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I want to learn how to:
Brew the perfect up of green tea
Make your own Iced Green Tea
Like your tea with milk?
Cook with green tea
When it comes to brewing tea, the most that many of us have done in these modern convenience-focused times is to drop a teabag into a cup and add boiling water. This may work just fine with black tea, but if you brew green tea this way you are likely to produce a very bitter brew. By adding a couple of key steps to your tea-brewing technique, you can dramatically improve the taste of the resulting brew and increase your enjoyment of green tea.
RULE 1: WATER TEMPERATURE
The general rule here is that the more delicate the tea leaves, the cooler the water should be. For higher quality green teas such as gyokuro, matcha powder and the premium senchas, the water should be cooled off the boil to around 60-80°C. For hardier green teas such as bancha (a coarser late-harvest leaf), kuki-cha (twig tea), hoji-cha (roasted tea) or green tea blends such as genmai-cha, boiling water can be used. If the water is too hot for the particular tea, it will scorch the leaves and produce a bitter taste.
RULE 2: KEEP BREW-TIME IN CHECK
The cooler the water temperature for brewing, the longer time the tea should be steeped to draw out the tea flavours and nutrients. Since the more delicate teas require cooler water, their brewing times are generally longer. See the table below for the recommended brewing times for the various green tea varieties. Use this as a guide for the best way to serve each particular tea variety. To determine a personal taste preference for the various teas, experiment with the quantity and quality of tea (rather than water temperature and steeping time).
TYPE OF TEA |
AMOUNT OF TEA |
AMOUNT OF WATER |
WATER TEMPERATURE |
STEEPING TIME |
Gyokuro |
3 tsp (9g) |
1/3 cup
(80ml) |
60°C |
2-3 minutes |
Matcha powder |
2/3 tsp (2g) |
1/4 cup
(60ml) |
80°C |
N/A |
Sencha
(Premium & High-grade) |
2 tsp (6g) |
2/3 cup
(160ml) |
70-80°C |
60 seconds |
Sencha (Standard)
Kuki-cha
Bene-fuki instant |
2.3 tsp (7g) |
1 cup
(240ml) |
90°C |
30-60 seconds |
Bancha
Hoji-chaGenmai-cha
Flavoured blends |
3 tsp (9g) |
1.65 cup (400ml) |
100°C
(Boiling water) |
15-30 seconds |
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Besides these two rules for brewing, we offer a couple of other important tips:
TIP 1: WATER QUALITY!
The quality and type of water used to brew tea affects the resulting tea brew. The ideal water for brewing green tea is `soft water`. Water is categorized on a scale of water hardness according to its mineral content, in particular in relation to its calcium and magnesium content. If water is too hard (i.e., if the magnesium and calcium content are too high), then tannin and flavours aren`t extracted from the tea as well. In Japan, spring water is mostly soft and ideal for brewing tea, but in Australia the mineral content in our water supply varies greatly from region to region. Melbourne`s water supply, for example, is soft and ideal for brewing teas (and coffees). The water supply in Brisbane, Adelaide & some areas of Perth however, is `hard water.` raku have worked with our tea producers to prepare the green tea products so that their tannins and flavours will be released more-readily to cater for the various types of water supplies in Australia. To improve upon this further, we recommend selecting a soft water supply with a lower calcium content.
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TIP 2: DRINK YOUR TEAS, DON`T JUST STORE THEM!
The reason that green tea offers greater health benefits over black tea or fermented tea, is that the antioxidants of the tea plant have remained intact after the leaf is plucked and they have not yet oxidized. However, green tea will quickly oxidize and lose its aroma and Vitamin C content when it comes into contact with air. It is the freshness and nutritional content of green tea that make it both more beneficial and more perishable than black tea. If green tea is properly packaged in sealed foil pouches, then it can be stored for over 1-2 years and in some cases even longer when frozen (for green tea powder). However, once the tea product has been opened, it should be transferred to a canister with a tight-sealing lid and stored away from strong-smelling foods. We therefore recommend that the tea be purchased in package quantities in line with consumption (especially for high-grade teas).
