Green tea has been used as a healing and refreshing drink for centuries. Known for its various health properties, it is also considered an important nutritional element to protect against cancer.
Making green tea is simple and you don't even have to worry about milk, lemon or sugar as it should be enjoyed on its own and without being adulterated. The only thing you may need to take into account is the amount of caffeine it contains, something you can learn about by reading How to Minimize the Caffeine Content in Green Tea. In this article, you will learn how to choose your green tea and how to prepare it with a ball infuser, in a teapot, or with sachets.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Choose Green Tea
Step 1. Decide which one you want to try
It is not as simple as preparing it as there are many varieties! You will also have to decide between loose leaves and sachets; as much as the sachets are very affordable and there is nothing wrong with using them for the taste and strength of the drink, the loose leaves make the experience more authentic and full-bodied. Here are some types of tea to consider:
- Gunpowder - the Chinese also call it "Pearl Tea". It is a tea with a similar appearance to small specks of gunpowder. When water is added they expand. It is the tea that stays fresh the longest.
- Hyson - It has a very pungent taste and thick yellow leaves, twisted into thin, long filaments.
- Longjin Tea - Very popular variety in China. It has a sweet taste and a light green color. The leaves open to reveal a small sprout when water is added.
- Agarwood - Green tea with a traditionally mild taste. Make sure you use whole leaves as tea made from wood is illegal.
- Pi Lo Chun - From Chinese "Spring Green Snail". A rare tea, whose rolled green leaves look like little snails. As this tea is grown in the middle of orchards, it tends to have the flavor of peaches, plums and apricots in its leaves.
- Matcha tea - It is a tea obtained by beating the leaves which are reduced to powder. When water is added, it turns bright green.
- Gu Zhang Mao Jian - This tea is made from young, silver-tipped leaves that are only harvested within 10 days in spring. Darker than other teas, it has a sweet and velvety flavor.
- Sencha - This is a very common Japanese green tea. Jewel green matcha is a great choice for those who find other green teas too "grassy" in flavor.
- Gen Mai Cha (genmaicha) - These are sencha leaves mixed with rice toasted on the fire. It is tasty and full-bodied. Of Japanese origin.
- Gyokuro - Japanese green tea with pineapple-like leaves and a velvety, sweet flavor. The tea is green in color.
- Hojicha - A tea with wide, open leaves. It tastes like nuts.
Step 2. Buy tea in dark, sealed containers to prevent them from losing quality:
aromatic oils evaporate if the tea is not kept tightly closed. Buy only small quantities and keep it in a cool place. Green tea is no longer good after six months.
Step 3. Consider having a separate teapot for your green tea
It is not necessary but it is a common practice for many tea enthusiasts who enjoy it regularly: it avoids the flavors of black tea or herbal teas from mixing. If you don't care (you might not even notice the difference), be sure to wash your teapot carefully.
Green tea should only be decanted in ceramic, clay, glass or stainless steel. Do not use plastic or aluminum teapots
Method 2 of 4: Decant the tea using a ball infuser
Step 1. Add the leaves to the infusion ball (one spoonful)
The ball infuser can be put directly into the teapot if that's easier. Just make sure your infuser has the capacity for the cups of tea you want to brew.
Step 2. Place the ball in the cup with the freshly boiled water
The water must be at the "first boil" (see the instructions for boiling under the heading "Decanting the green tea leaves in the teapot"). The water should also rest for a moment as the ideal temperature for green tea is 80 ° C.
Step 3. Place a lid or saucer on top of the cup (unless using a sphere with a lid or basket infuser)
Let the tea settle for a few minutes (3-5 minutes is usually enough, unless the instructions on the package are different).
Step 4. Remove the sphere
Step 5. Serve
Enjoy tea with some matcha and chocolate cake.
Method 3 of 4: Decant the green tea leaves in the teapot or kettle
Step 1. Preheat a teapot or kettle. Discard the heating water before adding the brew water.
Step 2. Bring the water to the first boil
The water should start boiling but not intensely. The temperature should be 71ºC. If the water gets too hot, the flavor of Chinese green tea will be more bitter than usual; better a longer settling period at a lower temperature.
Step 3. Put one tablespoon of tea leaves or the contents of one sachet per cup into the teapot
Step 4. Pour the water
Leave to infuse for 3-5 minutes. Three minutes will give a light flavor, five a robust and full-bodied one. The longer the tea is steeped, the stronger the taste will be so you may have to experiment a bit to figure out which flavor you prefer.
- For a very intense tea, such as "gunpowder" qualities, the brewing time should be about 10 seconds. You can reuse the leaves several times, always leaving them a little longer. Better to let the leaves rest for a few minutes after the first two infusions so as not to "burn" them.
- Always check the weather and taste the tea instead of just relying on color variations. Some green teas turn dark quickly but are not ready, while some remain light in a short time.
Step 5. Pour into a colander (to stop the leaves from being swallowed) over the cups or into glasses
Now the tea is ready.
Connoisseurs of Chinese green tea use special glasses to enhance this experience. They are smaller in diameter but taller, to get the scent to the nostrils while drinking
Method 4 of 4: Using the Sachets
Step 1. Take the sachet
Step 2. Boil the water and pour it into a cup
Or boil a cup of water in the microwave. It should be at the "first boil" (see the instructions for boiling under "Decanting the green tea leaves in the teapot").
Step 3. Add the sachet to the cup of boiling water
Step 4. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes
Step 5. Remove the sachet
Or, if you prefer, you can leave it in the cup before drinking. The choice is yours.
Step 6. Serve
Green tea is usually not sweetened, but you can add sugar or honey to your liking if you prefer. Your green tea is ready.
Advice
- Throw away any leaves used in the garden as mulch.
- If you want to try sachets, look for a box with multiple varieties so you can try several, including scented green teas. This way you can decide which one you like best.
- Note that the basket infuser may be a better choice than the ball or spoon infuser because it allows for greater expansion of the leaves and therefore a more complete infusion.
- Green tea has been found to improve the immune system, prevent cancer and lower cholesterol.
Warnings
- Green tea and milk are new, probably the result of using powdered macha tea and Chai milk. While many tea newbies may enjoy it this way, it is not the traditional way to enjoy green tea. If you like it, do it but if it's for others, remember: no milk!
- Avoid using a perforated spoon - the handle prevents proper infusion and flavor acquisition.
