In Chinese tea culture, boiling and brewing tea are two completely different ways to drink tea. Boiling tea is to put the tea leaves into boiling water, so that the tea leaves and water are in full contact at high temperatures, and the inner essence of the tea is released. Tea brewing, on the other hand, is to put the tea leaves in warm water and let the tea leaves slowly release their flavor at a relatively low temperature. However, although tea leaves can be boiled, they cannot be steeped for a long time. Why is that?
In my childhood memories, my grandfather would always make a pot of tea leisurely under the warm winter sun. He puts the tea leaves in a teapot, fills it with boiling water, and then sits down and slowly savors the aroma of the tea. Boiling tea not only releases the rich flavor of the tea leaves, but also makes people feel warm in the cold winter days.
However, despite the unique charm of boiled tea, if the tea leaves are steeped for a long time, the taste will become bitter. This is because tea contains a substance called tea polyphenols. When tea leaves are soaked in water for a long time, tea polyphenols will dissolve in large quantities in the water, making the tea bitter. In addition, long-term soaking will also cause the loss of nutrients in the tea, and the health care effect of tea cannot be fully utilized.
Once, I saw my grandfather put the tea leaves in the teapot and forgot to pour them out in time, and as a result, the tea leaves soaked in boiling water for a whole afternoon. That night, the taste of that pot of tea became bitter and unpalatable. Since then, I have come to understand that tea cannot be brewed for a long time.
Now, whenever I make tea, I pay attention to controlling the time. The right time to brew tea allows me to taste the delicious taste of tea and feel the unique tea culture. Avoiding steeping for a long time allows me to better enjoy the health and deliciousness of tea.
In short, although tea can be boiled, it cannot be brewed for a long time. Only by mastering the time of making tea can we truly appreciate the charm of tea. List of high-quality authors