Green Tea Forum

jan · Guest

hello

first time reading about green tea and I am very interested. I currently drink 2 cups of coffee a day and lots of water. I think I am willing to change my coffee habit to a green tea habit. But I have not even tasted green tea and I love coffee. So enough of my babble Embarassed

Heres my question why do we have to use a special tea pot why not a small english tea pot and use a strainer whilst pouring the tea.

thank you Confused

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Chip · Posted: Apr 30, 2006 1:07 pm Post subject:

Jan, there are almost as many ways to brew tea as there are teas...everyone seems develope their own personal "tea ceremony" that can be varied depending on the type of tea being brewed. Most people also believe their way is not only the best way but the only way...a source of much animated debate!!!

You most certainly can use an english teapot with a strainer while pouring it. Use that for now if that is what you have. Investigate options and modify your ceremony as YOU see fit.

The hand held strainer will become difficult with looseleaf tea that can be used more than once (almost all can). Infusers that fit in the teapot or are part of the teapot are the best choices and alot of pots have strainers built in.

I personally use the one handled Japanese style that you will find on this sight...but not always. It is my first choice and I use it everyday.
You can also just use an infuser in a teacup which is super simple.

Since you did not ask about tea itself...I guess that you're ok there. If not, there is a ton of info in this forum...or just ask...or check your supplier of tea. O-cha has the best japanese green teas and a few other teas. You will have to look elsewhwere for blacks and oolongs, etc. You can also ask here, since many of us drink more than green tea, myself included.

Enjoy...tea drinking is quite different than coffee drinking in every respect.
You just don't drink tea, you experience tea.

Ryan · Sensei Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 475

'You don't just drink tea, you experience tea"

Very nice Chip.... I like that!

By the way, the way I brew tea is the ONLY way - no ifs ands or buts about it.

jan · Guest

Hi Chip

Thanks so much for your much valued info. Actually I dont know much about green tea. I think I have one way to brew a nice cuppa "down pat". After reading an post by Ryan some time back the process finally clicked in.

Lets say I purchased some sencha fairly medium grade. How many times can I use the tea leaves? Do I leave them in the pot so they will not dry out until I want to make more tea? How long could I leave it until I rebrew them? Chip would you say sencha would be a good choice for a new palate.

Is there a limit on how much tea to consume in one day? For a newbe.

Questions questions.

thanks so much for your input and time

jan Very Happy

Ryan · Sensei Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 475

The amount of times you can use the tea leaves often depends on how much leaf you use. My personal practice is brewing 2.5 grams of leaf per 4 ounces of water and I always get 3 very nice steeps this way. Of course, the amount of leaf one uses is also a result of ones personal palate.

So, depending on the sencha, I think you should always get at least 2 brews. You may want to try the daily sencha o-cha.com offers.

Yes, you leave the leaf in the pot. There is some disagreement regarding how long one can go between steeps... I think even if it takes 2 to 3 hours to finish all three brews it should be fine although I personally usually finish all three steeps with in 20 to 40 minutes. Though I only make 4 ounces at a time. So if it was 8 ounces at a time which is probably more common maybe it would take me longer - perhaps an hour.

I think sencha has a wonderful clean flavor and so I see it as being very good for a new palate.

I don't think so.... Drink tea whenever you feel like it. No rules... When your thristy for tea then that is a good time to make it.

Chip · Posted: May 01, 2006 5:41 am Post subject:

Jan, Ryan's way IS the only way... Laughing

Seriously though, I think he answers most of your questions pretty well.

You can drink as much tea as you want as long as you are not too sensitive to caffeine or have some kind of reaction. One cool thing about reusing your leaves for multible infusions, caffeine is very water soluble and is purported to leach out pretty much within the first minute (about 80-90%), so successive infusions are pretty low in caffeine. I save most of my 2nd, 3rd,etc. infusions for the evening/nite so I am not consuming too much caffeine before going to bed.

However, I agree with Ryan that you should use up all of your infusions of senchas within as little time as possible. The flavor seems to fade quicker with Japanese greens...possibly due to the finer tea particles compared to most Chinese greens, oolongs, blacks, and whites...or most teas from other countries.

Some people drink nothing but Japanese green teas, but then again others drink nothing but black teas...which Japan does not even produce. Each person develops his/her own tea preferences/routines. I start every day with a black tea, then an oolong, and then greens the rest of the day. It all comes down to personal taste. I like a lot of variety. But remember that blacks are brewed quite differently than greens. Japanese greens are brewed quite differently than chinese greens. If you are like me, you will continue to learn for as long as you drink tea, but that is a fun part of drinking tea.

Since you do seem to have an open mind...try to steer away from flavored teas, there are a lot of them out there. Here is another quote for you , Ryan, "flavoring/sweetening covers up a multitude of really bad, cheap tea!!!" A lot of Americans start with flavored, sweetened tea...in tea bags, mainly because mainstream American tea companies are telling them what to drink. Try pure unudulterated quality tea now and beat the learning curve that a lot of us experience the hard way.

I hope this helps... Confused

If possible use bottled or filtered water. Municipal water can taint the flavor of finer teas.

Chip · Posted: May 01, 2006 6:08 am Post subject:

...but quality, fresh Japanese green tea freakin' rocks...there is nothing else like it...definately try one of O-chas. The S200 or the Everyday Sencha are 2 good choices to start out. Matcha, by the way, is also great for cooking...

MTHall49 · Uh, Can I Add Sugar? Joined: 06 Aug 2006 Posts: 17

Kevangogh · Forum God Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 926 Location: Japan

We carry the teaspoons: Green Tea Teapoon TS-100. The amount used is not so critical as the brewing temperature.

def66 · White Belt Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 34