Here we pursue the basic and simplified rules of tea preparation to provide the greatest pleasure possible. The more detailed preparation instructions for the teas we offer are found with their description on the web pages.

Tea storage

It is necessary to store tea in a dry, dark place outside the reach of any other odours, well closed in a glass or metal vessel, preventing access of air. The appropriate vessels are for example dark glass bottles with a cut-glass bottleneck (flasks) or tin bowls that can be well closed. It is definitely not convenient to store teas in paper bags. These days we often see tea being sold in bowls made of transparent glass that are totally inconvenient for tea storage and it is better not to use those teas. Light is the same enemy for the tea leaf as moisture or outside odour.

Tea accessories

Tea should be prepared in such utensils and with the help of such accessories that do not react chemically with the tea liquor and do not add any outside tastes and odours to it. Convenient materials for tea accessories are glass, porcelain, quality ceramics and special materials such as Japanese cast iron etc. However it is inconvenient to use metal accessories (included tea sieves), of course with the exception of accessories made of silver, gold and special metals, not reacting with tea. Even natural materials such as bamboo are not really convenient, because they can add their natural odour and taste to the liquor. Because of that and also with respect to the practical usage it is advisable to exchange for example those very popular bamboo sieves with paper filters and so on.

Water

There were many legends and more or less serious scientific dissertations written on features of water most convenient for tea preparation. Tearoom experience proves that even public water can be completely convenient, but also that water convenient for preparation of one kind of tea is utterly inconvenient for preparation of another kind. It is of course possible to write that ideal water comes from a mountain spring in the heart of virgin nature, but how many people can reach it? Quality bottled water serves as well as that one and water from most public conduits is also usable without any problems, even if it is not often ideal. It is needed to choose not too mineralized water with the most delicate and the least tangible individual taste. The useful tip to verify the usefulness of water is to boil it, let it cool and then taste it. If it has none or just a very delicate taste, it is convenient, otherwise do not use such water.

Basic rules for tea preparation

The amount of  the tea leaves, the temperature of the water used to pour on the leaves and the time and the method of infusion all depend on the type, freshness and quality of the tea, including the personal taste preferences. However, there are certain basic practices to start from.

The amount of the used tea leaf is inversely proportional to the time of infusion. Temperature of water used for pouring on the tea leaf is inversely proportional to the time of infusion. Tea is always made in a carefully warmed teapot.

Single-infusion teas are usually poured with only just boiling water (in relation to black teas), eventually with slightly cooled water (in relation to green and half-green teas and also Darjeeling first flush with a high ratio of green leaves). Multi-infusion teas are usually poured with cooled water, its temperature is inversely proportional to the quality of tea. Most Chinese multi-infusion teas are poured with 80°C warm water, Japanese and Vietnamese teas of the same quality are poured with water about 5 – 10 °C cooler. Taiwan teas do not have such basic rule.

Water for another infusion should be freshly boiled, tea warmers are not an ideal solution. 

No tea has got only one proper way of preparation.