As the weather starts to warm up and nature comes back to life, it's the perfect time to enjoy a hot cup of Japanese green tea. 八十八夜 (Hachijuhachiya), which falls on May 2nd this year, is an important day for Japanese tea lovers, as it marks the start of the first tea harvest of the year. I’d like to invite you to celebrate the season with a delicious cup of Japanese green tea!
Green tea is rapidly gaining popularity around the world, and for good reason. While many people may be familiar with conventional green tea that comes in tea bags, there is a world of difference between that and authentic Japanese green tea, which is made from carefully selected, high-quality tea leaves. Not only does real green tea have a delicious taste, it also boasts a beautiful green color that sets it apart from the yellow hue of conventional tea bags. Making delicious Japanese green tea is easy if you follow a few simple steps.
Step 1: Boil Water
Begin by boiling fresh water in a kettle. Always bring the water to a boil before making tea.
Step 2: Cool the Water Down
Next, pour the boiling water into tea cups. This cools the water and allows you to measure how much water you need.
When brewing Japanese green tea, it is critical to cool the water to 70-80°C. Boiling water can burn the tea leaves resulting in a bitter flavor. By cooling the water down, you can enjoy the delicate flavors of the tea.
Step 3: Measure and Add Tea
Take two grams of green tea for every 60 cc of water per person. Add the tea leaf to a clean teapot.
Step 4: Add Hot Water and Infuse
Slowly pour water from the teacups into the teapot. Add the lid and let the tea steep for one to two minutes.
Step 5: Pour and Serve
Turn the teapot 3-5 times to evenly distribute the tea. Pour a small amount of tea into each teacup, alternating between them. This ensures that each cup receives the same amount of tea of the same strength.
Pour every last drop of tea from the teapot. (My grandma would always made sure that I did this.😁) It allows you to serve the tea two or three times with the same batch of tea leaf.
🍃 How to Keep Your Tea Fresh
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Your tea deserves the best, so keep it fresh and flavorful! If your tea hasn’t been opened yet, just store it in the fridge in its original bag. If you plan to keep it for a while, freeze it for even longer freshness.
When taking tea out of the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature before opening to prevent moisture from condensing on the tea leaves.
Once opened, transfer your tea to an airtight container like a tea canister and store it somewhere cool and dark. If you’ve got a tightly sealed container, there’s no need to refrigerate. But if you must, make sure your tea doesn’t pick up any unwanted odors or moisture from other foods.
Also when you’re buying a bag of tea, go for 100-gram packages or have it divided into smaller portions.
Remember, freshness 🍃 is key for tea. The higher the quality of the tea, the faster it will change in flavor. After opening, enjoy as soon as possible. For best results, store your tea in an air-tight container like our Karmi Tea Canister—Tawara, which is available in our online store.
We hope you found these tips helpful and that you enjoy many delicious cups of Japanese green tea this season.