The Perfect Pot of Tea

There is, in fact, an art form and a science to bringing the brew to perfection. The perfect pot of tea is far more than just pouring boiling water over some leaves.
The first step is to fill your tea kettle with cold water. Always use fresh water, and don't rely on old water that has stayed in the kettle from the last time. Turn the kettle on to boil. Make sure your kettle is a stainless steel, non-reactive vessel.
While the kettle is heating, fill your clean teapot with hot water. (Since the polyphenols in tea can go rancid if they are left in the pot, making your tea taste bitter, it's important to wash your teapot thoroughly after each use….unless, of course, you're using a Yixing teapot!)
Essentially, you are pre-heating the teapot, a process which helps keep the tea warm and allows the leaves to open fully. Dry the teapot out after it has been warmed with the hot water.
Pick your pleasure and select the tea leaves you are going to use. In general, use 1 teaspoon of loose tea for each cup, placing the leaves into your infuser. If you're making tea for more than six people, add one extra teaspoon of leaves for the pot.
Bring the teapot to the kettle so that heat is not lost, and then pour the boiling water over the tea leaves in the pot. Use the teapot's lid to hold in the steam and properly steep the tea. For black teas, the proper steeping is three to five minutes.
Allowing the tea leaves to steep for more than five minutes, or pressing or squeezing the wet tea leaves can result in a bitter taste because too many of the polyphenols are released. Stick to the time-honored formula of a teaspoon per cup. You can't make a perfect pot of tea by using poor quality leaves and increasing the amount of time it steeps, or by using more tea and steeping it less time.
Herbal tisanes and green teas require five to ten minutes of steeping.
In England, and for many tea lovers, making tea by the cup instead of in the pot - is improper and taboo.
While you may never earn a perfect 10.0 at the Olympics, or find the absolute perfect match-made-in-heaven, it's easy to make the perfect pot of tea.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lady Dawnya Sasse, is author of the world's first online tea business programs entitled "Start a Tea Business" and "Start A Children's Tea Party Business." To learn more about her online classes and to sign up for her FREE Tea Radio Broadcasts visit her site at
http://www.TeaEvents.com
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Copyright 2005 Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved. Tea Events

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A Pot of Rose Hip Tea

Winter is knocking at the door and the cold and flu season is right behind him. I do my best to keep the latter two outside with old man winter. They are not the type of guest I want in my home. There are things one can do to help stay well this time of year. Keeping your immune system in tip top shape is one.
She, however, seemed pleased every time I brought the roses to her. She spoke very little English and I did not quite understand her when she spoke Finnish. I would always pick a bouquet for my great grandmother.

The yellow centers reminded me of smiley faces. They grew everywhere and were found in every shade of light pink to a vibrant fuschia. In the early summer the air was filled with the fragrance of wild roses. As a child I loved exploring the hundred acre woods around my grandparents estate.
One time my great grandmother caught me in the act of chewing rose hips and I was right. I would chew on them. In the late fall I recall picking the red pods on the roses that were no longer blooming.
I would sip the tea with my elders and feel pretty special because I was the one who gathered the rose hips. Every morning we were treated to a cup of rose hip tea sweetened with a bit of honey. The rose hips were put in the kettle and allowed to steep all night.

She kept a tea kettle of water simmering on the wood stove. She wanted the rose hips for tea.
Thinking back on my childhood I had very few, if any, colds in the winter. Rose hips are a good source of vitamin C which is good for the immune system. I make the rose hip tea today much as it was made in those days. I make it in a crockpot. At night I fill the pot with water, add a few handfuls of rose hips, turn the pot on high and leave it alone until morning. A cup of rose hip tea and a bit of honey in the morning or anytime is a refreshing change of pace from the ordinary, and also good for you.
Find tea pots at
www.pothaven.com