How to prepare Sayama Green tea?
How to make and drink delicious Sayama-tea?
We often hear people say, ”We just put green tea leaves and hot water. Then we can drink it. Right?”
Green tea is quite familiar to Japanese people, but the fact is that surprisingly a small number of people know how to brew and drink delicious green tea.
Of course, if you have little time or you do not seek that much, just pouring hot water is good enough. However, each variety of tea leaves has its own characteristics.
If possible, please keep in mind the proper temperature and length of infusing time to draw out their characteristics, then you can make the most of the potential of the tea leaves. The resulting taste will be amazingly different.
Please give it a try.
The appropriate water temperature is 70-85℃.
The key point is to cool the hot water a little.
Strictly speaking, the proper water temperature and infusing time differ according to the kind of tea leaves, which we will explain later.
Here we will explain the basics on how to brew high-grade sencha in general.
In order to prepare delicious tea for two people, cool boiling water(120-150ml) down to 70-85℃.
You can cool the hot water by leaving it in cups such as teacups, or in a special bowl called yuzamashi, which is exclusively used for cooling water.
Next, put tea leaves (4-5g: 2 teaspoons) into a kyusu teapot and add hot water(120-150ml) that is cooled down to 70-85℃. Wait for 30-60 seconds to infuse.
Then, pour the tea into each cup in order. By pouring like this, brewed tea is served evenly and in the same thickness.
You will find the taste quite different from the tea you made without attention.
Key point is to use cooled hot water and to take a long time.
Water temperature is the most important in preparing delicious tea.
If you pour too hot water, you cannot draw out the primary taste of the tea.
The hotter the water temperature is, the more catechin and tannin are extracted, which make the tea astringent and bitter.
I often heard, ”I don’t like the astringency of tea.”
In many cases, such tea was made by pouring too hot water.
If you make tea with a little cool hot water, taking a long infusing time, theanine is extracted.
It brings sweetness and umami.
The tea will be quite delicious and have a relaxing effect.
Please enjoy the waiting time, feeling the aroma of green tea.
It is a luxurious time before a delicious cup of tea.
Appropriate temperature of water and infusing time of each Sayama-tea are as follows.
The appropriate water temperature and infusing time are a little different depending on the kind of tea leaves.
Referring to the information below, please search for your favorite temperature and time.
