Water

There is a saying that the pot is the father of the tea but water is the mother. The quality of the water you use to make tea is very important. In ancient China, tea masters drew up lists of the suitability of different water sources. Here’s how they ranked them in degrees of excellence:

1. Water from a mountain stream that bubbles over rocks or pebbles free from moss or other growths

2. Water from mountain streams generally

3. Water from uncontaminated lowland springs

4. Water from a fast-flowing river

5. Well water

6. Other sources

Some experts considered snow and rainwater to be of importance too and everyone rated dew gathered from lotus leaves early in the morning although it was seldom used because it was almost impossible to get enough to make the tea!

Now we realise that you might not have a handy lotus plant or indeed a mountain stream, but you can do some things that will help you get the best from your tea.

If you have to use tap water, filter it through a charcoal filter system, there are plenty on sale in department stores. Tap water is chlorinated and can alter the subtle flavours of tea, particularly the delicate tastes of green and white tea. You can also use bottled water but try to find one with the least amount of minerals and chemicals. For the scientifically minded among you, look for a ph level of 7.5 to 7.9.

PLEASE DON’T USE BOILING WATER! It scalds and “stews” the tea. Boiling also causes oxygen to evaporate and reduces the crisp taste that is true of all good water. Black teas, Rooibos and Honeybush can be steeped in water close to boiling point. Green teas and white tea should be brewed in water that has been boiled and then allowed to cool for a minute or two. Otherwise they taste the same way over-cooked vegetables taste when they have been stewed in boiling water. Lower temperatures bring out the “body” of these teas perfectly.