Tea-to-Water Ratio
茶水比
Tea BrewingDefinition
The proportion of dry leaf to water in a brew, usually expressed as grams of tea per 100 ml. Western one-pot brewing sits near 1 g per 100 ml and relies on a long steep of three to five minutes. Gongfu brewing pushes the same variable to 5–8 g per 100 ml and compensates with steeps measured in seconds. The ratio is what fixes a tea's strength before time or temperature ever enter the picture, so adjusting it should come first when a brew is too weak or too harsh.
Etymology
A metric restatement of older, looser instructions — a pinch of leaf, a covered spoonful — that predate household scales.
In use
Used when scaling a recipe up or down, or when converting a Western recipe into a gongfu session.