ah2323 > wrote:
>It occurred to me, but there is so much contradictory information about
>water temperature... At my local food co-op, there is an
>"informational" poster above the bulk tea section telling customers how
>to brew their tea. It claims really high (boiling) temperatures are
>best for both taste and health benefits of all teas. I *know* that's
>not the case in re to taste; can't speak in regard to health, but even
>there I've heard that too-high temps used on green tea kill the little
>anti-cancerettes. At my workplace, the kitchenettes have special
>faucets that dispense 190 degree water. I don't know if it's filtered
>in any way, and I know purists insist that you have to heat the water
>from a cold temp, but this water produces the best tea I've ever tasted
>outside of really nice Chinese/Japanese restaurants.

The problem is that different teas have different optimal temperatures.
For a black tea, and for tisanes, boiling water is almost certainly the
best choice. For green and white teas, boiling is almost certainly going
to be way too hot. But what is correct for one green tea may be too
hot or too cold for another. 190' actually seems a little high for
gunpowder to me.

>But back to gunpowder green: yeah, water temperature is important, but
>not as important as the other stuff. I usually wait 30 secs.-1 min.
>after the water boils, and that is usually sufficient. Also, it's not a
>good idea to pour the water directly on the tea.

Try waiting a little longer and see.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."