How to Brew Japanese Green Tea

Learn How to Brew Japanese Green Tea

Japanese green teas have a long history behind them, so some may find brewing them intimidating. Don’t worry, here’s how to brew green tea in five easy steps.

What You’ll Need

• Water
• Kettle
• Teapot or cup
• Tea (either loose-leaf or tea bags)
  

Step 1: Prepare What You’ll Need

Gather everything you need. Here are some basic guidelines for each:

• Water: We recommend using spring water for the best results, however this is not a hard requirement.
• Kettle: Temperature variable electrical kettles are the easiest way by far to make hot water at the temperature your tea needs. But if you’re using a stovetop kettle, it’s easy enough to just use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature of your water before brewing.
• Teapot: This isn’t necessary for tea bags which are designed for one-cup drinking, but for brewing loose leaf green tea we recommend choosing a teapot that allows the leaves the room they need to unfurl and release their flavor.
  • Note: Since Japanese green teas (especially Sencha Fukamushi) are steamed, they have lots of small particulate matter. Our authentic Tokoname kyusu is best suited for Senchas due to its inner belt-style strainer. Higher end teas such as Gyokuro and Temomi Shincha have more intact leaves that are happy with spout strainers, but are best suited to smaller volume teapots.
• Teas:
  • Tea Bag: If you’re drinking solo or in a rush, you can go for a tea bag since it’s already portioned for a 12 oz mug.
  • Loose Leaf: If you want to have the best Japanese green tea experience or are drinking with others, you might want to brew a pot of loose leaf tea. On the go you can also opt for a mount-style filter.
    

Step 2: Heat the Water

If you’re using a temperature variable electric kettle, all you have to do is set the desired temperature and wait for the water to reach that temp.

With a stovetop kettle or non-temperature variable electric kettle, you can wait until the water is boiling and then cool it down by adding in cold water or ice until you reach your ideal temperature.

With an office hot water dispenser, the water typically comes out at around 200F, just below boiling, but too hot for the majority of Japanese green teas (except Hojicha). Fill about a fifth of your brewing vessel (whether tea pot or portable brewer or cup) with cold water from the dispenser onto the leaves first before adding in the remaining hot water.

You can also opt to use a Tokoname Yuzumashi, which is a traditional water cooling pot to help adjust the water temperature.

Note: Cold teaware will drop the temperature of your water. By how much depends on the material, size, and how cold it is. If you’re stuck with too hot of water, you can use this to your advantage, but you can also just pre-heat your teaware before putting in your tea leaves to avoid the issue entirely.

Step 3: Add the Tea Leaves to the Pot

Much like water temperature, how much tea you have to add into the pot varies based on the variety you’re brewing. Some Japanese green teas are much denser than others and therefore require less leaf when brewing, however others are lighter and will need a larger amount to achieve a satisfactory flavor. Refer to our Brewing Guidelines to see how much leaf you need.

Step 4: Add Water Into the Pot

Slowly pour the water into the pot. The amount of water will vary based on how many servings you’re planning to make.

If you’re serving for multiple people and not sure how much you need, you can measure by first pouring your hot water into everyone’s (clean) cups, then from the cups into the teapot. This is the traditional Japanese method which ensures that you brew the perfect amount of tea for everyone. This also serves a dual purpose in pre-heating your guests cups so that their tea doesn’t cool down too much when first poured into the cup.

Note: If you do use the traditional Japanese portioning method, the leaves will absorb a significant amount of water during the first steep, reducing the overall amount of tea that will come out. Fill your guests cups a little higher than at the level they will be served at to avoid underestimating how much water you need.

Step 5: Allow the Tea to Steep

Steeping times vary depending on the tea you’re brewing, but our recommended times range from 30 seconds to three minutes. Refer to our Brewing Guidelines and remember that the first steep is the longest and subsequent steeps are shorter.

How to Cold Brew Japanese Green Tea

Cold brewing isn’t just limited to coffee. It’s also a super easy way to make incredibly delicious tea that is perfect any time of day and especially during the summer. Here’s how to cold brew tea.

What You’ll Need

• Water
• Cold-brewing vessel (We recommend the Hario Cold Brew Bottle)
• Tea (Loose-leaf, teabags, or powdered)
• Ice (if you’re doing a quick cold brew)
  

Step 1: Add Tea Leaves

Here’s how much tea leaves you should add based on the size of your teapot or bottle:

• 12 oz (350ml): 5-8 grams (1 Tbsp)
• 25 oz (750ml): 10-15 grams (2 Tbsp)

You can use the cold brew method for any green tea, but here are our favorite cold brew Japanese green teas combos:

• Sakura Sencha with Matcha: 2 Tbsps Sakura Sencha + 1 tsp Matcha (for a 750 ml bottle)
• Fukamushi Sencha & Matcha Cold Brew Green Tea: 1 Tbsp Fukamushi Sencha + 1 tsp. Matcha (for a 750 ml bottle)

Step 2: Add Water and Ice

Fill up your container or bottle with room-temperature or cold water.