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TIP 3: TEAWARE FOR THE BEST EXPERIENCE
With the variations in water temperature and quantities served, the Japanese have developed tea-ware to suit the distinctive tea variety. For example, a small teapot and smaller-sized teacups are used for high-grade teas such as gyokuro and premium sencha. For hardier teas that use boiling water, such as bancha and genmai-cha, larger earthenware teapots and teacups are better as they retain the heat. Though less traditional, heat-resistant glass teapots are also becoming popular as they showcasing the brew colour and are visibly easy to clean. As your green tea taste preferences develop, we recommend investing in a good quality teapot to complement your tea choice. The correct teapot can make a difference to the overall tea flavour and experience.
Whether, like many Japanese families, you house a selection of teapots to suit the various types of green tea or just use one for all, it is important to clean the teapot thoroughly on a regular basis. Use bicarbonate soda rather than strong detergents to clean the spout and filter and the tannin stains from inside the teapot.
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Do you want to drink iced tea made from genuine tea leaves or a tea extract that is mixed in with sugars and fruit flavourings?
There is a big difference between a freshly made iced tea and the supposedly Iced Tea beverages sold by the major black tea brands. These companies obviously believe that we need excessive amounts of sweeteners and added flavours in our tea to make it drinkable. Hmnn....
Our recommendation is to ditch the bottled iced tea drinks and prepare your iced tea at home using fresh, quality green tea leaves!
By doing so, you can prepare a beverage that has the perfect amount of added flavour and or sweetener to suit your palate or none if you prefer.
TIPS FOR BREWING ICED TEA:
RECOMMENDED: One of the best ways to enjoy iced green tea is to brew it and drink it immediately. Simply brew the tea hot but with a slightly greater quantity of tea leaves. This will make a stronger flavoured brew. Then pour the brew over a large glass cup that is filled to the top with ice.
BREWING LARGER VOLUMES: Iced tea will keep for approx 24 to 36 hours. After this time, it will start to ferment (unless you add preservatives). Therefore, we only recommend brewing the amount of tea that will be consumed within this timeframe. There are two ways to brew the tea: brew it hot and allow to cool, or by leaving especially-prepared teabags to slowly steep in cold water.
REFRIGERATOR STORAGE: If you have brewed the tea hot, allow the brew to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator. If you transfer the tea straight to the fridge while still in a hot state, the tea brew will become cloudy.
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50 g Mint
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice/squeeze
2 litres of green tea
1. Prepare 2 litres of green tea.
2. Wash mint. Put mint, honey and 2 cups of green tea into a saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
3. Once finished, strain mint from liquid and add lemon juice and remaining green tea.
4. Pour over ice in tall glasses. Garnish with mint sprigs or lemon slices for a great finishing touch!
Tips:
Increase or decrease the ratio of flavours (mint, honey & lemon) to green tea as desired to find the combination that suits you best.
Kukicha tea will provide a lighter flavour tea.
For a more full-bodied green tea, use Sencha or Bancha.
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Many people enjoy drinking tea with milk, with hot latte teas and iced latte chillers proving very popular in recent years.
Here are some recipes for brewing a milky cup of green tea.
Milk 180ml
Matcha powder 1 1/3 tsp
Hot water 3 tsp
（Serves 1 person）
1. Mix 1 1/3 tsp of Matcha powder and 3 tsp of hot (not boiling) water in a cup. Stir briskly until you achieve a smooth paste.
2. Heat 1 cup of milk and 1Tbsp of honey taking care not to let the milk come to the boil.
3. Stir the matcha paste into the heated milk until well blended. Pour into a cup. If you have a milk steamer (to froth milk), add some frothed milk to the top of the brew and sprinkle with either sifted matcha powder, chocolate or cinnamon.
Milk 180ml
Hoji-cha 3 tsp (approx 6g)
Water 60ml
（Serves 1 person）
１. Boil the water in a saucepan or tea kettle. Remove from heat and add the tea leaves. Leave to infuse (approx. 1min).
２. When the tea has brewed, add the milk and return the saucepan/tea-kettle to the heat until it boils again.
3. Pour the brew through a strainer into a cup.
4. If you have a steamer for frothing milk, froth some milk and add a layer of frothed milk to the top of the tea latte. If desired, sprinkle some crushed leaves of Hoji-cha or cinnamon on top of the frothed milk.
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Information coming soon.
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