The GOLDEN RULES

 Tea is nothing but this:

First you boil the water.
The you infuse the tea.

Finally you drink the tea.

That is all you need to know.

-Rikyu, One of the most renowed tea masters-

 

5 Golden Rules of Tea Brewing

1. Warm the teapot. It is enough to fill the teapot with hot water. Allowing the teapot to warm up before introducing the tea leaves. The cups also be warmed up as well.
   This step is de rigueur, since it allows the leaves to be reheated, releasing their aroma completely.
2. Use one teaspoon of tea per cup plus one for the teapot, or one teabags per cups plus one for the teapot 
3. Pour the water into the teapot before it boils  or if it has already boiled, wait for the bubbles to disappear before pouring the water into the teapot. In fact, purist maintain that one should never uses water that has already reached boiling point. 95'C is the exact point for brewing tea
4. Allow the tea to infuse for 2-5 Minuets. Five minuets is the longest period that tea leaves should be left in contact with water, if a bitter and dry infusion is desired. If the tea is allowed to rest for just 2 minuets, the infusion will be more stimulating, lighter in taste and more aromatic
5. Fill the cups in two rounds, After warming the cups if necessary, pour a little bit of tea in each cup, then proceed to fill them to brim the second time around. This way the tea in the cups will be of uniform  quality and taste