• If you’re brewing on the go, fill ¾ of the container with ice, then fill up the remaining with water.
• If you’re willing to wait a little and have access to a fridge, fill all the way with cold or room-temperature water.

Step 3: Swirl and Steep

Once the tea leaves and water are in the bottle, put the cap on, then lightly swirl to stir up the leaves.

• For quick brewing with Japanese green teas, you only need to wait around 10 minutes before serving (matcha cold brews are ready instantly). When your tea is ready, turn the bottle upside down a couple of times before serving.
• You can also just leave your tea in the fridge even overnight to enjoy it the next morning. Cold brew tea stays fresh for up to three days in the fridge. You can also add other ingredients, like fruit or mint, to create your own cold brew green tea blends.

Note: Steeping times vary for different varieties, so there’s no standard on how to cold brew all green tea varieties. Fukamushi Sencha requires as little as five minutes, while Hojicha may need up to an hour to fully steep. 

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How to Make Matcha

Making matcha at home often seems intimidating at first, but don’t worry. With a few easy tips you too can whisk delicious frothy matcha at home.

What You’ll Need

• Water
• Chawan (Matcha Bowl)
• Chasen (Bamboo Matcha Whisk)
• Matcha - If you’re drinking pure matcha, we recommend using a ceremonial grade matcha such as our Organic Ceremonial Matcha or Sugimoto Reserve Mizuki Matcha as they are sweeter and smoother than culinary grade matcha.

Optional:

• Chasaku (matcha scoop)
• Chasen Kusenaoshi (whisk holder)
• Sifter

If you want to learn how to make matcha, but don’t necessarily have any matcha accessories, check out our all-in-one Nodate Matcha Set, which already includes a handcrafted chawan, chasen, chashaku, and a sample of our Organic Ceremonial Matcha.

Step 1: Soak the Chasen in Hot Water

If you’re using a new chasen, first soak it in hot water for 15 minutes to clean and loosen the tines. After that, you’ll only need to soak it in hot water for 5 minutes before making matcha to loosen the tines. This will improve the longevity of your chasen. If you don’t pre-soak your chasen, the tines aren’t as bendable and might break during whisking.

Note: To clean your chasen, avoid using soap, detergent, and other chemicals. Simply whisk a bowl of pure hot water to clean the excess matcha off the chasen then let air dry in a well ventilated spot. Your chasen is a natural product made out of real bamboo, so it can get moldy if it’s left in overly humid conditions such as putting it back in its box while still damp.

Step 2: Scoop Matcha Into the Chawan

Using a chasaku, add two scoops of matcha to the bowl. If you don’t have a chasaku, use a spoon to add half a teaspoon (1g) of matcha powder to your chawan.

If you see clumps, place a sifter over the matcha bowl and sift your matcha directly into the bowl.

Note: Never get a bamboo chashaku wet. To clean the excess matcha off of it, simply wipe with a dry cloth or paper towel. Getting it wet will stain the bamboo with matcha and potentially warp the shape of the chashaku.

Step 3: Pour Hot Water

Carefully pour 3 oz of hot water (185°F) into the bowl. We recommend pouring from the sides rather than the center of the bowl to avoid splashing.

Step 4: Whisk the Matcha

Start by first whisking any matcha powder that has stuck to the side of the bowl into the water. Then using a zig-zagging motion, lightly whisk the matcha slowly at first, building up to a rapid pace until you don’t notice any additional foam appearing. Give one last circle of the foam and lift your chasen out from the center of the matcha.

When you’re just about done, slow down and lighten the movement to ensure there are no large bubbles forming at the top. Then, lift and remove the whisk from the center.

Note: If you don’t have a matcha whisk, you can also use an electric hand frother.

Step 5: Serve

For added fun, serve your finished matcha with traditional Japanese sweets (called wagashi). A little sweetness goes well with fresh matcha.

We recommend enjoying your matcha in two to three-and-a-half sips, with the last half-sip being a slurp. This shows your fondness of the drink.

Step 6: Cleaning

• Bowl and Whisk: Pour hot water into your matcha bowl and clean using the whisk. Throw out the water, then wipe your chawan dry. You can dry the whisk on a Chasen Kusenaoshi (Whisk Holder).
• Chasaku: Wipe the scoop with a clean, dry cloth. Avoid contact with water.

Whichever tea brewing method you prefer, we offer a wide range of teaware and brewing accessories to help you create the perfect cup every time.