From my personal experience as a tea enthusiast, I can confidently say that brew and steep are not exactly the same. While both terms are commonly used in relation to tea, they involve slightly different processes.
When we talk about steeping tea, we are referring to the act of soaking tea leaves in water to extract their flavors and aromas. This can be done using either hot or cold water, depending on the type of tea and personal preference. Cold steeping, also known as cold brewing, involves placing tea leaves in cold water and allowing them to infuse slowly over a period of time, usually several hours. This method is often used for delicate teas like green or white teas, as it produces a smoother and less bitter brew.
On the other hand, brewing tea typically involves the application of heat to the water-tea leaf mixture. This can be done through various methods such as boiling water and pouring it over the tea leaves, using a tea infuser in a teapot, or utilizing specialized tea brewing devices like a gaiwan or a samovar. The heat helps to accelerate the extraction process, allowing the flavors and compounds in the tea leaves to be released more quickly.
While steeping can be seen as a subset of brewing, the term brewing encompasses a wider range of methods and techniques. Brewing often implies a more active involvement in the tea-making process, such as controlling the water temperature, steeping time, and the amount of tea leaves used. It requires the continual application of heat from an outside source, like a flame or burner, to maintain the desired temperature of the water.
In my opinion, the distinction between brew and steep is not just a matter of semantics, but also reflects the level of control and precision involved in the tea-making process. Steeping is often associated with a more relaxed and gentle approach, allowing the tea leaves to infuse at their own pace, while brewing requires more active participation and attention to detail.
To summarize, while both brew and steep involve the infusion of tea leaves in water, brewing typically involves the application of heat and a more active role in the tea-making process. Steeping, on the other hand, can be done with either hot or cold water and is often associated with a more relaxed and gentle approach.