Making Tea - Mugs

Here we see a style that many westerner's may be more familiar with, using a tea mug. In many ways the other styles of making tea can seem long-winded especially when busy with other aspects of daily life. After sometime often you adapt your routines and methods to suit the other styles but for those first trying tea leaves here is an example of how to.

As with most loose teas it is important to remember you don't need huge amounts. It will take a little time to work out your preferred strength but usually a good 'pinch' of tea is sufficient for an 'average' cup. Remember you can always add extra if the first guess was a little weak.

In these pictures we are using a Chinese mug which has a filter built in. These mugs normally come in 2 styles. Here we can see that the filter is part of the mug, the other style has a separate filter that can be lifted out of the mug once your preferred strength is reached. Basic mugs can be purchased cheaply almost anywhere in China. China is also a great source of some very finely made mugs too. Porclain production centres such as those in Jing De Zhen produce high quality mugs, often hand decorated to meet individual's preferences including avid collectors.

When adding the water, remember that the temperature used should follow the basic rules for whatever tea type is being prepared. Using the style of mug pictured it is advisable to pour the water directly over the tea to ensure the best infusion.

The mug's lid can and should be used especially with Oolong & red/black teas to maintain the initial water temperature. However, the lid also ensures that the brew remains hot and no unexpected additions (flies, etc.!) affect the flavour.

Normal everyday western tea mugs can be used without a problem, the main advantage of these Chinese mugs is that the tea leaves are separated from the tea liquor. If you are unable to get a mug like the ones here, one tip is that if you add the tea leaves to your cup and then rinse them out with hot water (following the basic water temperature rules), it tends to help the leaves stay at the bottom. You may still get a few leaves floating, but it will be considerably less.

All that is left to do is enjoy your tea.......

One of the great bonuses of using tea mugs is the convenience of just adding extra water. Usually the mug can be refilled 4-6 times depending on your preference and the type of tea. In the summer you can leave to cool or even add an ice cube (or 3) after the tea has had time to stand. This makes a very refreshing drink.