Notes on balance, brewing and the leaves we source — a slow read for the ritual.
An oat-free pumpkin spice tea made with Chinese red tea, dried apple, cinnamon and warming spices. I share the 25g recipe I’m developing at Astraluna, then explore how Fruity Lapsang, Honey Snow Bud Dian Hong and Floral Lapsang each give the blend a different character.
The same leaves can taste surprisingly different in different water. Here is how hardness, minerals and filtration affect tea, and the simple test I use before changing anything else.
The same tea can move from floral to fruity, sweet to mineral, or light to surprisingly deep across a single session. Here is why repeated infusions change and why I think that progression is one of the most interesting parts of loose-leaf tea.
How much loose leaf tea should you use? A practical guide to tea-to-water ratios for mugs, teapots and Gong Fu brewing and why I prefer weighing the leaf to relying on teaspoons.
Why do we rinse Pu’er tea before drinking it? I look at what that first quick pour actually does, how long to rinse Sheng and Shu Pu’er, and when I might skip it altogether.
Learn how to make cold brew tea with loose leaf, including a practical 2 g per 240 ml ratio, 6–12 hour fridge timings, and guidance for green, white, oolong and red tea.
Brewing Hei Cha gong fu style is less about following rigid timings and more about paying attention to how the tea develops. This guide explores leaf ratios, water temperature, rinsing, teaware and the changing flavour journey of Fu Cha, from gentle earthy notes to deep mineral sweetness.
Learn what Hei Cha (Chinese dark tea) is and how to brew Fu Brick, Tian Jian, Liu Bao and Liu An using practical Gong Fu ratios, boiling water and short rinses.
Learn how to brew Sheng Pu’er with the right leaf ratio, temperature and infusion times for sweetness, energy and evolving complexity.
Learn how to brew Shu Pu’er for a clean, smooth and comforting cup, including rinsing, ratios and repeated gong fu infusions.
Learn how to brew white tea with practical temperatures and steep times for Silver Needle, Bai Mu Dan, Shou Mei and aged white tea, using Western or Gong Fu methods.
Learn how to brew green tea with the right water temperature, leaf ratio and timing, from glass brewing to gong fu preparation.
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