How To Brew Japanese Green Tea

A GUIDE ON HOW TO MAKE JAPANESE GREEN TEA AND BREWING TIPS!

Brewing loose leaf green tea isn't difficult to master as long as you take into consideration the aspects that can have a positive or negative outcome on the brewed tea. Being able to adjust something that you are doing wrong can often help a great deal. The following are tips on how to make green tea:

Water Quality...

DO NOT over look the water that you use to brew your green tea, it is absolutely vital! The authentic taste of each green tea will not be achieved with poor water selection.

These types of water often make green tea bitter, flat or tasteless, we do not recommend them:

Tap water.
Hard water.
Distilled water.
Reverse osmosis water.
Any other water that just tastes bad!

Better options:
Tap water that has been filtered by an activated carbon filter.
Bottled spring water.

Best option:
Softer water with a good balance of minerals and taste.

Leaf-To-Water Ratio...

One of the biggest mistakes made when brewing high quality green tea is not using enough leaf. The higher quality the leaf the less water and more leaf you need to use!

In general, loose leaf green tea that has more astringency/bitterness and little to no sweetness needs be prepared with less leaf and more water otherwise the tea will be too astringent & too bold. On the other hand, loose leaf green tea that has little to no astringency and more sweetness needs be prepared with more leaf and less water otherwise the taste will be too light.

To start off with, we recommend the following leaf to water ratio for high quality green tea. Many people have a different preference so, of course, this can be adjusted to that.

Gyokuro:
Recommended: 2g/1oz
To find your preferred brew try between: 1g-3g/1oz

Kabusecha & Sencha:
Recommended: 1g/1oz
To find your preferred brew try between: 0.75-1.25g/1oz

Hojicha & Genmaicha:
Recommended: 1g/1oz
To find your preferred brew try between: 0.5-1g/1oz

Water Temperature...

Many people make the mistake of using boiling water or water that is too hot for the type of Japanese tea they are preparing. This will result in a bitter tasting green tea. Water temperature varies depending on the type of tea. Japanese tea is brewed at various temperatures depending on the type:

Gyokuro = 40-60°C (104-140°F)
Kabusecha = 60-65°C (140-149°F)
Asamushi Sencha = 60-70°C (140-158°F)
Fukamushi Sencha = 65-70°C (149-158°F)
Hojicha & Genmaicha = 80-90°C (176-194°F)
Black & Oolong Tea = 90-95°C (194-203°F)

Reducing water temperature…

One of the best ways to get the temperature of the water to the correct level is to boil your kettle then pour the water into your teapot (without the green tea leaves) and wait for 1 minute then pour the water from the teapot into the teacup(s) and discard the excess water from the teapot. Add your green tea leaves to the now empty teapot then pour the water from the teacup(s) into the teapot. The water should have fallen to around 70C which is perfect for sencha. This method does three things, it reduces the temperature of the water to the correct level, pre-warms the teapot and cup(s), and measures the exact amount of water you need for your cup(s) of Japanese green tea. If you don't fancy this method then it's just as easy to either use your intuition or a thermometer.

Infusion Time...

The time that green tea takes to infuse is dependent on the type of green tea you are going to brew.

First Steep:
Gyokuro = 2-3 minutes.
Light Steamed Kabusecha & Sencha = 1-2 minutes.
Mid Steamed Kabusecha & Sencha = 1-1½ minutes.
Deep Steamed Kabusecha & Sencha = 1 minute.

Second Steep:
Instant - 30 seconds. An instant second steep often gives better later steeps.

Third Steep:
30 seconds – 90 seconds. Hotter water can be used.

Any Additional Steeps:
Hotter water and longer steeping times.

When you steep loose leaf green tea it is important not to shake or swirl the teapot because this can cause the tea to become bitter. After the tea has infused for the correct amount of time you should pour it into the teacup(s) gently and slowly. Many people make the mistake of pouring green tea too fast. This clogs the filter/strainer, the full flavor of the tea will not be extracted, and water will remain in the teapot which will continue to steep the leaves resulting in poor tasting additional steeps. If you have more than one cup you should pour little by little into each cup alternately to insure the taste and quantity are the same in each cup. Between infusions remove the lid of the teapot to allow the inside of the teapot to cool down. This reduces the chances of the tea leaves continuing to steep between infusions.

Japanese Teapot...

If you intend to get the best results from your loose leaf Japanese green tea, you shouldn't be without a Japanese Teapot, it is most essential! They are designed for the job at hand, and there is simply no better way to brew Japanese loose leaf green tea. They allow the tea leaves to open fully which in turn releases the full flavor from the tea leaves. Other methods such as tea balls and tea strainers don't allow the leaves to open fully. This results in a depleted tasting green tea.

You can purchase Japanese Teapots from our online store. We carry a vast selection of teapots with various capacities and with various filters/strainers. We also have a selection of teapots that are suitable for gyokuro.

If you need help selecting a teapot for your needs, please don't hesitate to Contact Us. We would be more than happy to guide you in the right direction.

Teacup Size...

High quality Japanese green tea is brewed in small teacups. 8oz western teacups are not suitable for high quality green tea. They are only suitable for low quality green tea that is drunk in bigger volume. We carry a selection of Japanese Teacups that are suitable for the high quality organic green teas we sell.

Recommended serving size per cup:

Gyokuro = 1-3oz
Kabusecha & Sencha = 3-5oz
First harvest hojicha & genmaicha = 4-5oz

Storage...

When storing green tea it is highly recommendable to store it away from light, air, heat, moisture and strong odors. If you store unopened packets of green tea correctly they will keep fresh for many months. However, once you open the packet the freshness can deteriorate very quickly if not stored correctly. If you drink one packet of tea more-or-less everyday, then it is no problem to keep it in a clean Tea Canister. If you drink one packet over a much longer period e.g. 1-2 months then it is best to keep the tea wrapped tightly in the original packet. We don't recommend a refrigerator as this can, in some cases, create a moisture build up.