Brewing Japanese Tea

Brewing a good cup of Japanese tea requires attention and a little bit of basic knowledge to bring out the best flavors and not a bitter cup. There are no other teas that can be steeped in as many ways as Japanese teas, and there are four important factors that will affect the taste: the amount of tea leaves, the amount of water, the water temperature and the steeping time. You can brew several times on the same leaves, adjusting the water temperature and brewing time. After the first brew the tea leaves have opened, and you can in most cases pour the tea immediately.

Having a good Japanese teapot will heighten your tea experience. Not only does it make brewing easier and make the tea taste better, Japanese tea ware, refined by a long history and culture, will also add texture and beauty to your tea moment.

There is no correct way to brew a Japanese tea. For each tea in the shop, I have written a recommendation for brewing. The instructions that I personally believe bring out the best in the specific tea. However, it is much more fun to know the basics and experiment on your own – to find your personal favorite brew.

Below a few general tips to get you started.



How to Brew

  • Sencha is best brewed in a small, preheated teapot. You can brew several times on the same leaves, adjusting the water temperature and brewing time. Below a suggestion for brewing this tea, but please experiment and find your own favorite cup.

    Use 6-8g for 200 ml water

    1. brew: water 70-80°C / 60 sec.
    2. brew: water 85°C / pour immediately
    3. brew: water 90°C / pour immediately

    Enjoy!

    Tip: Using higher temperature water will bring out more astringency and lower temperatures will bring out more sweetness in your Sencha. Never go above 80° for the first brew, but play around with lower temperatures to find your preferred balance.

  • 1. Bring 60 ml of water to a full boil and then pour into a small jug to cool

    2. Add about 6g of gyokuro tea leaves to your tea pot

    3. Once the water cools to around 50°C, pour it over the gyokuro leaves

    4. Allow the tea to steep for around 2 minutes then pour into your cup.

    Enjoy!

  • 1. Bring 200 ml of water to a full boil

    2. Add about 4g of hōjicha tea to your tea pot

    3. Pour the boiling water over the hojicha tea

    4. Allow the tea to steep for around 30 seconds then pour into your cup.

    Enjoy!

  • 1. Bring 100 ml of water to a full boil

    2. Pour hot water in to your chawan (matcha bowl) and soak your chasen (bamboo whisk)

    3. Dry of your chawan

    4. Add about 2g of sifted matcha powder to your chawan

    5. Once the water cools to around 80°C, pour it over the matcha powder.

    6. Using your wrist whisk the tea to produce a fine froth.

    Enjoy!

  • 8-10g of Sencha or Hojicha Tea
    1 liter water (preferably filtered)
    Add the tea to the bottle and add the water.
    Leave to steep in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours / over night.
    Turn upside down and let the tea leaves fall to the bottom.
    Enjoy!