Green Tea Steeping Techniques

Green tea is subject to quite a lot of press these days, and the side-effects of this are a ton of 'experts' and tea lovers chiming in their rigid rules for how to make a proper cup of tea. Well, let us clear up some of the myths of brewing (steeping) and nice cup of green tea.

Firstly, regarding the tea vessel of choice, while we enjoy using our special dedicated Yixing claypot for our best Long Jing, we generally still prefer using a thin and tall heat-resistant glass for our green teas when preparing them gongfu-style. The reason for this is simply because green teas' appreciation relies heavily on the way the tea looks and therefore seeing them while they float in the water is a big bonus! Do they need to be prepared gongfu style to be properly appreciated? For green teas, No. We use the gongfu brewing method to control the teas for tea tastings, or when drinking our higher-grade teas since we can guarantee that their best elements shine through easily this way. But for everyday drinking, no teas is more suitable for steeping in a cup for personal use than green tea!

Whether gongfu-style or single-cup steeping is your thing, three main factors play a part in achieving that perfect infusion. Here they are listed in order of importance:
1) Water temperature
2) Time
3) water pouring method

Water temperature seems like an easy one, but this is generally the primary source of all bad infusions that begin with a quality tea! It is important to note the hardiness of the green tea you want to steep. Rolled greens like jasmine-scented pearls can take quite a bit higher water temperature than a Dongting Biluochun, which is one of the most delicate teas available. We have made Biluochuns with a water temperature as low as 120 degrees (50 celsius), though we'll generally go a bit higher than that, but seldom more than 150 degrees (65 celsius). Greens like Long Jing are roughly in the middle when it comes to water temperature. For many of them we'd suggest 175 degrees (80 celsius), but if you are preparing a really high-grade Long Jing you should be prepared to first experiment with water as low as 150 degrees (65 celsius). Yes, quite low! But the idea should be that lower temperature water is safer for preserving the aromas in better quality teas. Why jump the gun and ruin all the fun?

Timing is the second area that probably carries the most degree of experimentation; whether or not unintentionally! When making teas for yourself in a glass the solution is easy. Simply start drinking the tea when you feel it tastes good. Another tip is to wait for a bit of color in the infusion, in addition to the leaves looking at least slightly more like their original fresh form. For gongfu tea tasting, you'll want to give that first infusion more time for the leaves to open up properly. We usually steep the first infusion for up to a minute. The second one, however, should be done a lot more delicately and quickly; roughly about 30-40 seconds tops. The reason is because the second infusion will release the flavors much quicker than the first. If you have washed the leaves before this first infusion then the effect is lessened a bit. But for green teas the washing is not mandatory like it is with oolongs, pu'ers and black teas. After the second infusion you can begin increasing the time for each subsequent infusion gradually. The key is to experiment and see how you most appreciate each tea type.

The last and least important overall is the method to which the water is poured on or under the leaves. In Chinese tea culture this method is referred to as either Xia Tou (hsia tow), Zhong Tou (jong tow), and Shang Tou (shang tow). Xia Tou essentially means to first pour a small foot or base of water, then add the tea leaves and then finally pour up the full quantity of water gently on top. The small foot is roughly a bit more than needed to cover the base of the cup. Teas that use this method are Long Jing, Tai Ping Hou Kui and Zhu Ye Qing. Shang Tou is nearly the reverse of this and is used for the most delicate teas like Biluochun. With this method, the water is all added first and then the tea leaves are placed on top and the cup is given a light swirl to mix it gently. The water temperature should be enough to let the leaves slow mix in. The third is Zhong Tou which is the middle ground and can safely be used for many teas. This involves pouring up have the glass, adding the leaves and then fill the glass to the top. Huang Shan Mao Feng is a typical example of a tea that uses this method.

Overall, these instructions should only serve as a loose guide and not as a strict set of instructions. Tea making is all about experimentation and having fun while relaxing with a great drink. Enjoy!