Brewing tea can be a true ritual, cherished in many countries around the world, and France is no exception. A range of tea preparation accessories exist to help with this, and among them: the tea spoon. Spoons are typically used as measuring tools in cooking, but what does that mean for tea? How do you choose the right spoon, and how do you measure your tea with it? Here is everything you need to know.
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Tea spoons: the different types
There are three main types of tea spoon, each with its own strengths and limitations. They come in wood, stainless steel, porcelain, bamboo and more. Here is a closer look.
The measuring tea spoon
The measuring tea spoon typically features a long handle, designed to reach the bottom of your tea caddy or bag. The bowl is usually rounder and deeper than a standard coffee spoon.
The infuser tea spoon
Also known as a handled tea ball, this type of spoon lets you scoop your tea from its caddy or bag and steep it directly in the water. It serves both as a measuring tool and as an infuser. You will often find this style in the form of tea tongs, with a rounded section made up of two mirrored, perforated spoon bowls.
The Matcha tea spoon
The Matcha tea spoon is a bamboo tea spoon traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony. It has a long handle with a 90° curve at the tip, designed to measure out just the right amount of Matcha for a single bowl.
Tea spoon: how much does it hold?
A tea spoon holds 5 ml, or roughly 2 to 3 grams, equivalent to a standard coffee spoon (the everyday teaspoon used in France, not the smaller espresso spoon found in some countries). For comparison, a tablespoon holds three times as much as a tea spoon: 15 ml, or around 10 grams. A cup holds around 250 ml, and a dessert spoon holds 10 ml.
As a general guide, allow around 2 grams of tea per 100 to 150 ml of water. That said, the right amount depends on the variety you are using: black tea, for instance, has a different intensity to green or white teas. Aroma develops through the combination of leaf quantity and steeping time, and even a small difference in dosage can change everything.
Why use a tea spoon?
A tea spoon is ideal for preparing a single cup; it is not really suited to filling a large-capacity teapot. You might choose a set of tea spoons and dedicate each one to a specific tea. Without an infuser spoon, loose leaves will settle at the bottom of your cup, but the spoon still gives you accurate dosing.
An essential measuring tool for tea
The tea spoon is a genuinely useful measuring tool, letting you scoop the right amount of powder, flakes or loose-leaf tea. It is a practical alternative to a tea scale, even if it does not account for the varying intensity of different tea varieties.