A Snapshot Guide to Japanese Loose Leaf Green Tea By Brigita Feltham

There are many kinds of loose leaf Japanese green teas produced in Japan. If you go to a specialty tea store in Japan, you would be amazed at the range available to sample. It can be quite daunting for the amateur tea-drinker. Having lived in Japan for 4 years, I have found that sencha and gyokuro green tea are both popular and can be enjoyed by following the tips below.

Sencha Green Tea

The most widely drunk green tea in Japan is sencha green tea. Japanese people drink several cups a day with a meal or between meals. Sencha green tea is made by a process of steaming, drying and rolling of the leaves. The steaming process halts the oxidation of the leaves and maintains the high level of polyphenols in the tea. This process differentiates it from black tea, where the leaves are left out in the sun to oxidize-turning the leaves from green to brown.

The taste and flavour of loose leaf sencha will vary depending on the grade of sencha. Premium sencha green tea has a mild, slightly sweet flavour. Lower grade tea produced from later pickings of the tea bush, will tend to be more astringent than premium grade green tea, produced from the first picking. The brewing of loose leaf green tea is important as water that is too hot, or over-brewing the tea leaves, will produce more astringent green tea.

When brewing green tea you should allow 1 heaped teaspoon (5g) per 240ml (8oz.) cup of water. You should pour the desired amount of water into the teapot to first heat the teapot. After 30 seconds, pour the water into a tea cup (so you are also warming the tea cup). When brewing loose leaf sencha you should not use freshly boiled water, as this will scorch the tea leaves. By heating the teapot and tea cups you can reduce the temperature to about 70-80 degrees C (165-176 degrees F). Once the water has cooled, add the desired amount of leaves to the teapot, followed by the water. Brew sencha green tea for 2 minutes.

Gyokuro Green Tea

Gyokuro green tea is the highest grade of green tea in Japan. It is usually drunk from small tea cups and it is usually sold in smaller quantities than most other green teas. Gyokuro leaves are a rich, dark green because the bushes are covered with reed screen two or three weeks prior to picking. This protects the leaves from direct sunlight, and helps to produce a subtler and mellow flavour than sencha green tea. When sencha leaves are picked, they are steamed and then dried. The leaf stems and veins are removed in the drying process. And unlike other green teas, the leaves are not rolled.

Gyokuro green tea has a mild and delicate flavour. There should be little taste of astringency when drinking gyokuro green tea. When you brew gyokuro you should use 2 heaped teaspoons per 240ml (8oz.) cup of water. Heat the teapot and tea cups as explained above (with sencha green tea), and let the water cool slightly longer to about 50-60 degrees C(122-140 degrees F). You should steep the tea for 2-3 minutes.

Brewing loose leaf green tea is that simple. Try to use purified water, as using tap water will affect the taste. Also take care not to use water too hot and to over-brew the tea. If you use these tips, you should be able to make a delicious cup of tea. The other great thing about loose leaf green tea, is you can brew the tea 2-3 times. You can leave the tea leaves to steep a little longer with each brewing.

Brigita Feltham is the creator and owner of Infusious Tea. After spending 4 years in Japan, green tea became a part of Brigita's daily lifestyle.

Brigita began to study tea ceremony and found out that not only does green tea have wonderful health benefits, but it also has a rich cultural tradition in Japan.

For more information on Japanese green tea please visit:

http://www.japan-green-tea.com

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