Green tea is one of the most popular drinks worldwide. Does he have his own secret, and how to properly brew green leaf tea to get the most out of tea drinking.
It is believed that green tea is very useful. It is distinguished by the ability to compensate for the loss of strength, increase the body's resistance to colds and viral diseases, calm nerves and, conversely, tone, remove harmful waste products from the body.
There are hundreds of types of green tea on the world market. Most are from China.
Raw materials are traditionally collected in early spring and prepared by drying in the sun, burning or steaming. The oxidation process takes no more than two days or not at all.
Brew correctly
The Chinese pay special attention to the ceremony, traditions and rules of tea etiquette. Their philosophy does not tolerate fuss and haste.
To feel the presence of an ancient culture, it is important to know and follow the recommendations for preparation and use. There are no trifles in this procedure, the correct water, and its temperature, and the number of leaves, and the time of infusion are important.
If you have little brewing experience, it is recommended that you consult the retailer or follow the instructions on the packaging.
In order to make tea not only tasty, but also useful, it is important to consider the following:
- water quality and temperature;
- amount of dry tea;
- infusion time.
Water from a spring is best suited for making an ancient Chinese drink. Bottled or filtered water is also suitable for this purpose.
The first brewing is the shortest, half a minute is enough for it.
Each subsequent must be at most 10 seconds longer.
Brewing does not produce a rich, pleasant color, which is familiar, for example, for red varieties. Its different species have non-bright, translucent shades from yellowish to light green.
General Preparation Guidelines
It is important to heat the water to the correct temperature before making green tea.
It is to heat, because the leaves do not tolerate boiling water, it destroys their strength and benefit, aroma and taste.
Brewing temperature depends on grade, e.g.:
- Bai Mao Hou is brewed at 85 degrees,
- Alishan Wulong is recommended to be flooded with 90 degrees of water.
The average value ranges from 80 to 85 degrees.
Many wonder about the number of leaves needed to make a drink. Obvious criterion & mdash; strength of the finished decoction: the more you pour the teas, the richer and stronger it turns out.
If you put too much from the brew, the taste will be tart and bitter, and if you put less, the aroma and taste bouquet will not be at all.
For & laquo; gold standard & raquo; you can take a teaspoon of dry raw materials per glass. Per serving & mdash; it's 2-3 grams.
How to properly brew and drink green Chinese tea
If you have purchased one of hundreds of varieties but are unsure how to brew it, your doubts are justified.
The Chinese use several cooking options. For the most common in China, you will need gaiwan with a volume of 100 to 120 ml. For this volume, seven grams of dry tea leaves are enough.
Note that the volume of different categories and types can vary significantly, so weight is taken as the standard.
The first method is universal and well-known.
Step-by-step preparation instructions:
- Pour boiling water over the dishes. The taste characteristics and quality of the prepared drink depend on the age-old tradition of warming up the dishes.
- Fill up with the desired number of cups and fill them with water with a temperature not exceeding 85 degrees.
- The first infusion opens and prepares the leaves, in addition, they are washed. Despite the purity and order of private Chinese workshops on plantations, hand-produced tea is not sterile. Expensive and popular varieties are processed by hand, without the use of modern technologies. Therefore, the first brew is not drunk, but drained. However, some believe that there is no need for this. You should develop your own attitude towards the first brew.
- Refill with boiling water. This can be done many times - high-quality raw materials can be brewed in some cases up to ten times. The main thing is that you do not overexpose the leaves, each process is short, no more than 60 seconds. The leaves transfer their properties to water quite quickly. If they insist more, bitterness appears in the taste.
Proper brewing of Indian and Ceylon green tea
In India and Sri Lanka, English cooking traditions prevail.
Assamic tea bush is cultivated in these regions, its leaves are larger than those of camellia sinensis, which predominantly grows in China. They also differ in taste.
The Indian method does not coincide with the Chinese one in terms of cooking time. Highland varieties insist 4 minutes, those of lower quality & mdash; up to 5 minutes.
Indians use a heated large teapot, traditionally adding an additional spoonful of leaves to its volume.
Here they love to add milk to a cup. There is a tradition of using milk instead of boiling water for brewing.
In Punjab, to make a dense and rich broth, put two teaspoons of brew and one sugar in 500 ml of milk, bring to a boil and drink.
Both India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon) love a strong infusion - the dry norm is two teaspoons per cup.
The tradition of drinking green tea strongly brewed, with milk, in English is especially common in large cities in India.
In Ceylon, it is believed that the aroma and beneficial properties are better disclosed in soft filtered water, the drink does not require the addition of sugar.
There is no consensus on how hot it should be. Expert opinion is mixed, with recommendations ranging from 60 to 90 degrees.
In the rules for brewing green tea, beginners should record a temperature of 80-90 degrees. But there is also a nuance here: varieties such as Zhong Jing, made from buds, will open at 80 degrees, and a large leaf, for example, Taiping Houkui & mdash; more fun if cooked at 85-90.
Natural spring water is best suited for brewing. If this is difficult to find, bottled or filtered is suitable. Be sure to remember:
- Do not use non-standing tap water.
