How to taste your first specialty tea?
To enjoy a specialty tea, all you need is filtered water, the right temperature (never boiling) and a moment of attention. The aim is not to judge, but to experience the plant matter.
It is in this simplicity that tea becomes a moment.
1. Preparing the elements: water and time
Water is the first ingredient. Water that is too hard or too chlorinated masks the delicacy of the leaves; filtered water, hot but never boiling, allows the tea to express itself without scorching. Depending on the tea, aim for between 70 °C and 90 °C. Time matters as much as temperature: a few seconds too long can turn a delicate liquor bitter. Follow the producer's instructions, then adjust to taste.
2. Awakening the senses: smelling before tasting
Before infusing, bring the leaves to your nose. They still carry the memory of their terroir: cut grass, dried fruit, white flowers, minerality. After infusion, smell them again: the steam reveals another dimension, more humid, closer to the cup. It is this dialogue between dry and wet that teaches you to know a tea.
3. The first sip: the philosophy of attention
Take the time to feel the ceramic against your lips, the spreading warmth, the texture of the liquor. Let the tea fill your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. Which flavours appear first? Which notes linger? There is no right answer - only a silent and sincere encounter with the plant matter.