After each tea is served, the lid is lifted and placed on the edge of the bowl or lid. This action is quite common on the tea table and is called “opening the lid”. However, it is rare to open the lid when brewing rock tea. Instead, after each steeping, the lid is quickly closed, afraid that the aroma will not escape? I believe everyone has their own reasons for doing so.
Until this Chinese New Year in the north, big fish and big meat couldn’t help but come and soak in rock tea and have a good time. You know, in the north, no matter how heavy the snow falls outside your window, my house is as warm as spring, and a vest and ice cream are standard.
When we brew rock tea in a warm and spring like room, we naturally open the lid after each course, but the familiar tea we brew becomes different from before. Is it true that just opening the lid can change our face so quickly? Let’s clear the fog and see what tricks it has played behind the scenes!
01 What are the differences between opening and not opening the lid?
After opening the lid, the most obvious changes are a decrease in temperature, faster dissipation of odors, and better leaf base flexibility.
The temperature change has the greatest impact on the flavor of the tea soup. After testing, it was found that there is a 5 degree difference in temperature between the tea soup with and without the lid opened. Don’t underestimate the mere 5 degrees, as it can bring about subtle changes. It should be noted that the water temperature determines the order and amount of dissolved substances, as well as the release of aroma; The delicious tea soup and charming aroma can only be presented with the help of temperature.
The most intuitive change is that the “essence” who can’t see or touch, become essence, want essence to appear, they should cast by boiling point.
After opening the lid, some aroma substances evaporate in the air along with water vapor, and the aroma released after the temperature decreases is mainly low to medium boiling point, such as vegetable aroma, grass aroma, light aroma, floral aroma, etc., which is a lively early spring atmosphere. They attach to the lid of the cup and melt into the tea soup to express their feelings directly! Can identify fragrance types faster and clearer.
It should be said that friends who like to smell the fragrance of cup lids should heat them up in a timely manner. As the lid is open, there is not much fragrance left on the lid and it is very easy to evaporate.
Comparison of bowl lid opening
The lid covers the tea leaves, isolating them from contact with the outside world. It has a good temperature holding effect, and high boiling point aromas begin to release under the impact of high temperatures, such as rich floral, fruity, honey, woody, medicinal, etc. It is a calm and warm autumn temperament.
The aroma is full, rich, and condensed. While high boiling point aromas require high temperature, they also come slowly. Timely covering after each course is beneficial for the accumulation of high boiling point aromas, resulting in a strong and mellow tea aroma.
Comparison of tea soup with and without lids
So, can a temperature difference of 5 ° C also bring different experiences to the tip of the tongue when drinking?
The tea soup of rock tea requires “thickness and rock flavor”, which is the skeleton of the tea soup. To achieve “rock flavor”, it relies on the two main forces of “alkaloids and tea polyphenols”, which are more easily reflected under high temperature. Although “bitterness” is one of the important seasonings of rock flavor, it needs to be moderate, otherwise the tea soup will be thick and not as pleasant to drink, and it will also affect the oral perception of other flavors.
After opening the lid, the decrease in temperature allows the fresh and sweet amino acids and polysaccharides to be preferentially captured by the taste buds through layers of clouds and mist, while the bitterness remains hidden behind the scenes. The dissolution is relatively balanced, and the mutual assistance between flavor substances makes the tea soup not only layered but also more palatable.
After opening the lid, the temperature of the tea soup decreases, which makes the taste buds more sensitive and easier to sense the shortcomings in the tea soup.
Between opening and closing, there is no restriction from the lid, allowing the bottom of the leaves to stretch freely. Water can evenly take care of every side of each leaf, dissolve and release evenly, making the tea soup rich in layers and changes. However, from the perspective of steeping durability, the number of times it is brewed without opening the lid is more advantageous than opening it.
02 Sharing the beauty of opening and not opening the lid
Adhering to the spirit of experimenting to gain true knowledge and preserving the essence, our friends chose the commonly used “light roasting fire” and “medium roasting fire” in the market as examples. The tea set was a standard 110cc lid bowl, with 8.3g of tea added. Under the same soaking time, they compared each other in pairs to personally experience the flavor changes brought by opening or not opening.
