5th Story - Serving Tea

 Guidance
1st Story : Let’s go to Maikonocha
2nd Story :Tea Picking
3rd Story :Tea Processing
4th Story :Tea Varieties
5th Story :Serving Tea
6th Story :Tea and Health

About Serving Tea

Necessary things for preparing Tea!
There are five essential things for preparing tea:

1.Cha-ki (Tea Utensils)
To brew Gyokuro and Sencha, a kyu-su (Japanese tea pot) and teacups are necessary. Matcha requires a special matcha-wan (bowl) and chasen (bamboo whisk) and cha-shaku (bamboo spoon).
For preparing tea properly, cha-ki, or special tea utensils, are necessary.

2. Tea leaves
Naturally, tea leaves play an important part – take care in choosing appropriate leaves as it will decide the quality of the flavor.
At MaikoTea, you can sample different kinds of tea. We provide you, with confidence, various types of tea according to specified prices and grades. Let us serve you with the best Japanese green tea of superior quality!

3. Water
Water is a vital element for preparing tea. Boil soft water for best results.

4. The Details
To bring out the best tea flavor possible, the proper amount of water at the right temperature must be used.

5. The Mind
Perhaps the most important is the state of heart when preparing tea. There is great significance in the communication of the minds of host and guests enjoying tea time together.

The Art of Brewing Tea

Adjust the temperature and amount of water, and brew time according to the type of tea and the number of people you are preparing tea for.

Standard table for Serving Tea (First Infusion)

 
High quality Gyokuro
Average quality Gyokuro
High quality Sencha and Karigane (Kukicha)
Average quality Sencha and Karigane (Kukicha)
Houjicha and Genmaicha
number of people
3
3
3
5
5
amount of tea
10 g
2 table spoons
10 g
2 table spoons
6 g
2 table spoons
10 g
2 table spoons
15 g
3 table spoons
temperature of water
50° C
60° C
70° C
90° C
boiling water
amount of water
60 ml
60 ml
170 ml
430 ml
650 ml
steeping time
150 seconds
120 seconds
120 seconds
60 seconds
30 seconds

This table only represents the general measurements. Of coure, it is adjustable to fit your personal taste. Please continue to ‘experiment’ in order to find the taste that is most fitting to your own preference.

After the first infusion, use higher temperature water and shorten the brewing time as the tea leaves have already begun to open.

Relation between water temperature and resulting tea taste

Higher temperature = increased aroma
Higher temperature = increased astringency
Any temperature =”sweetness”
*Note: when using lower temperature water, more brew time is required. Tea always posseses a certain basic sweetness. However, when brewed with higher temperature water the extracted astringency might override this natural sweet taste.

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