How To Brew Longjing Tea

by Huai
(Singapore)

I've been going through your website but couldn't find a section on "how to brew tea". I've only used teabags, never loose leaves, so please enlighten.

As a sidenote, there is this elaborate, ceremony-like method of brewing tea in those upmarket tea houses, including pouring hot water over the zhi sha teapot first, pouring the infused tea into a tall cylinder-like cup, then pouring into the actual drinking cup etc. Is that simply for show or it helps to bring out the tea flavor?

Brewing Dragon Well Green Tea

by Marylyn

I was given a present of West Lake Dragonwell tea. How should I brew it to maximize its best qualities?

Please address:

1) water type,
2) water temperature,
3) brewing vessel,
4) use of lid--yes or no,
5) brewing time--1st and subsequent steeps,
6) anything else...

Answer:

Green tea is relatively easy to brew. Here are some general guidelines:

Amount of leaves

Standard recommendation is 3 grams of leaves in 8 ounce of water (about 225 millimetres) in a glass, infused over 3 times.

For my friend HQ's Dragon Well tea, 1 gram is about 60 tea shoots.

Choice of water

For water, it depends on where you live. Here are some ideas:

Tap water: Fine if it is not hard or too chlorinated. If chlorinated, leave overnight.

Distilled water: Can make the tea tastes flat if it does not contain any minerals.

Mineral water: Mustn't be too hard or devoid of minerals. Ideally between 10 to 100 milligrams per litre.

Choice of vessel

To be honest, any cup would do, although personally I prefer a clear glass (6 to 8 ounce) for Dragon Well green tea because you can admire the leaves standing up and dancing about.

This is the method commonly used in China.

Western tea experts like to use a gaiwan (basically a small white porcelain bowl with a lid), which is acceptable too.

You can experiment with leaf first, water later, or surface dropping (water first, then leaf later) if you are using a gaiwan.
(Several of my customers report excellent results with this).

Use of lid?

If use a lid, steep for 2 to 3 minutes then decant.

If using the decant method, leave a bit of liquid (says 1/3) to seed the next infusion.

If not using a lid, brew longer (say 10 minutes) until the favours come out.

Other factors

Other consideration such as water temperature, number of steepings can be found in Dragon Well Green Tea

Number of infusions is very subjective. I brew 1 gram of leaves for 5 times in an 8 ounce cup, which probably is extreme.

Some of my customers brew 3 gram for 3 times in an 8 ounce cup.

This is because this tea can seem to be very mild, but once you get it, and especially you are trying a real West Lake (there are many fakes around), it is very "rich" and very refreshing and cleansing.

Any more question, ping them to the comment form below.

Hope it helps.

PS: the higher the leaf quality, the easier and more consistent the brew.

Tai Ping Hou Kui Tea - How To Brew?

by Ian
(Czech Republic)

I have just bought some Tai Ping Hou Kui (Monkey King) (as I first saw it translated) sold to me as Tai Ping Chou Gui, in the Czech Republic.

I didn't really know what I was doing and was strapped for time, but I just asked the English speaking tea house worker 'what is your freshest green tea?' He replied with a rendition of this tea and I have not been disappointed.

At first I brewed it at too low a temperature and suffered the consequences, it is far too robust for 70C. I bought a small amount given my inexperience but now wonder if I should have bought more.

The leaves are fairly long, maybe 4-5cm. The infusion is most certainly fragrant and I was told (now a week ago) that he received this tea one week previously. Now here are my questions:

How can I tell the grade of this tea, as I do not know when it was picked, despite its freshness? It is unlikely to be a fake, as the Good Tea House as they call themselves are a respected chain across the Cz. Rep., but this is all I have to go on.

How would you brew this tea? What do you look for in this tea that you don't expect to find in any other? I have found filtered tap water leaves it a little flat; Is it worth buying mineral water?

It does not really matter how good it is in comparison with others, as I enjoy it anyway, but I want to broaden my understanding with every new tea I drink.

Thanks,
Ian

Answer:

Ian, good to hear from you. I hope you are enjoying Czech Republic.

There are many different types of Taiping Houkui tea, and this tea is one of the three green teas which I have covered in some details to date. You can read it here:

Taiping Houkui tea - Big Is Sexy

Brewing is the same as any other green tea. I use a tall glass using boiling water, upon pouring probably cooling down to 80-85 degrees. There is no need to use mineral water but you can experiment.

Traditionally size is the determinant of grade, the bigger and stouter the better. But fake tea is rampant these days and it is getting harder to tell (these fake teas are made in factory, very symmetrical).

The better ones are seaweed and floral, and with Hu's tea (although his is not the highest grade), you can detect a nice perfume at the back of the mouth. Very long aftertaste. We Chinese call it the Hou Yun, or Monkey Rhyme.

It was my favourite last year. But this year I missed the boat because I was in India. I am giving out his wild cultivated tea for free this year, because although this tea should retail for $15, it is just not as good as his main crop. If you are interested let me know, you need to pay for the postage though ($6).

Anyway, I am glad you enjoy it. From this article you can catch a few glimpse of the characteristics of high grade.

Monkey Chief Tea - An Insider's Guide

Hope this is helpful.

Julian

PS: You are making so jeolous now. Oh I really miss this tea.

Brewing or Steeping Tea - Use Spring Water!

by Bob
(San Dimas, California)

I have been purchasing loose tea from Amazing Green Tea for 3 or 4 years now.

From the very beginning I have used only bottled spring water without added chemicals/disinfectants to brew all of the wonderful tea varieties I have purchased from Julian's company.

I almost never drink the water from taps unless in an area where it is well water with little processing and no additional chemicals.

