It still fascinates me that all true tea is produced from the leaves, buds, and stems of the Camellia sinensis plant. Tea, like coffee and wine, is greatly influenced by the terroir, or natural environment where it is produced. The particular variety of the Camellia sinensis plant, either Camellia sinensis sinensis or Camellia sinensis assamica, the processing method used, and the terroir of the tea-producing region contribute to the overall flavor profile and characteristics of a tea.

Incorporating high-quality tea into your daily routine can seem daunting at times. Especially when someone tells you about multiple steeps and flavor profile progression over those multiple steeps. It took me a few years to even understand what I was drinking and how I could prepare it in a way that I could enjoy. The learning curve for tea is pretty steep once you start to understand and utilize more of the information that you gather from various sources.

Over the years, I have learned that steeping parameters and suggestions are great for consistency and for educational purposes. Recently, I realized that tea only really requires an understanding of what you want from a particular tea. If you want a stronger cup, steep it longer or use a little bit more tea. If you want to create a new experience, use more tea, less water, and shorter steep times. The choice is yours!