How to choose that perfect tea cup?

Every tea needs a good cup! From the very time the tea leaf is plucked from its shrub, its quality and taste alter every time the blend comes in contact with a slightest thing. The last stage in its journey from the plant to the drinker is the mug or tea cup. So, the time has come when you should show a little concern about what is there in your hand and how it can affect your drinking experience. You will find that most tea drinkers have a favorite mug or cup for tea. It is all about personal preference. How to choose a perfect cup for your favorite beverage? Here are a few guidelines to help you. SIMPLE GUIDE TO A PERFECT TEA CUP SELECTION

Shape & Size

Shape and size matter a lot when it comes to tasting of tea. Texture of blends can change with change in cup size. Look minutely, you will observe a difference in tea brewed in a teapot and the blend brewed directly in a mug. This difference is because heat does not dissipate evenly in a cup. Coming to the shape, a teacup should ideally be wide at its top and even angle at the bottom. This allows correct cooling of the blend and hence, the drinker has lesser chance to burn his tongue. Taller the mug or cup, better will be the aroma of the tea. Make sure the handle of the cup comfortably fits your hand.

Quality

A good cup has certain qualities like –

It should be non-porous because porous materials hold different aromas and flavors and they can destroy the taste of your tea.

It should cool the tea slowly. Cups with wide rims cool blends faster while narrow ones keep it hot and preserves the aroma for a long time. Ceramic cups are the best as they can retain heat longer and therefore, are better than glass ones.

It should have thin lip so that your brew rolls easily from the cup to the tongue.

It should be chemically safe and for that use of plastic cup is strictly a NO.

Material

Glass or porcelain is the ideal material for tea cups because both of them will not spoil the taste of your blend. It is true that thick cups retain heat for a long but they are not pleasing to lips. Varieties of tea ware are available in the market. Choose the ones according to your personal preference. Visit www.jayshreetea.com for world's best selection of loose leaf Darjeeling tea and Assam teas.