3 Tips for Properly Brewing Green Tea

3 Tips for Properly Brewing Green Tea

If your day isn’t complete without the perfect cuppa tea, then you probably assume you know the perfect way to brew one, right?  Have you experienced issues with brewing green tea? It’s not as simple as boiling water and sticking a tea bag in your cup.

Brewing green tea is an art and a science. And if your tea tastes bitter then you’ve been doing it wrong.

Here are 3 tips for brewing the perfect cup of green tea.

Brewing Green Tea Water Temperature

If you’re pouring boiling hot water onto your green tea bag then you’re doing it wrong. Green tea is a more delicate tea and requires a cooler water temperature than other teas.

Green tea is unique from other teas because the tea leaves are heated after they are picked, which interrupts the fermentation process that normally makes other teas dark.

In Japan, green tea leaves are steamed which results in a lighter and more delicate tea. In China, green tea leaves are pan-seared creating a more earthy and rich flavor.

Matcha tea is a ground green tea that is made and brewed completely differently from other green teas.

Because green teas are created differently from the very beginning, then need cooler water to brew in. Generally speaking, you’ll want to brew Japanese green tea in water that is anywhere from 175-180 degrees. Chinese green teas can be brewed in slightly hotter water.

If you don’t feel like taking the temperature of your water every time you fancy a cup, simply bring your kettle to a boil and then let it sit and cool for a few minutes before you pour it over your tea.

Brewing green tea takes a little more patience, but it’s worth it.

Length of Your Brew Time

Green tea is generally a very subtle taste. Are you looking for a stout and strong flavor? Maybe green tea is not for you.

Be careful to avoid brewing green tea for too long or you will get a bitter, unpleasant result. If you’re used to strong black teas, spicy foods, and strong coffee then the subtle rewards of green tea might be an adjustment. Resist the temptation to over steep it and let yourself adjust to the lightness of green tea.

A good rule of thumb is to allow Japanese green tea to steep for one minute and Chinese green tea to steep for 2-3 minutes.

You shouldn’t steep your green tea for more than 3 minutes.

Age of Your Tea

Tea rarely rots or goes bad. But older tea does lose flavor and the delicate nature of green tea is particularly susceptible to flavor deterioration.

It’s best to consume tea within one calendar year of the time it’s been harvested. Supermarket teas are generally older than one year. If you’re looking for fresh green tea, try it from a reputable tea seller instead of the grocery store.

Brewing green tea is a subtle art with many rewards. Green tea is lower in caffeine than black teas and higher in antioxidants. Drinking tea daily is good for your health, and green tea is especially good for your body and soul.

About Tom Davey

Tom Davey is the resident head editor at The World Tea Directory. You are invited to send us your TEA news and articles HERE