How to pick the right tea

Last Sunday, I met a group of 30 in Bengaluru to talk about tea and sample a few. Many of the questions that came up were about what to try, where to buy, and how to brew. If those have been your questions too, here’s a quick guide to getting started on your tea adventure.

Sticking with milk tea? Then look for a single origin or a single estate CTC (crush, tear, curl) and orthodox black tea blend (TeaCupsFull, 100g, ₹650). One of the reactions to this tea was the aroma—it smelt “fresh”. Or make your own blend by buying a single estate CTC and orthodox tea separately and choosing the proportions that work for you.

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Milk or plain? Some tea, like black tea, work well with milk while others like green or white don’t. Even here, to experience a black tea’s true flavours, do try it without milk at least once. (Ketlee, Black tea sampler pack, ₹1,710 containing 10g each of six distinct teas from six renowned tea regions of India)

The lapsang souchong seems to be a tea our palate is primed for; it was the tea of the day. The smokiness comes from a final drying over pinewood traditionally. As a tea, it’s smooth and you don’t miss the milk.(Forest Pick, ₹199 for 50g, Chado Tea, ₹399 for 50g).

Like green tea? Given its popularity, I have wondered why more people don’t seek well-made green teas, choosing instead the flavoured options as a more palatable one. I suspect this is because we have not learnt to brew green tea as it should. Most loose-leaf green tea work with water at about 80 degrees Celsius and for short steeps of 30 seconds to a minute. I brewed some Japanese sencha last week, choosing it for the distinctive colour, and aroma. To my surprise, many in the group found its umami scent off-putting. Maybe it didn’t smell as tea does. But if you can get past the unfamiliar aroma, the flavours do reward you. (Luxmi Tea, ₹899 for 50g). Or choose a pan-roasted green tea (Wah Tea, ₹350 for 200g), or a handrolled tippy green tea (Doke Tea/ TeaSwing, ₹679 for 50g).

Give white tea a try. Not many in India have yet explored this style. Many seem to assume that a white tea— perhaps from the name—is too subtle. It’s not. The name comes from the whitish colour on the buds/unopened leaves while the liquor itself is a pale yellow. First-time white tea drinkers are pleasantly surprised by the flavour and texture. The white tea is also a great choice to try a cold brew. On a warm day, take 3g of white tea to 150ml of water, and refrigerate overnight. (Korakundah, ₹500 for 50g).

If a tea doesn’t taste great, especially if you are brewing it for the first time, don’t give up on it just yet. There are three factors that influence your experience: the tea to water ratio, the water temperature and the steeping time. Adjusting these allows you to customise it to your preference. As a starting point, do pay attention to the steeping instructions that come with the tea. As for accessories, a glass pot with a steel infuser (google for options) does simplify the brewing process, while allowing you to gauge your tea’s readiness by colour.

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Tea Nanny is a fortnightly series on the world of tea. Aravinda Anantharaman is a tea drinker, writer and editor. She posts @AravindaAnanth1 on Twitter.