Japan has a long history of growing many types of green tea. These Japanese green teas, just like all green tea, contain beneficial amounts of antioxidants that may help improve your health. Many believe the antioxidants work toward preventing many types of cancer, as well as helping to control blood sugars and blood cholesterol, explains MayoClinic.com. Green tea differs from black tea and other types of teas in that the processing does not require fermentation of the leaves. Knowing how to brew Japanese green tea properly will help you bring out the flavor in this healthy beverage.
Tea Bags
Step 1
Heat fresh water in a tea kettle or sauce pan, but avoid using distilled water since this takes out essential minerals in the water. The minerals in fresh water work to bring out the flavor of the tea, explains The World's Healthiest Foods. You should allow the water to boil, but then remove from heat and allow the temperature to cool down. Boiling water will damage the tea and, as a result, the flavor. Ideally, your green tea will require water around 80 to 85 degrees F.
Step 2
Place a tea bag into a small teapot, and fill it with water of the proper temperature.
Step 3
Steep the tea bag. Different types of Japanese green tea may require more or less steeping time. For many green teas, one minute will typically work well. Other teas, such as green Darjeeling may take four or five minutes to steep for optimum flavor. You may wish to steep tea for longer or shorter periods of time, depending on your personal taste.
Step 4
Add sweetener or cream as needed.
Loose Tea
Step 1
Measure loose leaf tea, and place it in a small teapot. For many teas, use 3 grams tea for every 5 oz. water, says The World's Healthiest Foods. If you do not have a scale for measuring grams, simply use 1 tsp., rounded, to measure roughly 1g tea.
Step 2
Heat water until it reaches 80 to 85 degrees F.
Step 3
Steep tea for the desired length of time. Steeping longer will create a stronger, intense flavor in many green teas.
Step 4
Add sweeteners and cream to your preference.
Tips and Warnings
- You may choose to brew tea in a mug. Steep a tea bag for a slightly shorter duration to reduce intensity of the flavor, or, if using loose leaf tea, add slightly less tea to the mug, depending on taste.
Things You'll Need
- Tea kettle
- Sauce pan
- Japanese green tea
- Teapot
- Mug
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