The principal takes green tea after dinner every night, and on your first evening you pour boiling water straight onto the leaves and leave it five minutes. It comes back bitter, and it comes back to you. Tea is not one drink with one method, and boiling water is not the universal answer.
The Tea Types
All true tea is Camellia sinensis. The differences are oxidation and processing.
| Type | Oxidation | Character |
|---|---|---|
| White | Minimal | Delicate, floral, subtle |
| Green | None (heat-fixed) | Grassy, vegetal, marine, fresh |
| Oolong | Partial (10-80%) | Huge range; floral to roasted |
| Black | Full | Malty, brisk, robust; takes milk |
| Pu-erh | Fermented/aged | Earthy, deep, savoury |
Tisanes (herbal infusions) — chamomile, peppermint, rooibos, lemon verbena, fruit — contain no tea leaf and no caffeine. Call them infusions or tisanes, not tea, when precision matters.
Water Temperature and Steeping
Getting these two right is 90% of good tea. Too hot or too long extracts bitter tannins.
| Type | Water temp | Steep time |
|---|---|---|
| White | 70-80 C | 2-4 min |
| Green | 70-80 C | 1-3 min |
| Oolong | 80-95 C | 2-4 min |
| Black | 90-100 C | 3-5 min |
| Pu-erh | 95-100 C | 2-5 min (rinse leaves first) |
| Herbal / tisane | 100 C | 5-7 min |
- Boil fresh water. Reboiled water is flat, and boiler tap water from an espresso machine is often below boiling and stale — for black tea, use a kettle.
- To cool water for green tea, boil and then let it stand 3-5 minutes, or add a splash of cold.
- Remove the leaves at the end of the steep. Tea left sitting on the leaf goes bitter. A pot left steeping while guests chat is a bad cup by the second refill.
Loose Leaf vs Bag
- Loose leaf gives whole leaves room to unfurl and is the standard for guest service. Roughly 2-3 g per cup (a level teaspoon), more for larger leaves.
- Bags typically hold fannings and dust: fast, strong, one-dimensional. Fine for crew; carry good pyramid/silk sachets if bags are needed for guests.
- Never squeeze a bag or press the leaves. That forces out bitterness.
Tea Service to Standard
- Warm the pot with hot water and discard it before brewing.
- Serve on a tray: pot, hot water jug for topping up, strainer if loose, cup and saucer, teaspoon, a jug of cold milk and lemon slices separately (never both at once — lemon curdles milk), sugar and honey, and a small dish for the used strainer or bag.
- Ask before brewing: type, milk or lemon, strength, and how long they take it.
- Delicate teas belong in porcelain or glass; a strong black tea can carry a heavier cup.
Onboard Notes
- Tea absorbs odours. Store in airtight, opaque tins away from coffee, spices and anything aromatic. Coffee-scented Darjeeling is a wasted product.
- Check dates: green and white teas fade within months; pu-erh improves with age.
- Keep a caffeine-free tisane range for evening service, and know which of your teas contain caffeine if a guest asks.
- Boiling water on a moving yacht is a scald risk. Fill pots to a safe level, use a tray with a lip, and never carry an open, brim-full pot through a passageway under way.