Thés & Traditions
French tea house since 2016
Black tea preparation is a subtle balance. You need to obtain a drink rich in aromas while preserving its virtues. The secret to success lies in this recipe: method, water, and timing. Here are the steps to learn how to prepare black tea.
Black tea: Discover our selection
Each black tea has its own recipes. However, there is an unchanging foundation for successfully making this healthy, flavorful drink. Here is the traditional method for preparing black tea at home.
Tea flavor is delicate. It should be protected from thermal shock. For this, purists use pre-warming water. This step allows heating the teapot and cup to prepare them.
In a kettle, you need to heat water. Then, pour it for a few minutes into the teapot and cup. When the teapot is warm, discard the water. Add your tea leaves (half a teaspoon for 15 cl). Put fresh water in the kettle, once it's hot, pour it over the tea.
When the infusion is ready, remove the water from the cups and serve. This way, the drink doesn't experience any sudden temperature changes.
The taste of teas also depends on the water used. Too hot, water degrades the ingredients. The benefits of tea are then greatly diminished. Too cold, on the contrary, water doesn't allow aromas to develop.
According to experts, regardless of the type of black teas, water with a temperature between 80°C and 95°C is ideal.
Organic matcha tea or organic white tea require brief infusions. On the contrary, black tea requires longer infusions for more intense flavors. In any case, black tea steeping time primarily depends on its origin.
Darjeeling black tea, the most common, requires 2 to 4 minutes of steeping. Oolong, a Chinese black tea, is more delicate and steeps in 2 to 3 minutes maximum. Fans of very dark teas can extend steeping up to 7 minutes.
You should also be aware that loose tea leaves release their aromas more slowly than powdered tea bags. Similarly, spiced teas require a shorter steeping time to avoid the bitterness of black tea. Indeed, it's impossible to add milk to a spiced infusion.
For a tea with a wide range of flavors, use 2.5g of leaves for 15cl of water. The classic tea bag often has a well-measured quantity, but of poor quality. Loose black tea is the best solution for a homemade recipe rich in taste. If you want a drink with more flavors, it's better to increase the steeping time rather than the quantity of tea.
While in China all teas are drunk plain, Indian black teas, which are stronger, are perfectly suited for the milk tea tradition.
Black tea is used as a beverage, but also as a flavoring in cooking. It pairs well with fruits in subtle or refreshing blends. However, such blends must contain more than 50% black tea to avoid losing its flavors.
MENU