Heaven of Tea

Green tea is becoming more and more popular in the West. And for good reason – it’s healthy, delicious, and easy to make. But steeping a perfect cup of green tea requires a bit more knowledge and practice to keep it from getting bitter.

So here is a quick guide to steeping green teas. I’ve broken it out into the types of green tea, since each requires a little different method of steeping. Matcha, which is altogether different than other green teas, is listed last. If you purchase a high-quality green tea, be sure and take the listed directions into account, but these instructions will work perfectly for most teas.

Sencha green tea is one of the most popular green teas and is often included in various green tea blends. It’s a perfect everyday tea and has become a staple of Japanese culture (it is a Japanese Green Tea). It is also relatively easy to make well. Sencha tea should not be steeped for more than 1 minute and usually 30-45 seconds is perfect. Heat the water to just below boiling (around 170 degrees) or cool boiling water with an ice cube or two. Use 1 teaspoon of Sencha per 8oz of water.

You can typically infuse Sencha leaves more than once. When brewing the second or third time, use water that is slightly hotter (just at the point of boiling) and steep for a shorter time, around 20-30 seconds. Each infusion will exhibit slightly different characteristics of the tea. So a wonderful way to really judge the quality of the tea is by the second and third infusion.

Tea blends that include Sencha should typically follow the instructions above. Examples include Genmaicha green tea and Lemon green tea. Because Sencha is so popular, there are many blends that include Sencha as the green tea base. Sencha also makes a delicious iced tea.

Gyokuro Green Tea is the very best of Japanese tea. It is a deep green by design. As soon as the first tea shoots open, Gyokuro gardens are covered with straw for about 20 days. By reducing the sunlight that hits the tea plant, the amount of chlorophyll is increased dramatically and the amount of tannins are reduced. This makes the final tea slightly sweeter and more mild. With quality Gyokuro, only the freshest leaves are picked, so it is an excellent tea.

To make Gyokuro green tea, you still heat the water just below boiling (around 170 degrees). But it can steep a bit longer: 60 seconds is perfect, but don’t steep it over 90 seconds. As with Sencha, Gyokuro teas can be infused two or three times. But use hotter water, which is just at the point of boiling, and steep it for a shorter time, around 35-45 seconds.

If you haven’t enjoyed Gyokuro green tea before, I recommend you try it. It is a really delicious green tea and a good one to try (if you haven’t had a green tea before).

Now moving from Japan to China, we have Dragonwell Green tea. Also called Lung Ching or Longjing, Dragonwell is famous for its flat green leaves and wonderful aroma. Interestingly, this tea is still handpicked (according to the traditional methods of Ch’a Ching). It is one of the highest quality Chinese green teas and makes a wonderful cup of tea.

Another interesting quality of Dragonwell is its ability to boost mental alertness. It’s a different trait than caffeine, but Dragonwell seems to help people focus and stay alert without jitteriness. This is long been one of the reasons for its popularity in China.

Dragonwell green tea is a little more forgiving than some other green teas. It should be steeped in water about 180 degrees (slightly warmer than the other green teas). And you should steep it around 90 seconds. Don’t steep it over 120 seconds (two minutes) or it will get bitter. Again, for multiple infusions use hotter water (just before boiling) and steep it for a shorter time period, around 60-70 seconds.

Another Chinese tea that deserves mention here is Gunpowder green tea. This is not a tea I would recommend for someone just trying green teas, because it has a noticably smoky, unique taste that people either love or not. There is some question as to where the name “gunpowder” comes from for this green tea: some believe it’s because it looks like gunpowder and the importers simply coined the term. Some say the smoky aftertaste. And some point out that the tea leaves “pop” like gunpowder when steeped. I have more details on Gunpowder tea here. It is a fascinating green tea.

Gunpowder tea is wonderful to steep in a glass teapot, since the leaves do “pop” as they steep. Use water that is around 180 degrees, a little hotter than most green teas, but not at the point of boiling. Steep the tea for around 90 seconds, but don’t go over 120 seconds. Depending on the quality of Gunpowder green tea, you may be able to steep it a second or third time (you can with Teavana Gunpowder tea), but again use hotter water and only steep it about 60 seconds. If you enjoy green tea, it is worth trying Gunpowder, which has a completely unique taste.

Finally, we come to the current tea du jour, Matcha green tea. Matcha is actually a Japanese tea made from a green tea called Tencha, but then ground up into a powdered form. Tencha is also grown (like Gyokuro) on shaded bushes. Tencha can only be harvested once a year, which makes the tea more rare than others. Matcha is mostly known for its use in the Japanese Tea Ceremony, but even outside of this it is a popular green tea. It has a wonderfuly taste, but is very different than most green teas and needs a Matcha whisk to brew it.

Making the perfect cup of Matcha is a skill, indeed. But making a good cup of Matcha isn’t as difficult. First, heat some water just to boiling and soak the Matcha whisk in it. This allows the water to cool down to around 170 degrees, but also warms the whisk and makes it more supple in advance. Use 1/2 teaspoon of Matcha powder for 8 ounces of tea. Put the Matcha powder into the cup and then add the water. Whisk the mixture with a quick stroke and continue whisking until the Matcha has froth all over the surface. Don’t skimp on the whisking or the tea will be too gritty (it should have some grit when done).

Then sit back with your steaming cup of Matcha green tea and enjoy. I do recommend that everyone try Matcha at least once. It is an unusual green tea, but also a very delicious one that most people enjoy.

So that was my quick guide to making a great cup of green tea, no matter which green tea you are using. Noticed that I didn’t mention bagged teas: it is extremely difficult to make a great cup of tea from a bagged tea, since these are typically much lower quality teas.

Once you perfect the art of creating green teas, you can start experimenting by adding additional teas or flavors to find a cup of tea that perfectly fits your tastes. It is a great way to begin a deeper journey into the world of green tea!