want to drink out of after. It turns out really good, and the thermos holds the heat in too. I drink a ton of green and white tea every day, so that thermos really gets a good workout! lol

[Guest realmayo]

Just in case anyone's interested, I now use an amazingly simple & effective contraption, the first one of the list shown here. It's excellent, I love it! You add the tea leaves, in the top, pour in the water, and when it's ready just press the button at the top and the tea pours out the bottom and into the jug -- with the leaves kept in the device up top for the next batch of hot water, or just to be thrown away.