# Questions about tea

Water temperature, steeping time, caffeine, teas for sleep, yerba mate, matcha and more. Short, practical answers.

## What is the right water temperature for each tea?

Green tea and matcha want 70 to 80 °C; white and light oolong, 80 to 90 °C; roasted oolong, 90 to 95 °C; black, pu-erh, rooibos and herbs, boiling water. Water that is too hot is the most common cause of bitter tea, especially green.

## How can I tell water temperature without a thermometer?

Boil the water and wait: about 3 minutes with the lid off gives 80 °C, and 5 minutes gives close to 75 °C. Another way is to mix 3 parts boiled water with 1 part cold water, which lands around 75 to 80 °C.

## How long should tea steep?

Green: 2 to 3 minutes. White: 3 to 5. Oolong: 3 to 4. Black: 3 to 5. Herbs and rooibos: 5 to 7, covered. Going over time does not make tea stronger, only more bitter; for more flavour, use more leaf.

## Why does my tea taste bitter?

Almost always water that is too hot, too long a steep or too much leaf. Green tea is the most sensitive: boiling water extracts tannins fast. Use the right temperature, time it and remove the leaves when time is up.

## Can I reuse tea leaves?

Yes, whole-leaf teas give several steeps on the same day. Oolong and pu-erh handle 5 to 10 short rounds; green and white, 2 to 3. Bags of broken leaf usually give only one. Do not keep wet leaves for the next day.

## How much tea per cup?

On average 2 to 3 g of leaf for 200 ml of water, which is about 1 teaspoon of small leaves or 1 tablespoon of large leaves and flowers. In the Chinese gongfu style you use much more leaf, 5 to 7 g per 100 ml, with short steeps.

## Does tea have more caffeine than coffee?

Per cup, no: drip coffee has about 80 to 120 mg, black tea 40 to 60 mg and green tea 20 to 45 mg. Matcha is the exception, at 60 to 70 mg per serving, because you drink the whole leaf. Yerba mate also adds up over a full session.

## Which tea can I drink at night without losing sleep?

Choose caffeine-free teas: chamomile, lemon balm, rooibos, linden and lemongrass. Green, black, matcha, oolong and mate contain caffeine and are best kept to 6 to 8 hours before bed.

## What is the best tea for sleep?

Chamomile and lemon balm are the most studied, with early to moderate evidence for relaxation and light sleep. The effect is gentle: it works best as part of a repeated, screen-free bedtime ritual rather than as a remedy. Persistent insomnia calls for medical advice.

## How do I make iced tea that is not bitter?

Use cold brew: 8 to 12 g of leaf per litre of cold water, 6 to 10 hours in the fridge, then strain. Cold extraction pulls fewer tannins, so the tea is sweet and round. For something quick, brew a strong hot infusion and strain it straight over plenty of ice.

## How long does iced tea keep in the fridge?

Up to 2 days in a closed jug, or 24 hours if it contains fresh fruit. Tea is a moist, low-acid food: a sour smell, sliminess or bubbles are signs to discard it. Avoid "sun tea" left at room temperature for hours.

## How should I store tea so it keeps its flavour?

In an opaque, tightly closed container, away from light, heat, moisture and strong smells such as coffee and spices. Greens and whites lose freshness in 6 to 12 months; blacks and roasted oolongs last longer. Opened matcha goes in the fridge and should be used within 4 to 6 weeks.

## What is the difference between tea and an herbal infusion?

Tea, strictly speaking, comes from the Camellia sinensis plant: white, green, yellow, oolong, black and dark. Chamomile, mint, hibiscus, rooibos and lemongrass are tisanes or herbal infusions. Only Camellia contains caffeine together with L-theanine.

## Which teas should be avoided in pregnancy?

Boldo, macela, guaco, rue, wormwood, sage in excess and medicinal teas in general should be avoided without medical advice. Caffeinated teas call for moderation. When in doubt, ask whoever handles your prenatal care before drinking any tea regularly.

## Does green tea make you lose weight?

Not significantly. Studies show small effects of catechins plus caffeine on energy expenditure, not enough to lose weight without changes to diet and activity. The real gain is swapping sugary drinks for unsweetened tea.

