Jun 2, 2008

How to serve green tea vol. 1 Basic

Imari Green tea cup



Do you want to serve good flavored tea?
If you know some rules, you can serve it like a tea master.

I will present the basics of serving tea.
This rule applies to serving all kinds of Japanese green tea.


1. Know what kind of green tea you will be serving
There are different ways to serve each kind of green tea.

2. Use soft water or distilled water for making the green tea
Tap water contains chlorine, calcium and magnesium. These chemicals have a bad affect on the taste of the tea. Mineral water can be hard or soft. Hard water is rich in calcium and magnesium. Soft mineral water is preferable.

3. Boil water
Boil water for 2-5 minutes to eliminate carbonates.

4. Follow the particular process for the tea you serving
Each tea has a proper way to serve it - water temperature, tea/water ratio and soaking time. It is important to follow the process.

5. Cycle pouring (for three cups)
Pouring a full cup directly from the teapot does not provide the best taste. The top is weak and the bottom is strong. Fill each cup 1/3 of the way then repeat the process until all three cups are full. When filling the three cups, change the pouring order from 1, 2, 3, to 3, 2, 1. All three cups will have the same quality.

6. Pour until the last drop
The last drop has a very rich taste and fragrance. Don’t miss it.
Also, Japanese enjoy having a second cup from the same tea leaves. The second round is called “Nibancha”. Nibancha has a mild and light flavor. It is still fun! If some water is left in the teapot, and tea ingredients get mixed into the water, it will not make good Nibancha.


5 comments:

akibamart said...

I recommend soft water for preparing Japanese tea too !

I made the list of soft waters of the world.

I hope this list can help you select the water for preparing Japanese tea.

Anonymous said...

Sehr interessant!

aplusa.org.uk homework services said...

White and green tea are special teas that are usually enjoyed on their own, without milk or sugar

Roberta Clark said...

Sehr interessant!

Felderqmwu said...

Sehr interessant!