Funny thing, I work with a Chinese man who also drinks tea from China and he has told me of the regions and tea gardens there which he has visited, but why he uses the tap water from work I don't know.

In fact, we are employed by the largest (or one of the largest) water agency in the US and we know of the disinfection and other water treatment chemicals used in processing the water.

Even Hydrofluorosilicic Acid (fluoride) is added to the water which I am STRONGLY opposed to.

Anyway, I just can't imagine using industrially treated water for internal consumption, and certainly not for brewing a wonderful tea.

Cheers!

Brew Green Tea - Small Quantity Better?

by Ron
(United States)

I am new to green tea and want to start drinking it for health. I have been a soda drinker all my life and want to make the transition to green tea for the health benefits.

I am used to sweet tastes so which blend would be the sweetest?

If I wanted to make it in gallon quantities is that advisable? Or is smaller quantities more healthful?

In my search for the best green tea I ran across your website and it looks like I may have found it. Any advice you could give me I would appreciate it.

I know nothing about teas. I was curious if the tea buds or leaves will leave a residue in your cup of tea after you steep it.

Answer:

The best way to make green tea is to use 1-3 grams at a time, infuse them 3 times.

What you need is a kettle, a thermos to keep 24+ ounces of water warm for the next few hours, possible an infuser (or any glass container, even a wine glass will do) - and that's it.

Unless you want to drink iced tea - there is no need to brew gallons at a time.

This article explains the process of making hot green tea...

How To Make Green Tea - Brewing Secrets FAQ Guide

After brewing, it is best you finish drinking it within the next 7 hours - as time goes by the antioxidants oxidize - this means you will detect browning in high quality teas - as they contain lots of antioxidants which get oxidize in the process.

Cold Tea Vs Hot Tea Health Benefits - How Long Can You Keep or Steep?

And yes, this browning effects will usually leave a brown residue in your cup or mug. So whatever you get (cup or infuser), make sure they are easy to clean.

As for sweet taste, you don't have to worry about them when you drink a high grade - those tea buds grown in high mountain. The taste is rich, with a slight sweet aftertaste due to the theanine contents (which is naturally decaffeinating).

After drinking these antioxidant-rich beverage for a while, it will help you remove your sugar cravings.

I hope this helps.

Julian

Chinese Green Tea - Amount of Loose Tea to Use Per Cup

by Sue Simpson
(Port Perry, Ontario, Canada)

I have received my sampler packages of (3) Jipin, AAA, A grades Chinese Dragon Well green tea.

When reading it sounds like the samplers make 45 cups. How much loose tea do I put in a cup of boiled water?

How much does a bulk order or 4 month supply cost - shipped to Canada?

Answer:

Sue, thank you for your order. You are right to say that the samplers can make 45 cups.

The samplers contain 30 grams of tea leaves. Tea tasting is highly subjective, but experienced drinkers would find this tea very flavourful (not tannic and roasted like the lower grades, but light, and yet rich and flavourful in its own subtle ways).

The recommendation is based on 2 grams of tea leaves a day. They can be brewed in an 8-ounce cup 3 times to make 3 cups. As your palate starts to recognise the natural flavours of tea (and not just the man-made roasted flavours), you may be able to infuse more times.

Now you are going to ask me how to measure out 2 grams of leaves. Now that is approximately equal to about 120 tea shoots.

Using the above dosage (2 grams a day), you will need about 60 grams for 1 month supply. HQ's Dragon Well tea starts at $14.95 per 50 gram. If you prefer the higher grades (AAA or Jipin), they are available at 15% discount bulk prices for order of 250 grams.

Further information on brewing can be found in Brewing Tea Resources

I provide shipping at a flat fee of $6.00 per order, regardless of weight and destination.

I hope this helps.

Julian

Decanting Tea Leaves

Your page about brewing green tea is very interesting ! I was wondering how to decant tea leaves from a glass (which has no lid) to a gaiwan when the type of tea used doesn't sink to the bottom easily even after 10 minutes. Thank you !

Answer:

That probably means you you haven't waited long enough - most tea leaves will eventually sink to the bottom.

Personally I use a lid that comes with my gaiwan to manually filter the tea leaves - not perfect but simple and it works.

:)

Julian

Color of Tea After Brewing.

by Jim
(Georgia)

What color is the tea supposed to look after it is steeped? And I am not getting all these flavors and odors you have been writing about. The Jasmine tea makes me feel good. After reading the things here, I'm wondering if I am drinking the right tea. Maybe a little too much information to absorb at once.

Thanks, Jim Brodie

Answer:

Jim, if you don't mind me asking, which tea did you buy from me, if you ever did? I can't recall having sold you the newly launched jasmine tea.

And if you haven't got the tea from me, which specific tea are you talking about?

A lot of teas are low quality and it may be asking too much from them.

The taste of tea is a subjective matter, hard to put to words, and if you are new to tea, take a while to acclimatise your taste buds.

It is a bit like learning to swim, you have to get wet a few times before getting the hang of it. It took me one year to fully appreciate HQ's Dragon Well tea.

In the meantime, I keep going back to it because it makes me feel good afterwards. And so many good things have happened to me ever since I take tea drinking seriously. That's what matters - how it makes you feel, as supposed to how you are supposed to feel.

Different teas have different colors after brewing. Most Chinese green teas have yellowish color after brewing. Light yellow with bright lusre is considered good quality.

Japanese green teas have green color, not because they are higher quality, but because they tend to be steamed rather roasted or baked.

Let me know which tea you are talking about and I will see if I can help.

I hope this helps.

Julian