On Brewing Tea
By Sheryl Nantus
An Avatar: The Last Air-bender Fan fiction
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Rating: G
Synopsis: Uncle Iroh discusses the mysteries of tea.
On Brewing Tea
Ah, now – let us talk while we wait for the water to boil. It shouldn't be too long; I just made a fresh pot not too long ago.
What do you know about brewing tea? I ask not because I think you don't know how to, but because I think everyone forgets some of the basics. Myself, I recently became aware of some things I had forgotten.
First, the teapot. You cannot underestimate the importance of a proper vessel to contain the tea. It can be made out of clay or steel; hardened in the fire or delicately sculpted out of the stone but it must be able to contain and control the tea. One crack, one weak spot and you will have nothing but a mess on your hands. A teapot can be in a family's kitchen for years and be able to brew as good a cup as the first day it was created. Some can be fresh out of the kiln and explode the first time you begin the process.
The water must be pure and untainted; water that you would drink yourself. The strength of the water gives the tea the power to create the intensity of flavor, do not forget that. The best water supposedly comes from the North, but I favor the South.
Now, the tea itself. Choose whatever flavor you want, but be sure that it is fresh. Old tea leaves will give you nothing but old-tasting tea and that is a nasty taste in one's mouth. Indeed, sometimes people forget this and treasure what has deteriorated and grown stale.
Finally, the brewing. People forget this, the most important part of the entire process. They toss the leaves into the water in a clump; not bothering to let the air move them before they hit the water. One must gently let the leaves flow through your fingers into the air into the water. The air adds more to the tea than you might think, spreading out the flavor and allowing the leaves to blossom fully.
Some people pour the tea too soon, right after adding the water. There is no flavor; nothing to the tea but a hint of what it could be. The illusion of power because one has gone through the procedure but ended up with nothing desirable at the end.
Some let it steep too long, simmering the leaves until there is nothing left for them to give. The tea will be bitter and undrinkable, no matter how much honey you put in. Just because you can do it doesn't mean that you should.
A good cup of tea comes from a strong teapot that can hold the heat; hold the power of the flavor. The master knows just how long to leave the tea leaves in, creating the perfect mixture of flavor and heat that will result in the best cup.
Ah, there! Tell me that's not the best cup of tea you've had in a long while! Thank you and come again!