How to Enjoy Green Tea

Green tea is not just a hot, green drink; it offers much more. Each cup is filled with antioxidants that can help prevent heart problems, improve brain function, and reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. However, it is crucial to consume green tea properly to fully benefit from this healthy green beverage.

Hold the tea cup with your right hand while using your left hand to lift it from the bottom. The tea cup, known as 'yunomi' in Japanese, should be lifted with both hands. In Japan, using both hands is considered a respectful gesture.

Drink tea calmly, avoiding slurping or making any noise. Do not blow on the tea to cool it down. Instead, place the cup on the table and let the tea cool naturally.

Enjoy your tea according to your preferences and taste. Ultimately, the taste of the tea should be delightful and appealing, whether you prefer it more bitter, smoother, sweeter, or milder. Finding a cup of tea that suits your taste is crucial.

Pair green tea with light snacks that won't overpower its flavor. Suitable snacks include butter cookies, sponge cake, or small rice cakes.

Opt for sweet snacks if your brewed tea is too salty. Green tea pairs well with sweet foods because its bitterness complements the sweetness of the food, balancing the flavor.

Try pairing tea with mochi. Mochi refers to a type of Japanese rice cake, typically round in shape and available in a variety of colors.

• Mochi comes in two distinct flavors: sweet and savory. The sweet version is known as Daifuku, a round rice cake filled with sweet ingredients such as red beans or white bean powder.

Properly brew green tea. Boil water until it's just about to reach a boil, then remove from heat and wait for about 30 to 60 seconds before using, allowing the water to cool slightly.

• The key to making a good cup of green tea lies in the water's temperature and quality.

Rinse the teapot thoroughly, especially if it's made of ceramic, using hot water. This step, called pre-warming the teapot, ensures the tea doesn't cool too quickly, as a heated teapot helps retain the temperature during brewing.

Place the tea leaves into the pre-warmed teapot. If possible, opt for loose tea leaves for a better brew, rather than using tea bags.

• The standard brewing method is to add one teaspoon (approximately 3 grams) of tea leaves for every 30 ml of water. When brewing for yourself, just one teaspoon will suffice. Adjust the amount depending on the number of servings you're preparing.

Pour the hot water over the tea leaves, fully immersing them in the teapot. The steeping time depends on the type of green tea you're using. Generally, you should steep the tea for 1 to 3 minutes.

• Once the tea has steeped enough, remove the tea leaves.
• Steeping green tea for too long can make it bitter, disrupting the balance of flavors. So, over-steeping is not a good idea.
• If the tea tastes too weak, add a few more leaves or steep it a bit longer.

Use ceramic tea cups. Traditional Japanese green tea is served in small ceramic cups with white interiors, allowing you to clearly see the tea's color. The use of ceramic cups is essential because both the teapot and cup can affect the tea's flavor.

• The traditional way to serve tea in Japan involves placing the teapot, cooling pot, tea cups, saucers, and a napkin on a tray.
• The size of these cups is also important, as the smaller the cup, the higher the quality of tea served.

Pour the tea into the cups three times. The first pour will have a lighter flavor compared to the last one. To ensure the tea tastes the same in each cup, pour about one-third of the total amount of tea into each cup on the first pour. Then, return and pour the next two-thirds into each cup, and finally top each cup off evenly. This method is called the "rotational pour."

• Never fill someone's cup all the way to the brim, as this is considered impolite. It’s best to fill the cup to about 70%.

Avoid adding sugar, milk, or any other additives to your tea. Green tea has a strong flavor, and when brewed properly, it is delicious on its own.

• If you're used to drinking sweet and strong tea, the pure flavor of green tea might be a bit challenging at first, but try a few cups before making any judgments.

Reuse your tea leaves. You can steep your tea leaves up to three times. To do this, simply pour hot water over the leaves in the teapot and steep them for the same amount of time each time.