Okay, so the other day I was thinking, “I really want to get this white tea thing right.” I mean, how hard can it be to brew a decent cup of tea, right? But it turns out, there’s a bit more to it than just dunking a tea bag in hot water.

First, I had to figure out how much tea to use. I read somewhere that for white tea, you need about 2 grams for every six ounces of water. That sounded a bit technical, so I just grabbed a teaspoon and heaped it with loose leaf. That seemed about right.

Next up, the water temperature. This is apparently where things get serious. White tea is delicate, you see. Too hot, and you burn the leaves, and it tastes all bitter and nasty. I found out that the sweet spot is between 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Luckily, I had this old kitchen thermometer lying around. I stuck it in the water, and it was way over, like boiling. So, I waited, and waited, and watched that little red line until it dropped to around 170.

Now, the moment of truth. I poured the hot water over my heaping teaspoon of white tea leaves in my mug. I let it steep for a few minutes, but honestly, I wasn’t timing it very precisely. I just waited until the water turned a pale golden color.

• Measure the tea: About 2 grams or a generous teaspoon per six ounces of water.
• Heat the water: Keep it between 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. A thermometer helps!

My White Tea Experiment

Finally, I took a sip. And you know what? It wasn’t half bad! It was light, a little sweet, and definitely not bitter. I think I’m getting the hang of this white tea thing. It’s all about the right amount of leaves and not scorching the poor things with boiling water. I might even start experimenting with different steeping times next. Who knows, maybe I’ll become a white tea master someday!