Light roasting with open lid vs. no open lid
Not covered: The aroma is clear and rising, with good clarity and graceful movements, like a hermit; The tea soup has a clear and delicious taste, fresh and layered, and distinct distinctions between the Wei River and the Wei River; Overall, it can better highlight the characteristics of the variety, and surprisingly, Xiangluoshui is very good. It is recommended that everyone compare and experience it.
Covered: The released aroma is like clusters of blooming flowers, lively and intertwined. When smelled hot, it has a green flavor. The tea soup has a relatively high concentration and is prone to bitter taste, with a cooked soup feeling. In comparison, the smoothness of the tea soup is better.
Open lid vs no lid for medium roasting fire
Covered: With the appetizing sensation of light roasting, the entrance is the ultimate feeling of “fullness, strength, and coolness”. The taste is not only full and rich, but also the soup is warm and delicate, and the concentration of the tea soup is still high after a few steeps; Aroma also belongs to the category of rich and charming hexagrams. Hold the fragrance for a long time, and no matter how long you drink it, it will not break.
Not covered: The layers of tea soup are more distinct and refreshing, with each tea soup undergoing changes in a rhythmic progression, making it not boring to drink at all.
In contrast, the thickness of the tea soup is slightly inferior. The tea we chose has a medium heat and can taste a noticeable sour taste; The aroma is still clear and straightforward, and more details can be felt, but due to the lid being open, the aroma evaporates quickly, leaving a relatively single aroma.
Under what circumstances is it suitable to open the lid bubble
Opening or not opening affects the expression of the flavor of tea soup. In addition to changing the flavor, opening the lid also plays a role in regulating the tea soup, such as modifying some “flawed tea”. Flexibly applying the opening lid action can not only adapt to the tea, but also adapt to the situation.
Suitable for tea making
The odor that makes the sense of smell uncomfortable is easily detectable at high temperatures.
In the tea making process, there has been a phenomenon of tea that is too dark green or too ripe for processing; During storage, if the tea is contaminated with strange odors or has a warehouse flavor, open the lid and let these “slightly tipsy flavors” play out a “disappearing it” to improve the purity of the tea.
My mouth also has an unpleasant odor.
If picking tender cinnamon or tea with a bitter taste that is difficult to remove from the variety itself, the high temperature will increase the concentration of the tea and double the bitterness! In this situation, it is recommended to open the lid and brew tea. Tea is like life. If one eats too much bitterness and has no place for sweetness, they may not know what sweetness is.
Freshly roasted tea can also make your mouth feel uncomfortable, your body feel hot, and it can be dry to drink. Why not open the lid and reduce the heat!
Tailored to specific needs
Who hasn’t had a good heart for tea lovers yet? In this experiment of opening the lid and steeping, we also compared the lid bowl with the purple clay pot. We used the level of guava made by Teacher Zheng, with high-density cinnabar material and a pot that is tall and spacious, making it perfect for steeping rock tea.
The same tea can be brewed with an open lid. Compared to a covered bowl, the material of purple clay teapot is more suitable for open lid brewing. The tea leaves will not be stuck all the time, and the aroma can be highlighted. The tea soup will also become fuller, which is both interesting and delicious to drink.
act according to circumstances
There are always some tea addicted foodies who love rock tea no matter what day or season, especially in the scorching summer and high temperature baking where sweat cannot be wiped away. To be honest, if you want to drink rock tea at this time, you need Fish Leong to give me “courage”.
If you want to drink but are afraid of the heat, simply open the lid to cool down. Although it is a drop in the bucket, it can always solve the urgent problem and satisfy this greedy tongue.
Should I open the lid when making rock tea? We believe that while satisfying the personality of brewing tea, we also need to find a balance point. When the balance leans towards the other end, we can freely apply the “opening lid” brewing technique to pull the tea back to a relatively stable position.