Lean How to Brew Japanese Green Tea
There are basically two different ways to make Japanese green tea. The first way is the traditional way; there are many variations on how to do this – most people consider this method overly time consuming and difficult. Outside of a traditional Chinese or Japanese tea house, you probably won’t encounter this way of brewing green tea.

The second way to brew Japanese green tea is the practical way. Though some Japanese businesses and homes still use the traditional way of brewing tea when serving guest, most people opt to use the practical way to save time and for convenience. Now I want to be clear here, you can’t brew Japanese tea like you might use something like One Cup Coffee Makers to brew instant coffee. Tea is an art and takes time. It’s not meant to be rushed.

When you make Japanese tea, there are two essential things you need to consider. During the tea brewing process, the leaves are first steamed and not heat treated. The end result of this method is that Japanese tea can be brewed for maximum flavor utilizing a much lower water temperature, while still requiring less time than other teas. After the steaming process, it’s fairly easy to brew the tea. Follow the brief guide below:

The Quality of the Water
It’s very important to have good tasting water. Water that contains heavy metallic content will effect the overall taste of the green tea. Make sure to use filtered or bottled water for the best tasting tea possible.

Heating Up the Water
Only head as much water as needed for the amount of tea you will drink. A good deal of tea purists will state that you should always bring the water to a boil. However, the difference is, in actuality, negligible. Perhaps the tea pundits can taste the difference but the ordinary person will not. You can opt to use either a kettle or a microwave oven. These days, many Japanese homes use electronic water dispensers which keep water at a constant temperature.

How Much Japanese Green Tea Do You Need?
You only need about 1 teaspoon per each person (or cup of tea). However, this is only a rule of thumb. You may like the tea stronger or weaker. Once you begin to brew tea on a regular basis, you will naturally gravitate to a tea strength that suits your individual tastes, and you won’t need to measure out exactly how much tea to use.

The Japanese Teapot
If you use a teal ball, you can get still get good tasting Japanese green tea. However, a tea ball is usually too small to allow proper expansion of the tea leaves during the infusion process. Instead, opt for a teapot that has a removable metal basket in which you can place the green tea leaves. You can also opt for the Kyusu teapot which contains a metal strainer that covers the inside of the teaspout and acts as a filter. This is by far the most convenient teapot for brewing tea. You may also find a medley of new tea pot designs; all are generally effective.
Water Temperature During Infusion Process

The temperature of the infusion process will vary, depending on what kind of Japanese tea you have. Once the water reaches the boiling point, let it cool down or add a bit of colder water to help bring the temperature down a bit. You can use a thermometer for a more accurate water temperature measurement. Having the “exact” temperature is not a necessity and as you become a more experienced tea brewer, you will get a feeling for when the tea is properly infused.

Tea Infusion Time
The time required varies depending on the kind of tea. When infusing, make sure you don’t shake or swirl the teapot to help speed up the infusion process. The will ruin the taste. Once the tea is infused, pour the brew into a cup.

Here is a temperature and time chart for the different kinds of Japanese tea:

Sencha: 80C/180F – 1 to 2 minutes
Premium Sencha: 80C/180F – 1 to 2 minutes
Gyokuru: 60C/140F – 3 minutes
Genmaicha: 80C/180F – 1 minute
Genmai Matcha: 80C/180F – 1 minute
Houjich: 90C/194F – 30 to 60 seconds

Some Important Notes
When you taste Japanese green tea, it will not be bitter like Chinese tea. If you desire a more astringent taste, simply add more tea leaves to the brewing process, increase the temperature, and increase the tea brewing time. If you want a less astringent tea taste, simply reduce the factors mentioned. When infusing tea, you can do so up to 3 times. Use the same temperature but add to the brewing time with each successive brew. If you want to reduce the caffeine, simply discard the first infusion’s liquid.

Knowing how to make tea the right way is very important to the overall tea flavor. The tea brewing process is not exactly simple, but it’s not difficult either. Simply follow the above guide and you’ll soon be making Japanese tea like a master.