Proper Brewing Techniques
Hot Tea
1. Raw Materials
- The finished tea will be only as good as the quality of the water source and tea used in the preparation. The Tea Association recommends water filtration of the incoming supply and proper cleaning of all equipment. (See above)
- The Association recommends starting with high quality tea. Ask your current supplier if he is a member of the Tea Association of the U.S.A, Inc. and seek information about all the specific blends he supplies.
2. Brewing and Service Instructions
Imperative in any discussion of brewing and service is the importance of training. Tea requires "careful" preparation, and the staff should be trained in the "why", the "how", and a little history of what they are presenting. When an establishment commits itself to a "good cup of tea", it will mean a bit more work initially, but the results, both to the bottom line and in customer satisfaction, will more than compensate.
- Fresh cold water should be brought to a roiling boil, but not allowed to boil for a long period of time as it tends to dissipate the air bubbles therefore "flattening" the beverage and adversely affecting the taste.
- A porcelain or porcelain-like teapot should ideally be used. However, nonbreakable materials are available for heavy traffic restaurant service. The teapot should be preheated by pouring a small amount of boiling water into the pot and allowing it to sit for a few seconds.
- A tea bag or bag(s) should be added to the pot according to size (1 bag per cup). Loose tea may be substituted. (1 teaspoon per cup)
- Boiling water should be poured directly over the tea and allowed to brew for 3-5 minutes.
- Milk (never cream), sweetener, and lemon wedges should be made available.
- At the appropriate time, the waitperson should offer a fresh cup of hot water and provide a fresh teabag.