Many different factors affect their flavour including climatic changes, and even minor changes in its processing. Loose teas are far less processed than the tea in teabags and thus the even subtle changes in its flavour are pronounced. The gardens try to maintain a consistency as far as they can, but a lot depends on the brewing of the tea. Individual tastes account mainly for how a tea is brewed but a comprehensive guide assures that the true flavour of the tea shines through.
Teapots are an important piece of equipment in tea-brewing. A good ceramic or glass pot works well, but metallic ones are usually avoided lest they give a metallic taint to the tea. Tea enthusiasts keep separate pots for different teas as ceramic pots absorb the flavour of the tea. The fine black teas of Darjeeling deserve a teapot set aside just for them and never used for herbal infusions, for perfumed teas such as Earl Grey, or for other teas of pronounced flavour such as Lapsang Souchong.
Teas are, however, the main focus for a good cup. As they easily absorb moisture, smells, and tastes, tea should be kept separate from spices, perfumes, and even other strong-smelling teas. Some Japanese teas are stored in fridge or freezer but for most teas this is unnecessary and may cause damaging condensation to form inside the tea container. A good tea retains excellent flavour for about a year, just long enough to keep us going until the arrival of the next year’s crop. The springtime thrill of drinking First Flush Darjeeling tea as soon as they come from the factories of the tea gardens has an extra novelty, as the flavours have not completely stabilized. In the factories, an oxidation, called “fermentation” in the trade, takes place, creating much of the tea’s character. It is then dried to about 3 percent moisture, enough to preserve it, but sufficient to allow a very slight continued oxidation, known as “mellowing,” which can last up to three months. During this period, when the tannins continue to darken and form the body of the liquor, and before the oxidation has achieved its full taste, the fresh “green” perfumes are at their strongest.
Roughly around a heaping teaspoon or 3 grams of tea is used for each cup. Loose leaf teas vary greatly in size and weight, so a teaspoon measure may not always give a correct estimate. With experience, a tea drinker is easily able to determine how much tea is to be used. White teas, for example, are bigger in size and lighter in weight than Darjeeling teas as they are less processed. In the end, it is a personal preference. The ideal brewing water is probably pure mountain spring water. Short of that, plain tap water is fine. But in some municipalities, bottled spring water is preferable; different bottled waters will give different results and a certain amount of mineral content is essential to release the flavours.
At somewhere between three and five minutes of infusion, the flavour peaks and the tea is ready to serve. A few light teas might even take up to seven minutes to fully develop their flavour. At this point milk, sugar, or lemon might be added but a pure liquor is best to understand the flavour. The subtleties of delicate, whole-leaf Darjeelings are best considered without the distraction of milk, sugar, or lemon.
