There is no single recipe for making the perfect tea.
Kakuzo Okakura (1862-1913)
Each preparation of the leaves has its individuality,
its special affinity with water and heat,
its own method of telling a story.
The truly beautiful must always be in it.
At De Theefabriek, we have long been inspired by Kakuzo Okakura’s saying, because it so accurately reflects what we ourselves have experienced during our travels, namely that every country, even every region, family or person, has its own way of making tea. For example, we tasted boiled tea in Turkey, enjoyed simmering chai with milk and spices in India, and were surprised by a strong cup of tea in Sri Lanka.
Encountering this diversity, this journey of discovery through the world of tea, which surprised all our senses time and time again, inspired us to create a place like De Theefabriek. A place where everyone is invited to embark on their own personal tea journey in an accessible way and get to know the wide variety of colours, aromas and flavours. However, we are not going to tell you how to make that journey, or how to make and drink your cup of tea. After all our experiences, we are convinced, just like Kakuzo Okakura, that there is not just one right way to make tea, there are many!
We invite you to embark on your own adventure, to discover for yourself what the right tea accessories are for you, what method of making tea suits you best. Pick up ideas along the way, see how others choose and prepare their tea. Be inspired by someone who has used the same earthenware tokoname teapot all their life, carefully preheating and rinsing it, the walls steeped in tea, or by someone who prefers wafer-thin eggshell porcelain, which really brings out the colour of the tea. Discover for yourself whether you prefer to use loose tea in the pot, in a filter bag or in a metal filter, and how these different brewing methods affect the taste of the tea. Try teas from all corners of the world and experiment with white, yellow, green, oolong, black and pu-erh.
Experiment with water temperatures to discover whether you prefer the aroma of tea prepared at a lower temperature or whether you find the tannic acid released at higher temperatures, more tea and longer steeping times indispensable. You can even explore whether it suits you better to let the tea boil as they do in Turkey or India. And if you get the chance, be inspired by the tea ceremonies of Japan, where people drink a ‘thick’ or ‘thin’ beverage made from powdered tea leaves, or China, where various infusions are used to release the different aromas and flavours of the tea.
In short… a whole new world (of tea) is waiting for you. We wish you a wonderful journey of discovery!