Just as tea set is an important aspect of tea making, water is equally so because no tea can be made without water. The quality of water is key to the taste of the tea liquid.
People down the ages have left many incisive comments on water for making tea. The quality of tea depends on the water. Good tea made with excellent water becomes excellent, while excellent tea made with good water is only good." This is also true for Pu-erh tea. There are people who go to the extent of fetching water from mountain springs in order to make tea with its sweet water. It requires special abilities and also offers great pleasure to appreciate the subtle differences in the tea made from different types of water. The best choice is the mountain spring water, which, after being nourished in the pottery jar, will give the Pu-erh tea a mellower taste.
Usually pure water and mineral water is used to make Pu-erh tea. Potable tap water can also be used, but it is better to leave the water in a container for a day and a night to disperse the chlorine before using it to make tea.
The temperature of the water depends on the types of tea. When brewing Pu-erh tea made of tender buds like the Gongting (Imperial) Pu-erh Tea Cake and Nv'er (Maiden) Tribute Tea Cakes from the Menghai Tea Factory, the water should cool down a little after being boiled to avoid scorching the tender leaves. But for other types of Pu-erh tea cakes and tea bricks, it is better to use boiling water.
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