ISO 3103 is a standard published by the
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ) is an international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries. Membership requirements are given in Ar ...
(commonly referred to as ISO), specifying a standardized method for
brewing tea, possibly sampled by the standardized methods described in ISO 1839. It was originally laid down in 1980 as BS 6008:1980 by the
British Standards Institution
The British Standards Institution (BSI) is the national standards body of the United Kingdom. BSI produces technical standards on a wide range of products and services and also supplies certification and standards-related services to business ...
, and a revision was published in December, 2019 as ISO/NP 3103. It was produced by ISO Technical Committee 34 (Food products), Sub-Committee 8 (Tea).
The abstract states the following:
The method consists in extracting of soluble
In chemistry, solubility is the ability of a substance, the solute, to form a solution with another substance, the solvent. Insolubility is the opposite property, the inability of the solute to form such a solution.
The extent of the solubil ...
substance
Substance may refer to:
* Matter, anything that has mass and takes up space
Chemistry
* Chemical substance, a material with a definite chemical composition
* Drug substance
** Substance abuse, drug-related healthcare and social policy diagnosis ...
s in dried tea leaf
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and norther ...
, contained in a porcelain
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...
or earthenware
Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids by coating it with a ce ...
pot, by means of freshly boiling
Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the temperature at which the vapour pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the surrounding atmosphere. Th ...
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...
, pouring of the liquor into a white porcelain or earthenware bowl, examination of the organoleptic
Organoleptic properties are the aspects of food, water or other substances that create an individual experience via the senses—including taste, sight, smell, and touch.
USDA uses
In traditional U.S. Department of Agriculture meat and poultr ...
properties of the infused leaf
A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...
, and of the liquor with or without milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. Immune factors and immune ...
, or both.
This standard is not meant to define the proper method for brewing tea intended for general consumption, but rather to document a tea brewing procedure where meaningful sensory comparisons can be made. An example of such a test would be a taste-test to establish which
blend of teas to choose for a particular
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
or basic label in order to maintain a consistent tasting brewed drink from harvest to harvest. Some would contend that oversteeping the tea is not a valid way to make meaningful sensory comparisons.
The work was the winner of the parodic
Ig Nobel Prize
The Ig Nobel Prize ( ) is a satiric prize awarded annually since 1991 to celebrate ten unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research. Its aim is to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think." The name of ...
for Literature in 1999.
Details
To maintain consistent results, the following are recommendations given by the standard:
* The pot should be white porcelain or
glazed earthenware and have a partly
serrated edge
A serrated blade is a type of blade used on saws and on some knives or scissors
Scissors are hand-operated shearing tools. A pair of scissors consists of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other w ...
. It should have a
lid
A lid, also known as a cover, is part of a container, and serves as the closure or seal, usually one that completely closes the object. Lids can be placed on small containers such as tubs as well as larger lids for open-head pails and drums. S ...
that fits loosely inside the pot.
* If a large pot is used, it should hold a maximum of 310
ml (±8 ml) and must weigh 200 g (±10 g).
* If a small pot is used, it should hold a maximum of 150 ml (±4 ml) and must weigh 118 g (±10 g).
* 2
gram
The gram (originally gramme; SI unit symbol g) is a Physical unit, unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one one thousandth of a kilogram.
Originally defined as of 1795 as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure wate ...
s of tea (measured to ±2% accuracy) per 100 ml boiling water is placed into the pot.
* Freshly boiling water is poured into the pot to within 4–6 mm of the brim. Allow 20 seconds for water to cool.
* The water should be similar to the drinking water where the tea will be consumed.
* Brewing time is six minutes.
* The brewed tea is then poured into a white porcelain or glazed earthenware bowl.
* If a large bowl is used, it must have a capacity of 380 ml and weigh 200 g (±20 g).
* If a small bowl is used, it must have a capacity of 200 ml and weigh 105 g (±20 g).
* If the test involves milk, then it is added to the bowl ''before'' pouring the infused tea into it, unless that is contrary to the organisation's normal practice.
* If milk is added ''after'' the pouring of tea, the standard notes that best results are obtained when the liquid is between 65 and 80 °C.
* 5 ml of milk for the large bowl, or 2.5 ml for the small bowl, is used.
Pot and bowl
An annex of the standard describes two alternative pots (310 ml and 150 ml) and corresponding bowls (380 ml and 200 ml) “which are in widespread use” for
tea tasting
Tea tasting is the process in which a trained taster determines the quality of a particular tea. Due to climatic conditions, topography, manufacturing process, and different cultivars of the '' Camellia sinensis'' plant (tea), the final product m ...
, including
engineering drawing
An engineering drawing is a type of technical drawing that is used to convey information about an object. A common use is to specify the geometry necessary for the construction of a component and is called a detail drawing. Usually, a number of ...
s of their cross sections. The type of pot described is also known as a taster's mug.
Criticism
The protocol has been criticized for omitting any mention of prewarming the pot.
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
was the only country to object, and objected on technical grounds.
Competing standards
In 2003, the
Royal Society of Chemistry
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society (professional association) in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry, chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the Ro ...
published a press release entitled "How to make a Perfect Cup of Tea".
See also
*
Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol
The Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol (HTCPCP) is a facetious communication protocol for controlling, monitoring, and diagnosing coffee pots. It is specified in , published on 1 April 1998 as an April Fools' Day RFC, as part of an April Foo ...
*
A Nice Cup of Tea
"A Nice Cup of Tea" is an essay by English author George Orwell, first published in the ''London Evening Standard'' on 12 January 1946. It is a discussion of the craft of making a cup of tea, including the line: "Here are my own eleven rules, e ...
*
Steeping
Steeping is the soaking of an organic solid, such as leaves, in a liquid (usually water) to extract flavours or to soften it. The specific process of teas being prepared for drinking by leaving the leaves in heated water to release the flavour a ...
*
Tea tasting
Tea tasting is the process in which a trained taster determines the quality of a particular tea. Due to climatic conditions, topography, manufacturing process, and different cultivars of the '' Camellia sinensis'' plant (tea), the final product m ...
, the professional practice of tea sampling for flavour characteristics
*
Teapot
A teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or a herbal mix in boiling or near-boiling water, and for serving the resulting infusion which is called tea. It is one of the core components of teaware. Dry tea is available either in tea ba ...
, a traditional vessel for brewing and serving tea
References
External links
British Standard 6008, ISO 3103
{{ISO standards
#03103
Tea
Tea in the United Kingdom