Exact quantities, then the method.
Brewing loose-leaf Black Tea is barely more work than a bag, and the cup is all the better for it. The simplest method needs no infuser at all: drop the leaves straight into the cup, pour over boiling water, give it four minutes, then decant the brew through a strainer into a second cup. That way the leaves are left behind and the tea cannot keep stewing past its best. A bamboo strainer like the Pattiya catches even the fine fragments and adds no taste of its own.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the How to Brew Loose-Leaf Black Tea recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/black-tea/how-to-brew-loose-leaf-black-tea/
Drink it as it is, or add a splash of milk and a little sugar.
You'll need
- 1 heaped teaspoon of quality loose-leaf black tea (Assam, Ceylon or English Breakfast)
- 300ml freshly drawn water, brought to a true rolling boil
- 1 Pattiya Bamboo Tea Strainer
- 2 warmed 300ml cups
- Optional: a small splash of cold whole milk, a teaspoon of soft light brown sugar
Method
- Warm both cups with hot water, then pour it away.
- Put a heaped teaspoon of loose-leaf black tea into the first cup, no infuser needed.
- Pour over freshly boiled water and cover with a saucer.
- Steep for four minutes; whole loose leaves take a little longer than a bag to give their colour and body.
- Set the bamboo strainer over the second cup and pour the brewed tea through it, leaving the leaves behind.
- Tip the spent leaves into the compost.
- Drink as is, or add a splash of cold milk and a little brown sugar.
- Tip: rinse the bamboo strainer under cold water and air-dry it, never soak it; it darkens to a natural patina with use.
The tea it is made with, and what to make next.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Pattiya Bamboo Tea Strainer, Handmade in Thailand
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The whole recipe as a PDF. Print it for the kitchen, or keep it on your phone for when you are offline.
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