Water – The Mother of Tea

“​Water​ is the m
​ other​ of tea. A ​teapot​ its ​father.​ And ​fire​ the ​teacher.​ ”

We’ve all had a bad cup of tea. A bitter, stewed cup. A stale, aromaless cup. Even a
weak, tasteless cup.

Often we’ll blame this on the tea being old, or the teabag too small. Sometimes we’ve
steeped the tea too long, or used water that is too hot.

But sometimes, the water is to blame.

This may seem strange to you – after all, water is water – but tea scholars have long
known that a tea can only be as good as the water in which it is steeped.

The Perfect Water

According to the Chinese tea scholar Lu Yu, the perfect water is hard to find. Writing
over 1,000 years ago in his book “​The Classic of Tea​” Lu Yu explained that to brew the
perfect tea, you need to use mountain water from stony lakes, calm water from the
middle of a slow-flowing stream, or the white water of a milky spring to brew the perfect
cup.

Unfortunately, a modern home is unlikely to have a tap dedicated to stony lake water.
But that doesn’t mean you should abandon hope.

What If You Can’t Find a Stony Lake?

Let’s forget about finding the perfect water for a moment, and look for an alternative.

The closest commonly available alternative to water from a mountain lake is clear
bottled spring water. As this water is low in minerals, it imparts very little character to
the tea, allowing the leaves to provide all of the flavour and aroma. This is especially
important for a subtle tea such as a Japanese green tea, but all teas can benefit.

I suggest using one of the following:

● Mont Calm (France)

● Spa (Belgium)
● Luso (Portugal)
● Volvic (France

However, bottled water can be expensive, and many of us are worried about the waste
created by plastic bottles. If you are one of those people, you have two options.

Firstly, invest in an effective water filter. Filtered tap water is similar in quality to the
spring water mentioned above, and a high quality filter will work for a number of years.
Filtered tap water is perfect for Japanese teas, and good for all manner of other
varieties.

Secondly, you can use a reverse osmosis filter. Some people claim this is an
improvement over spring water, while others claim it removes subtle flavours from the
water itself. In our experience, this kind of water makes a delightful cup, and we would
highly recommend seeking out a reverse osmosis filter.
Thirdly, you can learn to love the robust, full flavours imparted by water which is high in
minerals. While we cannot recommend this for subtle green or white teas, we agree that
a mineral water can provide a strong black or oolong tea with another dimension of
flavour.

Whichever water you choose, there is one more thing to consider. How you heat your
tea.

Fire is the Teacher

We always provide a recommended temperature for a tea to be steeped at. Water which
is too hot can scald or stew the tea, harming the flavour.

But there’s something else to consider.

Boiling water removes oxygen. This oxygen is necessary to create flavour and aroma, so
by boiling the water you are harming your chances of brewing the perfect cup.

If you choose the right water for your tea, heat it to the correct temperature and steep it
for the right amount of time, then the perfect cup will be yours to enjoy.

How to Store Your Tea

It happens to us all. We decide to brew a tea which we’ve not enjoyed for a while, we
take out the leaves, or the bag, we add the water and we steep the brew.

But the final cup is missing something. It tastes dull. It tastes stale. It doesn’t have that
fresh aroma.

It’s still a good tea, but it isn’t the perfect cup.

Artisan farmers put an incredible amount of work into growing loose leaf tea. If you want
to respect and enjoy their efforts, you need to play your part by storing your tea
correctly.

Following these rules will ensure you get to enjoy the best cup that can be, every time.

General Storage Tips

These following rules apply to all teas.

Avoid Heat

Heat speeds up the natural processes which destroy a tea’s delicate flavour. By storing
your tea in a cool environment such as a basement, pantry or refrigerator, you slow
these processes and keep your tea tasting fresher for longer.

Avoid Light

Nobody knows why bright light damages picked and processed tea, but it is believed that
strong light such as sunlight encourages chemical reactions that you just don’t want.
Storing your tea in a sealed package, away from any light sources will prevent these
reactions from occurring.

Avoid Moisture

Tea must be kept dry until you begin to steep it. A damp environment will leech out
delicate oils and flavoursome elements in the same way that a water-filled teapot will.
But this time, you won’t be able to drink and enjoy the resulting brew! Keep your tea in
a sealed package, and always keep it dry.

Avoid Strong Smells

Tea leaves will absorb the smells of anything kept too close to it. Storing your tea
alongside herbs or spices will taint the flavour – and nobody likes a whiff of garlic or
onion when they unwind with a brew! Storing your tea in a clean place away from
foodstuffs will prevent this contamination.

Specific Teas

Some teas require careful storage.

