Brewing green tea is an art and a science. The perfect cup of green tea should be brewed using the correct water temperature, steeped for the right amount of time, and prepared with high-quality leaves. This blog post will explore these three factors in detail so that you can brew your perfect cup of green tea!
How long should you brew the leaves?
For the fullest flavor, steep your leaves for 1-2 minutes before tasting them and judging their quality. The longer you leave it in the water, the more flavor is released into the liquid.
For Oolong tea, when bubbles start breaking at surface level on this dark oolong brew after about 2 minutes of steeping (knowing when they usually become larger and start to open to the hot water), take out these leaves. The same here, the longer it will be in the water, the taste will be stronger.
For loose-leaf teas like gunpowder or sencha (both Japanese varieties), use about one teaspoon per cup of boiling water; meanwhile, most bagged green teas will tell you on their instructions if they require two bags per cup or less than that amount.
If you’re looking for what brewing time is best for which types of green tea, these general guidelines are a good starting point:
- Gunpowder or sencha – steep for 30 seconds to one minute.
- Japanese green teas like genmaicha, hojicha, and bancha – steep between two minutes and five minutes.
- Chinese green tea varieties such as jasmine pearl (or “pearl” style) and chrysanthemum flowers (known in China as Huang yeh)—steep these leaves for about three to four minutes.
The longer you brew the leaves, the stronger your cup of tea will be; however, don’t over brew them either, doing so can make your drink bitter! You’ll know when it’s time to pour off the steeping leaves when they become too large to use, or the water becomes cloudy.
What is the perfect temperature for brewing green tea?
The best brewing temperature for green tea is 158-176 °F (70-80 Celsius). However, some teas are more delicate than others so boiling water will ruin the flavor completely.
There has been much written about what temperature green tea should be brewed at over the years, for black tea, for example, there’s one general rule – the hotter, the better! Scientists have found that boiling water extracts more polyphenols than lower temperatures because it causes the most damage to the leaves.
That’s not all, though; green tea should also be brewed in a vessel that doesn’t have any added substances like aluminum or copper because they can adversely affect the taste of your drink.
For example, if you’re using an electric kettle at home, then it might contain traces of nickel and chromium, which can cause brownish-yellow spots on your steeping leaves. If you want to avoid this issue altogether, use water from the tap and boil it yourself!
It’s certainly worth investing in a stove-top teapot as well so that you don’t need to worry about boiling too much water (and wasting money) before making your perfect cup of tea. Finally, although there are many different brewing vessels available, you’ll typically only need a small cup or two to steep your leaves in.
What types of high-quality green tea can you find online?
There are many different types of high-quality green tea available online, and it’s important to know what you’re looking for before purchasing any. For example, genmaicha is typically made from leaves from Japan; meanwhile, hojicha varieties can come from China or Vietnam, depending on the variety in question. Another great tea is the Jasmine pearl (or “pearl” style) comes exclusively from India, while chrysanthemum flowers originate in Taiwan and India.
To brew your green tea properly, you’ll need the following: a pot (or another brewing vessel) with boiling water and one or two teaspoons of high-quality loose leaf tea. You can also use tea bags, but these will require an additional minute or so before they’re ready for drinking.
The first step is to steep your leaves, place them in the bottom of your container, and fill them up with hot water from the kettle. The longer you let them steep, the stronger they will be – but don’t over brew either because that might cause bitterness.
The second step is to pour your tea into the vessel of your choice, be it a cup, mug, or even a teapot. Add some hot water from the kettle, and you’re ready to enjoy!
Organic and loose leaf green teas, or pre-packaged bags at the grocery store
I recommend using high-quality loose leaf green tea instead of pre-packaged bags because the flavor is better than if you use bags and it might be more expensive but it will taste better and it’s worth the price.
Do you need to add sugar to your green tea?
No, it’s recommended not to add any sugar to a high-quality green tea because the natural flavors are enough. That being said, a little bit of sugar might taste nice in a less quality tea but it typically doesn’t need it.
In general, the sugar will completely change the taste, so it’s highly recommended to savor the original flavor without sugar. It helps you enjoy the tea even more and allows you to taste its subtleties.
If you feel like adding something, then try some light honey instead. Or you can just drink some soda instead, which is even worse for you.
Tips to make sure you brew your green tea properly every time!
Steep in an unadulterated vessel like glass, porcelain, metal, or clay. Avoid using aluminum pots as they’ll cause brownish-yellow spots on your leaves when you’re done steeping. Don’t over brew either – doing so can make your drink bitter. You’ll know when it’s time to pour off the steeping leaves when they become too large to use, or the water becomes too dark.
Add the right amount of leaves to your brewing vessel, and don’t use too much, or you’ll be left with an undrinkable cup (Yup, it happened to me). Green tea typically requires one tablespoon per every eight ounces (1 cup) of water (two tablespoons if using a 16-ounce pot).
The best way to know how many teaspoons are in that is by counting out spoonfuls until it reaches the correct number – or better yet, fill up another empty mug for reference before adding any leaves at all.
Let it steep from two minutes to four so that it can extract as many polyphenols as possible, but remember not to overstep either, or else your drink will become bitter instead as I mentioned before. Of course, if you’re unsure about when exactly they’re done steeping, then you can always take a quick sip of your drink to gauge the taste and texture.
Let it cool a little bit before drinking so that it doesn’t burn your tongue. If you like, add in any additional ingredients like apple slices (which will infuse it with sweetness), jasmine flowers for fragrance, cinnamon sticks for warmth, or citric acid if you want to make green lemonade, Instead!
Conclusion
If you’re looking to brew an excellent cup of green tea, take a look at our blog post for some helpful tips and tricks. With just a few simple steps, your home-brewed green tea will be the envy of all your friends!