My Recipe For Tea:
On the day of the new or the full moon –
1 ) Combine equal parts water and loose leaf green tea (i.e. loose leaf green tea and water in a ratio of 1:1)
2 ) Let stand fifteen days in refrigerator.
This is normal strength tea.
I have a family friend who once in my presence made “tea” by boiling water, dipping a teabag three to five times into the hot water, and then removing the teabag. I was stunned. The water was barely changed in color. I almost commented that in this way, one could reuse the teabag five or six times with identical results, but I restrained myself.
I once recently emailed the Ito En tea company, which manufactures green tea shots, which I enjoy. I noticed that the daily value of vitamin C listed in the nutritional information had gone down, and I wrote to complain that they had made the tea too weak. The wrote back (this alone surprised and pleased me) and informed me that the tea was unchanged, but the daily value of vitamin C had been changed by the FDA.
On many boxes of packaged tea, it now advises that you remove the teabag between 90 seconds and five minutes after pouring the water over it. This is the method of fools. I have often read this advice and laughed. I normally leave the teabag in for many hours if I don’t finish the tea before such a time has elapsed. That’s when it starts getting really good.
They say, “don’t let it stew.” To hell with that. I advise you – Let it stew.
These are my current thoughts on tea. I will likely have more later. Goodbye.
– T. C.