Secret to the perfect cup of soothing tea

During these rainy grey days the 1st thing I turn to is a cuppa tea. (Irish for "Cup Of" tea)  Chatting with my client Celia I divulged the secret to making a perfect cuppa tea that will have an alluring scent, a delightful warmth and an enticing flavor to soothe and comfort.

Teatime at Tuscany Spa Skin and Body Clinic

The secret to the perfect cup of tea has to do with a very specific temperature and steeping time for making each type of tea to get the best flavor from every cup. This was new to Celia so she asked me to jot it down.

Here is the "perfect cuppa" cheat sheet.

Most Black Teas - Ceylon, Breakfast, Assam are made

with Boiling water, 212 F, and steeped for 3 to 5 minutes.

Darjeeling - a bit cooler at 200 F, steep 3 minutes tops.

Green Teas are cooler still at 175 F. steep 1 to 3 minutes

White Teas at 165F and 2 to 3 minutes.

Most Herbal teas use boiling water and steep 4 to 10 minutes.

With a good quality tea it is actually a lot of fun to vary the steeping times and taste the difference. Plus  a kitchen thermometer is useful for gauging the water temp. I used to dislike Darjeelings and it was due to the tea being over-steeped in boiling water which creates a strong bitter brew. Today its one of my new favorites.

If you want to discover some new teas visit your local tea house, (we have the T Room right here in Montrose) and you should check out the TeaSource website. I enjoy perusing the TeaSource catalog to discover new teas and catch up on their blog: beyondtheleaf.wordpress.com .

Next time you come in to Tuscany Spa ask me to brew up a cuppa Silver Needle Chinese Green tea, a wonderful gift from a client. Its one worth trying.

I look forward to hearing how your appreciation of tea changes when you start creating your perfect cuppa tea.

Stay warm and cozy,
Michelle G. Lathe
Tuscany Spa Skin and Body Clinic