- Not suitable double boiled.
What utensils are needed
The most important thing is that the vessel retains heat for a long time, so when choosing a material, choose ceramics or porcelain.
Japanese pour a drink from enameled cast iron.
Glass allows you to observe the movement of the cups, the change in color of the decoction and how the tea leaf unfolds.
In addition to teapots and guyanas, glass & laquo; flasks & raquo; are used in China. Their history is not as long and ancient as that of the entire Chinese tea ceremony, but they have won consumer recognition and enjoy well-deserved popularity. Such flasks simplify the process and protect your fingers from burns.
Whatever you are brewing tea leaves in, rinse the container with boiling water to evenly warm the walls.
How to brew green tea in a teapot
Given different types and preferences, there are no unambiguous criteria, but there is general information to get an excellent drink:
Quantity of raw material. They put 7 grams on the kettle. The standard volume takes about 100-120 ml, it will be enough for 3-4 people.
Warm up the dishes with boiling water.
Fill the brew. There is one trick of falling asleep: do not try to fill the teapots with a slide, on the contrary, make a circular movement with a kettle to distribute the leaves along the walls. This will increase the area and uniformity of contact, improving the taste of the drink.
The first brew is held for two minutes and drained. But not everyone thinks so. Some say you don't have to drain.
The subsequent ones are brewed quickly, within a minute. Pour into a teapot and almost immediately pour into cups.
Number of brews
Depending on the density of the variety, the process can be repeated up to 10 times. Each next time, pouring the brew, it is worth increasing the infusion time by 10 seconds.
Storage of green tea leaves
The quality and benefits of the prepared drink depend not only on compliance with the recipe, but also on the storage conditions. Green tea is capricious and quickly loses its properties if it is not stored correctly.
It may seem strange, but it should not be bought for the future, with a margin. You can only make a month's worth of inventory.
Dishes for him are best ceramic or glass, a tin can is also suitable (you can buy here ) if it, like all others, is tightly closed with a lid. Tightness will provide reliable protection against dust, foreign odors and condensate.
Tips
When choosing tea based on your preferences, listen to the recommendations of the consultant, read the instructions on the package. Experienced experts advise paying attention to the appearance of the sheet.
To preserve the multifaceted taste and benefits of your purchase, consider:
- tea does not like heat and tolerates coolness perfectly. Green and white varieties are considered especially capricious to ambient temperatures. Can be stored at room temperature.
- You will need a dark place or a container with opaque walls. Direct sunlight triggers the oxidation process, which directly affects the taste.
- Tea absorbs other odors, especially seasonings and harsh spices. Find a place for him in a separate closet, away from the working surface of the kitchen.
Warnings
Before making green tea, study the contraindications and risks associated with its use. Concentrated and natural, it affects all human functions and organs, its chemical composition is well studied.
- Optimal drinking temperature & ndash; 55 degrees or lower. If it is hot, it will not only burn the mucous membrane of the mouth, but also strongly stimulate the esophagus and stomach, and affect the condition of the larynx.
- Cold drink is also not recommended for consumption, as it has already lost its beneficial properties.
- Green tea has a diuretic effect, which, on the one hand, contributes to the elimination of toxins, and on the other, & ndash; poses a risk of fluid loss to the body in the heat. To prevent blood clots and the danger of strokes, especially for older people, you need to make up for the loss by drinking a glass of water before/after or with it.
- When the infusion time increases to 7-10 minutes accepted in Europe, filling the vessel for the third or fourth time, you drink & laquo; empty & raquo; useless decoction. It is confirmed that 50% of the useful substances in this method are drawn with the first infusion, the rest are distributed in the second and third as 30 and 10%, respectively. The Chinese tradition of how to brew green leaf tea adheres to the fast brewing method of Ping Cha - it can withstand up to 10 brews, and individual collectible varieties & mdash; up to 15.
When green tea can be harmful
If you drink it right before eating, the absorption of proteins will decrease, and the dishes will seem tasteless. This is due to the property of thinning saliva. To prevent the drink from affecting digestion, consume it half an hour before or after meals. Wait 30 minutes to ensure that the absorption of iron and proteins is not affected by tannin.
Doctors do not recommend drinking medicines with tea because its tannins impair the absorption of drugs. The Chinese are confident that it destroys drug formulas.
If the brew has stood for a day, it becomes excellent nutrient medium for pathogenic microorganisms, as it contains high content of sugar and protein. Without harm to the body, it is used as an external remedy.
Overusing a large amount of decoction harms the entire body.
Tea contains a lot of caffeine, is dangerous at high pressure, and has an exciting effect on the nervous system.
A strong infusion can cause dizziness.
Doctors advise against it during pregnancy.
If you have a chronic medical condition, it is worth consulting your doctor.
Green tea cannot be drunk with alcoholic beverages, it is dangerous for the formation of toxins and negative effects on the kidneys.
To receive only pleasure and benefit from the ceremony, choose and purchase high-quality tea from trusted suppliers such as & laquo; Russian Tea Company & raquo;.
Brew it not too hard and drink no more than 3-4 cups a day.