Brew Green Tea Like a Tea Master

Brewing green tea isn't rocket science. Or at least, it doesn't need to be.

When brewing green tea, some folks turn into veritable scientists, measuring water temperature to the exact degree, the amount of tea leaves to the microgram, and steeping time to the nanosecond. But let us remember that the art of preparing green tea was perfected over a thousand years ago by tea masters who didn't have thermometers, postal scales, or stopwatches.

Instead of being complicated, their secret to brewing green tea is exceedingly simple, and it boils down — get it? — to these two points:

1.) Don't use water that's too hot.

2.) Don't skimp on tea leaves.

The first point — water temperature — can't be overemphasized. Too many people make the mistake of pouring just-boiled water right onto their tea leaves.

Ouch!

Water that's too hot effectively "cooks" the leaves, ruining the taste and aroma. Ideally, water for making tea should be roughly 70–80°C (158–176°F). This, you'll notice, is considerably lower than water's boiling point (100°C/212°F).

"But wait," you may be thinking, "you just said not to fuss over the exact temperature." That's right, and here's how to avoid all that: Instead of measuring water temperature, all you have to do is pour just-boiled water into a separate and let it cool before pouring it into your teapot.

That's it. Simple, yes?

Even if you don't have a traditional Japanese yuzamashi (see picture), you can pour hot water into any container that is (a) made to withstand high temperatures and (b) easy to pour from, such as a Pyrex glass measuring cup. Let the water sit in there for about two or three minutes, then pour it into your teapot or teacup.

Or, you can simply pour water into your teapot or teacup first — before you put the leaves in — wait five or six minutes, and then put the leaves in.

As for the second point — "Don't skimp on tea leaves" — I like to use about two heaping teaspoons of green tea leaves when brewing by the cup with an over-the-cup permanent tea filter like this one. For a largish teapot, I would use at least three heaping teaspoons.

That may sound like a lot, but here's another secret: Good green tea can be steeped at least three times. Whereas a low-quality tea will have lost most of its flavor and aroma after the first steeping, a high-quality tea is made from tea leaves that have been pampered in the field and carefully processed after harvest, locking in not only the healthy antioxidants but also the many compounds that contribute to flavor and aroma.

For the first steeping, let your tea leaves brew for about three minutes, then remove them from the liquid infusion. For the second and third steepings, however, you only need to let the leaves brew for about one minute: Because the first steeping will have thoroughly opened up the leaves, they'll infuse much more quickly.

So there you have it. You now know two important tea-brewing secrets that many beginners do not. You are well on your way to becoming a Green Tea Master.