Of making tea

A common misconception is the tea should be made in boiling water. If the water is too hot it will make the tea bitter. Tea possesses flavonoids and antioxidants, to mention some of it's health benefits, and heat can destroy some of it's good qualities. Green and white teas also start to taste really grassy, if made in too hot water.

Different tea types are made in different temperatures. Black tea usually can take the highest temperature, about 80 to 95 °C (176 to 203 °F). Green and white tea should be made in 70 to 80 °C (158 to 176 °F). The steeping time varies mostly from 1 to 15 minutes, depending on the type of the tea. Most teas are made with short steeping times, in 1 to 3 minutes, but some big leaf white teas require longer, 5 to 15 minutes.

My favorites currently are white teas. They have a soft taste, sometimes almost sweet. White and green teas, should be drank as is, without sugar or honey and especially without adding milk. Black teas can be enjoyed with sugar, honey and milk. For instance masala chai is prepared of black tea with spices, sugar or honey, heated milk and water.