How to brew green tea without bitterness
Green tea is not oxidized, so its leaf is delicate. Water that is too hot or a steep that is too long releases the bitter compounds. The fix is simple: cooler water and a timer.
The basics
- Leaf: 2 to 3 grams (about 1 teaspoon) for 200 ml of water
- Water: 70 to 80°C, not boiling. Let the kettle rest for a few minutes after it boils
- Time: 1 to 3 minutes. Start short and add 30 seconds the next time if you want it stronger
- Use fresh, filtered water, because green tea shows every off flavour
Step by step
- Heat the water and let it cool to the right temperature.
- Warm your pot or cup with a little hot water.
- Add the leaf and pour the water over it.
- Steep for 1 to 3 minutes, with the timer on.
- Pour off all of the tea so that the leaf does not keep steeping.
- Steep the same leaf again. Good green tea gives 2 to 3 cups.
Chinese and Japanese green tea
- Chinese green tea (such as Longjing): pan-fired, nutty and mellow, 75 to 80°C, 2 to 3 minutes
- Japanese sencha: steamed and grassy, 70 to 75°C, 1 to 2 minutes
- Gyokuro: shaded and rich in umami, 50 to 60°C, 2 to 3 minutes, with more leaf and less water
- Hojicha: roasted and toasty, can take 90 to 100°C
If it still tastes bitter
- Lower the temperature by 5 degrees
- Shorten the steep by 30 seconds
- Use a little less leaf
- Try a tea of better quality: very cheap leaf is often bitter whatever you do