Brewing a delicious cup of tea
does not require special skills.
Pay a little attention to
the amount of tea, the water temperature and the waiting time.
Even with the same leaves, the way you prepare them changes how their aroma, umami and astringency are perceived.
Start with sencha
Sencha is a familiar tea for everyday drinking.
One basic guideline is about 3 g of tea leaves per person, with water at around 70–80°C, waiting about 30 seconds.
When pouring from the teapot, pour out the tea completely.
Taking just a little care brings out the leaves' fresh aroma, umami and pleasant astringency.
Gyokuro: take your time
For gyokuro, rich in umami, use a lower temperature than for sencha.
Brewing slowly with water at around 50–60°C makes its umami and sweetness easier to appreciate.
A small amount of water, and an unhurried pace.
The time spent preparing gyokuro is itself part of the pleasure of enjoying a cup.
Matcha is whisked, not extracted
Sencha and gyokuro release flavor and aroma from the leaves into hot water. Matcha is a little different.
Made by finely grinding tencha, matcha is combined with hot water and whisked with a chasen.
Rather than removing the leaves, you taste the powdered tea itself.
Take a tea bowl in your hands and prepare a serving for yourself.
Those movements are also part of the time spent enjoying Japanese tea.
Find your favorite cup rather than one right answer
There are basic ways to prepare tea.
Yet raising the temperature a little can make astringency and aroma easier to notice, while brewing slowly at a lower temperature can make umami and sweetness easier to enjoy.
So there is no need to be perfect from the start.
A little hotter today.
A slower brew at a lower temperature tomorrow.
After making tea several times, you will begin to find the cup you like.
The time spent brewing is part of Japanese tea's pleasure
Boil the water.
Measure the leaves.
Pour into the teapot and wait a little.
In a busy day, it may be only a few minutes.
But sensing the aroma and waiting for the leaves to open during that brief time is also one of tea's pleasures.
At KOKUSELECT, we hope to share not only tea itself,
but also the culture and time that make a cup enjoyable.
Discover Japan, one cup of tea at a time.