## How do I create my own tea blend?

Choose a base (50 to 80%), a body (10 to 25%, such as dried fruit or coconut), an aroma (5 to 15%, such as citrus peel or spice) and a finish (1 to 5%, such as petals). Use three to five ingredients, test in 20 g batches and rest the blend 2 days before tasting.

## How do you pair tea with food?

Match intensity with intensity: delicate teas with light dishes and full-bodied teas with rich ones. Similar notes reinforce each other (roasted with roasted), and black tea astringency cuts through the fat of cheese and fried food. Serve dessert with unsweetened tea.

## What is white tea?

It is the least processed tea from Camellia sinensis: young buds and leaves that are simply withered and dried. It has a delicate honey and floral taste, low to moderate caffeine and is hard to make bitter. Brew at 80 to 85 °C for 3 to 5 minutes.

## How do you make green tea properly?

Use 2 to 3 g of leaf per 200 ml of water between 70 and 80 °C, never boiling, and steep 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the leaves on time. Done right, green tea is sweet and vegetal; bitterness almost always means water that is too hot.

## What is the difference between green and black tea?

They come from the same plant. For green tea the leaf is heated right after picking to stop oxidation, keeping a vegetal taste and pale colour. For black tea the leaf oxidises fully, gaining malty, fruity notes, a dark colour and a little more caffeine.

## How do you make matcha without lumps?

Sift 2 g of matcha into the bowl, make a paste with a little water at 75 to 80 °C, top up to 70 ml and whisk in a zigzag, from the wrist, for 15 to 20 seconds. Sifting and making the paste first are what eliminate lumps.

## What is the difference between ceremonial and culinary matcha?

Ceremonial comes from the first harvest, with vivid green colour, talc-like texture and a sweet taste, ideal for drinking straight. Culinary comes from later harvests, more astringent and strong, and works better with milk, in smoothies and in baking. The terms are not regulated.

## What is oolong?

It is a partially oxidised tea, between green and black. It can be light and floral (Tie Guan Yin, Taiwanese high-mountain oolongs) or roasted and mineral (Da Hong Pao). It gives many short steeps, with water at 90 to 95 °C.

## Can you add milk to black tea?

Yes, full-bodied black teas such as Assam and breakfast blends were made for it. Add the milk after the tea to control the colour, aiming for caramel. Delicate teas such as spring Darjeeling are better on their own.

## What is pu-erh?

It is a dark tea from Yunnan, China, that undergoes microbial fermentation. Sheng is pressed raw and ages for years; shou has accelerated fermentation and an earthy, cocoa-like taste. Give it a quick rinse and short steeps with boiling water.

## What water temperature is right for chimarrão?

Between 70 and 75 °C, when the water starts to "sing" in the kettle, before boiling. Boiling water burns the yerba, makes chimarrão bitter and makes it go flat fast. Drinks above 65 °C are also linked to oesophageal risk.

## How do you set up chimarrão so it does not go flat fast?

Fill two thirds of the gourd, tilt the yerba to one side, wet the empty space with lukewarm water and only then insert the bombilla, never moving it afterwards. Pour water at 70 to 75 °C always at the same spot, beside the bombilla, without wetting the top of the yerba.

## Does rooibos contain caffeine?

No. Rooibos comes from a South African shrub, not the tea plant, and is naturally caffeine-free. It has a sweet, woody taste, does not turn bitter with boiling water and works well at night, with milk or iced.

## How do you make tastier chamomile tea?

Use whole flowers, about 2 tablespoons for 250 ml of near-boiling water, and steep 5 to 7 minutes with the cup covered so the aromatic oils stay in. A touch of honey, lemon peel or apple brings out its natural sweetness.

## Is hibiscus tea harmful?

For most people, in moderate amounts, no. Hibiscus can lower blood pressure, so it calls for caution if you take blood pressure medication and in pregnancy. It is tart and rich in anthocyanins, and great iced.

Fonte: https://botanora.cdev.com.br/en/questions