How to choose a tea

It's not widely known, but the different tea families don't actually represent different tea bushes. You can get all the families from the same bush. The difference between the families comes from the cultivation and drying techniques used on the tea leaves. Amazing, isn't it?
There are 5 main families of tea, which themselves have derivatives or variations.
But to keep things as simple as possible, here are the main points:

• White Tea
• Green Tea
• The Wulong
• Black Tea
• Aged Tea

The tea bag was invented in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. Originally, the idea was to put tea leaves in a paper bag. But this proved slow, complicated, and therefore expensive, so the tea leaves were quickly ground into a fine powder. This improved productivity, but at the expense of quality.

We often forget that a good tea is above all whole leaves, whose delicacy is preserved from the grinding which is necessary for bagging.
Broken or powdered tea develops a greater strength in the cup, as tannins are released in large quantities due to the grinding process. Consequently, all the aromatic finesse of the tea is lost.

In summary, you will always be advised to buy your tea loose leaf, and to brew it in a container that allows it to open up and release its aromatic profile to the fullest.
But rest assured, teas packaged in bags, often made of natural cotton (muslin), which can contain whole leaves, are still available today, and have been since the 1980s. These are good alternatives, for example when you're traveling, for having quality tea.

If you wish to fully immerse yourself in the world of tea, it's best to follow a step-by-step approach. This will allow you to gradually progress from teas with strong aromas to increasingly subtle ones.
We therefore advise you to start with teas with pronounced and very full-bodied aromas, and then move towards more subtle teas in terms of their mouthfeel, texture and olfactory power.
In terms of tea families, start with flavored teas, then black teas, oolong teas, green teas, and finally white teas.

Choose quality teas and equip yourself as best as possible to facilitate your introduction.

There are also some criteria to be met in this regard:

• Measure your tea properly.
  In the Western method, 2 grams of tea is recommended for 10 to 15 cl of water. In the Chinese method, your tea leaves should represent 30 to 50% of the volume of your teapot or cup.
• The quality of your water .
  Remember that great tea deserves great water. Chlorine and limescale are tea's enemies. A water filter pitcher is your best friend.
• Respect the brewing temperature .
  Not all teas are brewed at the same temperature. Some green teas should not be brewed above 40 degrees, while some black teas will only reach their full potential in water at 90 degrees.
• Monitor the steeping time .
  Just like the temperature of your water, the steeping time is crucial for getting the best from your tea. Over-steeped tea will be very bitter, even undrinkable.
• Serve at the correct temperature .
  The ideal temperature for enjoying tea is between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius. But you can also drink it warm, cold, or iced!

To maximize your enjoyment of tea tastings, choose appropriate utensils. For example, serious tea lovers use a different teapot for each of their favorite teas.

Choosing the right brewing system
Ideally, you should have a different infuser (teapot, beaker) for each type of tea you use. Strong teas infuse their aromas into the containers they're brewed in. This is a good solution to avoid flavor mixing and spoiling your tea tastings.
We also recommend a small to medium-sized infuser. Large volumes (1.2 liters and more) should be avoided.

Choosing your cup carefully .
The most important accessory for your tastings is, of course, your cup. It actively contributes to the development of your sensations in the mouth, particularly through contact with your lips.
First, your cup should be thick enough so it doesn't absorb all the heat from the tea. It should be preheated so your tea isn't shocked by the coldness of the cup. As with coffee, a ceramic or porcelain cup is ideal.

Being well-equipped in the world of tea is—much like with coffee—the first thing to do if you want to enjoy your teas to the fullest. The main goal is to unlock the full potential of your teas.
As mentioned earlier, one of the first things is to respect the brewing temperatures. Kettles with variable temperature settings are therefore your best friends! You can also equip yourself with a brewing beaker and ceramic cups.