How to Brew Tasty Japanese Green Tea
Japanese green tea can be brewed in a number of ways. In this article, we will go over the Simple Way and the Advanced Way of brewing tasty green tea.
As you know, Japanese green tea can be categorized into two major types. Sencha and Matcha (See this article for the details about the differences), so we have segmented this article into two parts. Enjoy!
Here is a short summary video that we made about this blog post. I hope this video can give you a quick overview. You can scroll down for more detail instruction that is covered in this video.
Sencha is steamed form of Japanese green tea which is usually consumed by steeping with teapot.
The Simple way is how most Japanese people consume green tea every day; the Advanced Way is what is being followed by professional green tea producers who recommends the best approach for brewing the tastiest Japanese green tea.
We recommend starting with the simple way and enjoying the approach for the Advance Way after trying out simple ways to appreciate the difference in taste and aroma that it brings.
This approach does not require any special equipment such as a teapot. You can use any type of mesh strainer to filter the green tea.
1. Selecting the right teapot This approach requires a Japanese Tea Pot. There are different types of teapots, but for our green tea which is deep steamed green tea (Fukamushi-cha), we recommend the Fukamushi teapot which is made specifically for Deep Steam Green Tea. The characteristic of the Fukamushi tea pot is that it has finer mesh to be able to capture finer tea leaves as Fukamushi tea usually contains finer tea leaves than other types of green tea. The picture shown is 12Oz Fukamushi Tea Pot. You can purchase Fukamushi Tea pot here. If you do not have access to Fukamushi Tea Pot, you can use any type of teapot, but try to find ones with finer mesh. The finer mesh works for most types of green tea such as gyokuro as long as it is not powdered, so we always recommend a finer mesh teapot. |
2. Selecting and boiling water the right way Water is essential when brewing green tea. It is best to use soft water with fewer minerals to get the best result. Hard water with minerals breaks down elements in green tea which breaks the taste. If you have access to water-softer filtering systems, use water filtered by them. If using bottled water, do not use the ones with "Added Mineral". Evian tends to be recommended ones as they are known for soft water. Yuzamashi - Technique for Water TemperatureBoil water until 212°F for 4-5 minutes and cool down to 175°F. By boiling water first, it removes the smell of chloride. (Please note that our product page has different recommended temperatures based on the type of tea between 175°F - 185°F; however, 175°F can be the most common and standard temperature that would work for any type of our green tea) This approach in Japanese is called "yuzamashi" which translates to "cooled-down" water. |
3. Put green tea Put one spoon of deep-steamed green tea leaves (about 1-2 teaspoons) into the teapot. (1-2 teaspoons are good for 2~3 people, approximately 1 teaspoon is good for 1 person ) Please adjust the number of tea leaves according to your favor and the teapot which is used.
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4. Put hot water Pour boiled water (8-10 Oz) which has cooled into the tea pot. The trick is to fill the teapot with 70% full of hot water. By doing so, it spreads the scent to the remaining 30 percent of the teapot which then pours into the teacups. |
5. Rotate teapot Rotate the teapot slowly for about 60 seconds. This allows green tea to open up and soak through hot water evenly. |
6. Pour green tea into the cup When pouring green tea into multiple tea cups, do not pour it one by one (cup 1-> cup 2-> cup 3). By doing so, green tea in cup1 is lighter than in cup 3 since the darker element of green tea tends to sit at the bottom of the tea. Pour little by rotating each cup. (cup 1->cup 2-> cup 3-> cup 1-> cup 2-> cup 3). For a 370cc teapot in the cup, rotate about 3-4 times between cups. This action makes each cup taste the same. |
7. Pour until the last drop Please pour to the last drop. The later drops tend to be darker in color. The last drops have the most amount of aroma and elements so you do not want to miss out on the best part. |
8. Enjoy! Hope you enjoy our mellow and tasty Japanese Green Tea poured in a traditional Japanese way. |
I have written an entire article about how to cold-brew Japanese green tea. You can read more here or click on the image below.
In Japan, it is common practice to do 2nd infusion to get 2nd cup. You can use the same green tea after pouring the first cup and infuse it one more time. The first infusion is called "Issenme", the second infusion is called "Nisenme". In order to get a tastier 2nd infusion follow the below steps.
When the temperature of the water is high, green tea gets bitter and changes the balance of the taste. So, it is important to boil water and cool it to some extent based on the bitterness you prefer.
When the temperature of the water is higher than 175°F, the taste gets bitter and has more astringent.
When the temperature of the water is below 140°F, the taste is less bitter.
See my other article "Everything you need to know about Water and Japanese Green Tea" for more detail about how to select water for your tea.
How you store your tea is very important to make the most out of your tea. Here is an article explaining detail about the best way of storing tea.
Unlike Sencha, Matcha is a powdered green tea that is grown and harvested in a more labor-intensive way to gain a unique quality of flavor, caffeine, and nutritional benefits. (Click here to learn more) Matcha is used in all Japanese tea ceremonies.
