How to Make Cafinated Chinese Green Tea
- 1
Purchase tea and store in a cool dry place
Purchase different varieties of Chinese green tea that are not decaffeinated until you find the kind you prefer. For authentic loose leaves try visiting an Oriental food store, or you can purchase teabags at your local grocery store. Remember to store your teas in a cool, dry place inside an airtight, opaque container away from any strong-smelling foods. - 2). Choose the right water for brewing your tea. Your tap water may work if it does not contain high levels of sodium. You can still use it if you let the water sit in a container over night or bring it to a rolling boil it for at least five-minutes. For the best tea the PH level of your water should be close to neutral levels that is about 7ph. The water should also be clear and without odor.
- 3). Use the appropriate tea set for the type of tea you are brewing. For green tea you should use a ceramic tea pot with a lid. Drink green tea in a small tea cup instead of a large cup. This is because too much water will brew fine leaves too fast resulting in discolored tea leaves and also influences the fragrance and taste of the tea.
- 4
Brew tea with water that has cooled from boiling.
Boil the water but then let it cool to about 80 degrees Celsius before brewing the tea. This temperature will maintain the color of the tea, taste better, and retain more vitamin C. If you do not have a thermometer, boil the water and let it set for three minutes before brewing. - 5). Generously add tea leaves. Start by using 3 grams or one rounded teaspoon of dried tea leaves in 150-200 ml of water . Do a taste test and then add or subtract more leaves as desired.
- 6). Steep the tea leaves for 2 to 3 minutes before drinking the tea. Brew time will vary depending on the leaf, water, temperature, and the amount of tea. Try tasting your tea after one minute and then two until you find your preferred taste. When brewing a pot of tea allow 5 to 8 minutes for the first steeping and an additional 2 to 3 minutes for each additional cup.
- 7). Preheat the cups you will serve the tea in to maintain the tea temperature.
- 8). Use teas for multiple infusions by adding fresh hot water and increasing the steeping time slightly for each infusion. You may continue reusing the tea until the flavor starts to fade.
- 9
Iced green tea is refreshing.
Poor the brewed tea over ice for iced green tea.
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