Green and Green Oolong Tea

Green leaves are incredibly delicate, as they are not as oxidized as other teas. This lack
of oxidization leads to a faster loss of flavour and aroma if they are not properly stored,
meaning it is vital that you keep them in an airtight container in a cool place. The ideal
place for a green tea is in a sealed plastic container in a fridge, but even then we
recommend finishing your green tea as quickly as possible to enjoy the freshest flavours.

White Teas

White tea storage depends on your personal preferences. Lovers of a pronounced vegetal
taste should store white tea exactly as you would a green tea – in airtight containers in a
fridge. But if you prefer a softer, rounded, sweeter cup you can rest the tea in a cool
dark place for up to two years. The choice is yours!

Heavy Oolong and Black Tea

These darker leaves are thoroughly oxidized, which gives them their distinct flavours.
Fortunately, these flavours last far longer than those in green teas, meaning that you do
not need to be quite as careful. Storing black tea in a closed carton in a cool, dark pantry
is quite enough – even for ripened teas which have been slowly distilled in the same
manner as a fine red wine.

Pu-erh Tea

The slow aging process which gives Pu-erh tea its distinct mellow flavour means that
there is very little a domestic environment can do to harm it. As long as the tea is kept
dry and away from humidity, it can happily sit exposed to the open air for years to come.

Now you know how to store your tea, there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying the
perfect cup any time you feel like it!
Choosing the Right Teapot

“​Water​ is the m
​ other​ of tea. A ​teapot​ its f​ ather.​ And f​ ire​ the ​teacher.​ ”

If you truly want to taste the perfect cup of tea, you need to start with the teapot. It’s no
use dropping leaves into a mug – your tea needs room to breathe, to unfurl and to
release delicate aromas.

The right teapot allows even pearl and bead teas such as jasmine tea pearls and tie guan
yin oolong tea to create wonderfully delicate brews, even over multiple infusions.

So what makes the right teapot?

Style

This won’t affect the tea, but it will affect your mood. A beautiful, stylish teapot will bring
a smile to your face even before you add the first leaf.

Heat

A teapot must retain heat at a consistent temperature during the infusion. A thicker
teapot will keep the water at a consistent temperature, although you will need to preheat
the pot to ensure it doesn’t absorb heat and cool the water.

Handling

The right teapot also needs to handle well. It must be easy to lift, and pour tea in a
steady stream. A teapot which retains water between infusions can ruin the flavour of a
tea, while a pot which spills everywhere can ruin your mood.

Infusers and Strainers

The teapot must also strain the tea leaves and keep them out of your cup. A separate
basket-style strainer allows you to prevent over-steeping, but we recommend a pot with
a strainer in the spout as it gives the tea leaves more room to unfurl.

If you do choose a separate infuser for your teapot or mug, use the largest one that fits.

Types of Teapot

Not all teapots are created equal. While all teapots must infuse the leaves, retain heat
and handle well, there are a variety of pots available in a range of materials, all of which
need to be used differently to ensure the perfect cup.

Glass Teapots

Glass teapots are beautiful, and there’s something relaxing about watching the leaves
unfurl and steep. But glass doesn’t hold heat well, meaning that the water often cools
too quickly to make the perfect brew. Thicker glass and more water can offset this,
allowing you to sit back and watch the show.

Ceramic Teapots

A ceramic teapot will absorb large amounts of heat and radiate it out. That means that
it’s crucial that you pre-heat your pot. Filling it with hot water, leaving the pot to heat
up, and then adding tea and fresh water allows you to keep the water hot enough to
brew that perfect cup.

Metal Teapots

Metal pots such as Japanese teapots were used to boil water, not brew tea, and as such
they absorb and radiate lots of heat. However, if you find a metal teapot with an intact
coating and you take care to preheat it as you would a ceramic teapot, you will still be
able to enjoy a perfect cup of tea.

Porcelain

If you were to imagine a teapot, the chances are that you’d think of a delicate fine bone
china porcelain pot with matching cups. And you’d be right to do so. A porcelain pot is
perfect for tea. It feels great to touch and to put to your lips, and porcelain doesn’t
absorb or radiate too much heat. No matter what tea you prefer, you won’t go wrong
with a porcelain pot.

Stoneware, Clay and Yixing Teapots

These clay and stone pots are highly sought after by tea connoisseurs, and not just
because they look beautiful. The materials used to make these pots allow oxygen to seep
through their pores, and slowly absorb the aroma of the teas which you brew. This
results in aromatic, flavourful brews with a unique character.

However, these pots can be expensive – often costing over 100 pounds or euros –
because they are made by hand with expensive clay.

What Do We Recommend?

Valley of Tea always recommend that tea connoisseurs invest in a quality porcelain pot.
They are perfect for use with any tea, allowing you to discover a whole world of flavour
and aroma.

And if you find yourself falling in love with pu-erh black or oolong teas, then you can
consider investing in a Yixing teapot. It’ll certainly add a new depth of flavour to your
perfect cups!