In this section, I will first show you the traditional way of preparing matcha, then will introduce you to a variety of ways to enjoy them.
There are two forms of matcha used in a Japanese tea ceremony. The first is usucha, which is thin green tea matcha. Usucha is the common form of matcha used during a daily tea ceremony. Usucha is harvested from the buds and leaves of the tea plant.
The second form is koicha, which is thick green tea matcha. Koicha is typically used in more formal Japanese ceremonies. Koicha is typically hand harvested from the choicest buds of older tea plants.
Both forms of matcha have a unique flavor and tend to be full-bodied, with a luxurious and grassy essence. But keep in mind that koicha matcha never can be created from usucha matcha. We recommend that you first try matcha usucha until you become accustomed to the deeper flavor of koicha matcha.
Usucha matcha and koicha matcha are made using similar utensils, but each has a slightly different process, resulting in the exclusive texture and flavor. The following gives you a step by step instructions on how to make delicious Japanese matcha.
Usucha Matcha Steps (Traditional Way):
Step 1.
Preheat your tea bowl by adding hot water. Place matcha bamboo whisk tips into water and let set (do not immerse the whisk completely – just the tips).
Step 2.
When your tea bowl is heated thoroughly, remove the bamboo whisk and water from the tea bowl. Dry tea bowl with a linen cloth.
Step 3.
Measure approximately 1/3 cup boiling water (70 ml or 2.3 oz) into a separate bowl and allow uit to cool to approximately 160°F (71°C) to 185°F (85°C) – here you can use a thermometer to cool the water to your preference.
Step 4.
Measure approximately 1 ½ to 2 scoops (approximately 1 ½ to 2 tsp or 2 grams) of matcha powder with a bamboo scoop or ladle, placing into a matcha powder sifter. Sift powder into tea bowl, gently shaking and spinning powder with a ladle to remove any powder clumps.
Step 5.
Once the water has cooled to the correct temperature, pour it slowly into a tea bowl.
Step 6.
Hold the tea bowl in one hand and take a whisk in the other hand. Whisk matcha and water rapidly and in an “M” and “W” pattern motion (left to right and up to down) until liquid has a thick foam on top with lots of tiny bubbles at the surface.
Step 7.
Pour matcha tea into a tea bowl or tea cup.
Step 8.
Enjoy tasty Japanese matcha - usucha.
Koicha is typically hand harvested from the choicest buds of older tea plants
Step 1.
Preheat your tea bowl by adding hot water. Place matcha bamboo whisk tips into water and let set (do not immerse the whisk completely – just the tips).
Step 2.
When the tea bowl is heated thoroughly, remove the bamboo whisk and water from the tea bowl. Dry tea bowl with a linen cloth.
Step 3.
Measure approximately 1/4 cup boiling water (40 ml or 1.3 oz) into a separate bowl and allow it to cool to approximately 160°F (71°C) to 185°F (85°C) – here you can use a thermometer to cool the water to your preference.
Step 4.
Measure approximately 3 to 4 scoops (3 to 4 tsp or 4 to 5 grams) of matcha powder with a bamboo scoop or ladle, placing into a matcha powder sifter. Sift powder into tea bowl, gently shaking and spinning powder with a ladle to remove any powder clumps.
Step 5.
Once the water has cooled to the correct temperature, pour ½ of the water slowly into the tea bowl (this is important to avoid clumping).
Step 6.
Hold the tea bowl in one hand and take a whisk in the other hand. Whisk matcha and water slowly and in a kneading and circular pattern, until the liquid has become a thick and smooth consistency.
Step 7.
Add remaining hot water and whisk slowly until smooth. There should be no foam on top.
Step 8.
Pour matcha tea into a tea bowl or tea cup.
Step 9.
Enjoy tasty Japanese matcha – koicha.
Here are cheat sheets summarizing the differences between koicha and usucha
For Usucha:
For Koicha:
Now that we have covered the traditional ways, here’s where it gets more interesting. Matcha can be used in variety of ways and we have many articles exploring different ways of using matcha in non-traditional ways. Here are some popular ones.
Matcha isn’t just delicious to drink. Healthful Japanese matcha is an incredible addition to make unique matcha recipes from your simple regular recipes. Now that you know how to create tasty Japanese matcha, try more delicious matcha recipes that include the health benefits and unique flavor of tasty Japanese green tea matcha.
For more delicious ways to try tasty Japanese matcha in cooking, take a look at my book, Cook With Matcha & Green Tea.
This post about How to Brew Tasty Japanese Green Tea was first published in 2017. We added the audio of this blog in 2022 just for you.
If you have ever thought that Green Tea is an “acquired taste” or that it is “too bitter” to enjoy, we’re here to change your mind! We want everyone to experience the health benefits of Green Tea and show you that this can be an amazing, refreshing, and delicious drink when made correctly. With just a few tips on how to brew this powerful leaf we can change your mind about the taste and enjoyment of drinking Green Tea.
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In depth directions, makes the green tea sound delicious.
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March 30, 2020
Thank you very much Lin. : )