How To Brew Japanese Green Tea 
- Loose Leaf -

How you brew will affect the taste and texture of the tea, so brewing is very important but it is also simple. Once you get the hang of it, you will be able to make your own favorite style of tea. We will breakdown into four steps and get into details for each of the steps.

Step1: Tea leaf into the Tea pot

The important factor is the amount of tea leaf that you prepare. We suggest the following amount:

	1 Serving	2 Servings	3 Servings
Organic Green Tea Sencha Superior	3/4 Teaspoon (4g)	1 1/2 Teaspoon (7-8g)	3 Teaspoon (15g)
Organic Green Tea Sencha
Organic Genmaicha
Organic Houjicha	1 Teaspoon (4g)	3 Teaspoon (7-8g)	5 Teaspoon (15g)
Water Amount	0.4-0.5 cups (100-120ml)	1 cup (200-220ml)	1.5 cups (400-440ml)

Try it couple of times with different amounts. For example, when it says 3/4 teaspoon try using a full teaspoon. You will find it much more stronger and after testing couple of cups you will be able to find your favorite amount.

 

Step2: Add water

Tea is said to be 90% water, so water is also a very significant factor of brewing great tea. The crucial part is the water temperature and the water hardness.

1. Water Temperature

Depending on the water temperature the substance that extracts from the tea differs.
- High temperature extracts the Catechin, which will extract the astringent/bitter taste.
- Lower temperature extracts the Theanine, which will be the umami (savory) of the tea.
General recommendation will be the following but you may adjust the water temperature and enjoy various kind of taste.

	Water Temperature
Organic Green Tea Sencha Superior	158-176F （70-80℃）
Organic Green Tea Sencha	176-194F （80-90℃）
Organic Genmaicha	176-194F （80-90℃）
Organic Houjicha	boiling water (100℃)

 You can lower the temperature of the water by using a Japanese water cooling pot, the Uzamashi, or using a tea pot and a cup. You can leave the hot water in the Uzamashi until the temperature lowers. For 158F degrees, wait approximate two to three minutes. For 176 F degrees, one to two minutes. You can also use the tea pot and a cup and pour the water alternately to drop the temperature. 

2. Water Hardness

The water hardness is said to be the best from 30 to 80. If you live in the states, most of the tap water should not be a problem. As for bottled water, you can always check the hardness by the nutrient chart. We would say that Crystal Geyser would probably be the best brand as in Hardness wise.

 

Step3: Infuse

Infusion time is also a factor that will affect the taste. Green tea in most case, longer you infuse more it will get astringent/bitter. We recommend the following:

	Infusion Time
Organic Green Tea Sencha Superior	1 minute
Organic Green Tea Sencha	1 minute
Organic Genmaicha	1 minute
Organic Houjicha	30 seconds

Try it in numerous infusion time and find your favorite flavor and time.

 

Step4: Pouring

It is important to breakdown into several pours to keep the thickness of the tea even. Even when you pour it into one cup, please pour it in by breaking it down to several times. Also tea artisan always mention that the last drop is the best so pour until water is completely out from the pot. If you were to prepare three cups, we recommend it as shown on the following chart:

 

For Second Rounds

In most cases you will be able to infuse it two times with the same tea leaf. When going for second rounds, there will be no infusion time necessary. Just simply pour the hot water into the pot and pour it out right away. 

That will complete the steps and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me anytime by email or facebook, what ever is convenient for you. We really hope you enjoy the teas! Arigato Gozaimasu.