Ceylon Long Leaf Black Tea Brewing Methods

Commercial Tea‑shop Version (for milk‑tea base)

✅ Method 1: Hot‑Steep (Recommended for well‑rounded honey‑sweet flavour)

Tea‑water ratio 1:35 (29 g tea : 1000 ml water)

1. Water temperature: 90‑95℃, do not use rolling boil at 100℃
2. Add tea leaves and steep for 6‑7 minutes
3. Strain out tea leaves immediately. Rapidly cool the tea liquor for refrigerated storage
4. ⏰ Best used within 3‑4 hours. Do not keep overnight.

✅ Method 2: Cold Brew (Softer, delicate floral‑honey notes)

Tea‑water ratio 1:50

1. 20 g tea leaves + 1000 ml room‑temperature purified water
2. Seal and refrigerate for 9‑11 hours
3. Filter out tea leaves before use

   ⚠️ Disadvantage: Body is lighter compared to hot‑steeped liquor. Ideal for pure iced black tea and light‑bodied milk tea.

Home Daily Drinking

★ Glass Mug Steeping

Tea dosage: 3‑4 g tea leaves｜250 ml water Water temperature 88‑93℃, pour water and steep for 2‑4 min. Do not over‑steep. Refill water when 1/3 of liquor remains. Re‑steep for 3‑5 infusions.

🍵 Gaiwan Brewing

Tea dosage: 4‑5 g｜110 ml gaiwan Water temperature 90‑95℃ 1st infusion: 25‑35 sec pour‑off. Extend each subsequent infusion by 15‑25 sec. Advantage: Whole long‑leaf slowly unfolds, releasing elegant honey and floral aroma.

⚠️ Key Brewing Tips

1. ✅ Long‑leaf whole tea unfolds gradually; slightly longer steeping time is needed than broken black tea.
2. ❌ Avoid boiling‑point 100℃ water, high temperature easily brings out harsh astringency.
3. ✅ Strain tea leaves right after steeping, whether hot‑steeped or cold‑brewed.
4. ✅ Cold‑brew must be kept refrigerated to prevent spoilage.

Quick Reference Table