The water at the heart of the flavours

A cup of tea is made up of over 99% water, so water quality is the first thing to consider if you want to bring out the full potential of a tea. Here are a few tips to help you perfect your brew…

The effect of minerals on the infusion

Water which is too chalky or with too many minerals can tend to mask the intricacies of brewed tea, giving a soulless liquor. The chlorine in some tap waters spoils the taste of the infusion, while a poor quality spring water will tend to give a flat and characterless infusion. You need to find a happy medium. If you are using tap water, it is better to filter it first. With bottled water, the ideal is to choose a spring water with little or no taste and just a little mineral content to “carry” the flavours.

Should you boil the water?

It is not recommended to boil the water for too long, because in losing its temporary hardness and oxygen, the water can tend to highlight the bitterness of the tea. Finally, you must ensure it is allowed to cool to the recommended temperature or alternatively bring down the temperature with cold water.

« When the water boils, it forms bubbles on the surface like fish eyes and makes a sound which is barely audible.

When it sings around the edges like a babbling stream and looks like a necklace of countless pearls, it has reached the second stage of boiling.

When it leaps like a majestic breaker and resounds like a swelling wave, it has boiled enough.”

Extract from Cha Jing or The Classic of Tea – Lu Yu

These considerations broadly apply to all teas, rooibos and herbal teas. We give you the recommended temperature and infusion time on our packaging and on the product information sheet in our online shop in tasting tips so that you can follow the specific instructions for each type of leaf.