Tea Education at Dilmah School of Tea

• Tea made in the TRADITIONAL, ARTISANAL WAY – called the orthodox method.
• TEA PACKED AT SOURCE, retaining its FRESHNESS.
• Tea that maintains the purity of its origin.

Use a kettle that is free of limescale or sediment, and fill to the required level with filtered or spring water.

Boil water to 100°C, never reboil water.

Brewing is the extraction of the goodness nature has induced in the black, oolong, green or white tea leaves. Using the right amount of tea for the volume of tea you wish to brew is critical, as is the method of brewing. There are several ways of brewing tea with varying sizes of teapot, ratios of tea to water and traditions although the most convenient and efficient is this. Use 2.5g of tea per 220ml water. Using a clean and dry teaspoon, place the 2.5g tea in a clean, odour free and pre-heated teapot. Pre heat the teapot and cups by swirling around some hot water in them and pouring it out before brewing. Pour freshly, once boiled water onto the tea leaves using 220ml per 2.5g of tea.

Poor preparation is the most common cause of tea that fails to please. The water temperature and volume must be as per Dilmah art of tea brewing.

Once brewing is complete, the tea should be poured into warm teacups and any tea remaining in the teapot decanted to avoid over-brewing. Tea that is over brewed can develop bitterness. The best temperature at which hot tea should be drunk is around 65 degrees centigrade although that can vary. The tea should not be consumed when too hot and the best temperature is best determined by what is most comfortable for you.

When mixing tea cocktails or cooking with tea, over brew the tea into an essence Tea taste, texture or fragrance of the tea must be evident in the food or drink. Secondly but just as importantly – respect the tea – each tea has flavour, strength, texture, fragrance linked to its terroir and the tea that you select should form a part of a harmonious composition of ingredients which, when subjected to cooking or mixing should maintain its identity and be pleasing. Tea can be the basis for the foam in a cocktail, it can add texture when sprinkled over a salad and its uses are limited only by the imagination of the Real Tea Revolutionary.