03.19.07
making great green tea
posted by Susan McKeen | 12 comments
Green Tea continues to be the focus of media reports about its myriad benefits ranging from anti-cavity and anti-cancer to weight reduction and lower cholesterol. Consumers get excited about drinking it and most will sample at least one cup of green tea. Unfortunately, many find the flavor extremely distasteful. For some, it is truly a case of not liking green tea. However, many others have been subjected to a poorly made cup of stale green leaves that did nothing to display the true character of green tea.
A perfect cup of green tea starts with high-quality tea. The selection in Asian 
specialty stores, tearooms and on the internet is mind-boggling. If this is your first foray into green teas, start with an ounce or two of fresh green tea from a local teashop or international farmer's market. Newcomers to green tea find Jasmine Green and Moroccan Mint pleasing. For a more seasoned tea drinker, try Lung Ching (Dragonwell) or Genmaicha.
No matter which green varietals you choose, the best way to test for freshness is to gently crush a pinch of tea in the palm of your hand and breathe in the aroma that is released. If the odor is faint or non-existent, the tea is most likely not fresh enough. Discard it. Another test for freshness is the color of the steeped tea. Dark gold or orange liquor is often an indication of low quality or old tea.
After selecting a fresh green tea, the second most important component is water. Quality and purity are essential. Tap water may be acceptable in some areas but often the chemicals added by water treatment facilities obscure the delicate taste of green teas. Use filtered or spring water whenever possible.
The most common mistake made while steeping is using water that is exceedingly hot. While black teas steep well in water at 200 °F or higher, greens are scorched at these temperatures and yield a bitter beverage. For best results use water no hotter than 175 °F. Some teas reach the peak of their taste at temperatures as low as 145 °F. Experiment to see what suits your palate.
Steeping time for green teas ranges from one to three minutes. Three minutes is typical. Let your palate be your guide while you experiment with various infusion times. Good quality loose-leaf green tea can be re-infused three or more times.
March 19th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Great writeup for layman. Most of the reason for initial rejection by coffee converters has been covered.
Keep it up Susan.
March 19th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Water ‘heaters’ in shops can only start as low as 180. Our solution is to let the water sit 30 seconds or so before infusing. We steep/brew for 2.5 minutes.
Great topic, Susan. What do you suggest for white teas in terms of temp and time?
I want to scream when I see bottled teas of any kind, especially green and white that are so touted for health benefits, when nutrients have been long dead in these bottles.
March 19th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
I should say many water heaters..I know that’s the case with the new Fetcos we have on order.
March 19th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
If you can be patient for a little while longer, we’re beginning the manufacturing process for a tea vessel that will solve this problem. We’re very excited about this new product as we believe it will change how people make tea. We’ll keep you posted as it gets closer to being available.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:01 am
Yes, it is a challenge to get electric water heaters which will heat to optimum temps for green tea.
A rule of thumb is: a cold teapot (ie: not pre-warmed with hot water) will reduce water temp by up to 25 Degrees. I use a cold teapot + the 185-190 degree water from my electric water heater = water just right for my Lung Ching green tea. It seems to work every time.
March 20th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
If I happen to be paying more attention, I’d switch off the electric kettle when steam has formed but the water has not yet boiled to a point of rolling. Then ditto to Susan’s technique. Part of the fun is to practise not using any thermometer.
March 21st, 2007 at 8:55 am
I heartily agree with Phyll’s comment, “Part of the fun is to practice not using any thermometer.” It makes each cup of tea unique.
Tea is both science and art. Science in the sense that specific components are needed in quantity and quality - tea, water, time. Art in the sense that preparation methods are varied - gonfu, chanoyu, Senegalese, bubble, et cetera - and there is no fixed water temperature or quantity of leaf that is “right.” Tea drinkers are free to create their own tea experiences!
March 21st, 2007 at 10:32 am
Yes, in the ideal situation I believe in order to fully participate in the art of tea we should all learn how to identify the right temperature from shrimp eyes, string of pearls, dragon eyes etc., and as Michelle and I have done, even from the sound of the water dancing in the pot. Unfortunately, we realized early on that most people are not going to take the time to do that and in order to get them to drink more tea, people would need greater simplicity and rapidity. That is precisely why Michelle and I have developed a new, innovative and quite beautiful small appliance to make it easier for the general public to drink more tea. The manufacturing process should be completed by June. We will announce it’s arrival here, as soon as it is completed.
Maybe, once we get people drinking more tea regularly through the use of modern technology, they will eventually see how much more the full experience of tea can bring to their lives. At that point they may make the shift to wanting to take more time to be in the present and create the full sensory experience of making tea.
March 21st, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Simplicity is what Tching is.
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:02 am
We have designed our own tea brewing system for our store but we still use the Fetcos and adjust accordingly. We worked on it for over two years and it just works beautifully. I’ve worked so much with tea and foods the last few years I can literally ‘feel’ ounces…but we are also interested in selling unique tea accessories, so would be interested when you have the appliance for the public ready.
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Another easy way to lower the temperature, which I learned while living in Japan, is to pour boiling water into your tea cup. Let the water sit for a moment to both warm the cup and lower the water temperature. Then you can pour that water from the cup into the pot and over the leaves. It’s easy and it works. Too high a temperature has much worse results than too low a temperature. Besides, if the tea’s too weak, you can always pour it through the leaves again. Which, although it doesn’t make the best cup of tea, is much better than drinking scorched tea.
March 30th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
I agree Maura on the temp thing. Something I’m starting to do now is brewing with less water at the low temp and then adding the hotter water to fill the cup after it’s brewed; you don’t get the bitterness but you get a nice hot cup of tea.