For aged White Tea, many enthusiasts often hesitate between brewing in a lidded bowl and boiling. Both are ways to enjoy white tea, but what are the differences between brewing and boiling? Brewing and boiling are two common methods of Drinking Tea, each with its own characteristics and advantages. Given the current cold weather, many tea drinkers choose to boil their tea for warmth, convenience, and speed. Especially for new tea drinkers who are not yet adept at using lidded bowls, boiling is a quick solution. However, boiling makes it difficult to fully appreciate the aroma and taste of each Infusion. In contrast, brewing allows one to savor the subtle changes in the tea's aroma and flavor, experiencing its true essence.
However, during the winter when temperatures are low, if you're brewing, you'll need to drink faster while tasting to prevent the tea from cooling too quickly. It's recommended that you choose different methods based on the occasion. The most suitable way to drink tea in winter is to Brew first and then boil, as after brewing, further boiling ensures no waste and allows you to experience unique flavors.
The decision to boil after several brews is up to personal preference.
You can boil after two or three infusions, four or five infusions, or even seven or eight infusions. With only two or three infusions, a large amount of the leaf's contents haven't been released, so the resulting boiled tea will be more intense in flavor and richer in aroma. For teas rich in internal substances, we suggest not boiling them for too long; instead, observe the color of the tea to determine when to turn off the heat. After four or five infusions, the boiling time should also not be too long, or the tea might become overly bitter. When boiled correctly, the tea has a clear, bright color, remains smooth and viscous, and emits a faint, pleasant aroma. If you boil tea after seven or eight infusions, you can increase the boiling time slightly.
Everyone's tea stove has a different power output, making it hard to specify an exact boiling time. We still recommend observing the color of the tea to determine when to stop boiling, turning off the heat once the color turns a reddish-gold. After waiting a moment, tasting the tea reveals that it's less viscous and the aroma is somewhat weaker, but it's still smooth and refined to drink.
Precautions for Brewing Before Boiling
The first step in boiling tea is choosing the right tool. To judge when to turn off the heat based on the change in tea color, we recommend using a glass pot, which allows you to directly observe the color changes. Experienced tea drinkers may choose clay pots and rely on their experience to determine the brewing time.
Regardless of whether you're brewing or boiling, water quality is important. We don't recommend using tap water for boiling tea, as the chlorine residue from disinfection can react with the tea's components and affect the taste. For both brewing and boiling, we recommend using purified water, which won't alter the tea's flavor and allows you to enjoy its full taste.
After adding water, the next step is adding the tea. There are two scenarios: adding tea to cold water and adding it to hot water. Adding tea to cold water allows the leaves to heat up together with the water, releasing their internal substances. Turn off the heat once the tea color becomes a light yellow with a slight amber hue. This method releases more nutrients from the tea, suitable for those who prefer a stronger taste. Adding tea to boiling water, and then turning off the heat once the color deepens, is suitable for those who prefer a milder taste.
A high-quality tea is rich in internal substances, which are difficult to fully release through brewing alone. Even experienced tea drinkers have noted that after seven or eight infusions, boiling the tea still results in excellent flavor, without becoming bland. Therefore, if you find the taste of your white tea becoming lighter, try boiling it.