How to Make Chinese Green Tea

This article details the art of making a cup or pot of green tea using leaves, not bags, by following traditional Chinese methods. Buy some tea, a teapot and some cups. You really don't need to bother with anything else.

Steps :
Method 1
1. Put a hand full of tea leaves in the pot.
2. Add warm water. Leave for a minute - Boiling water releases a chemical that make the tea sour.
3. Add some sugar to it (optional, real Chinese tea usually has sugar added but only for some types)
4. Wait a few minutes, then serve. You will get a few cups of tea.

Method 2
1. Add a lot of tea into the pot.
2. Add not-quite-boiling water. Leave for a minute and then pour out to wash the leaves.
3. Add more water.
4. Wait about 30 seconds to a minute and then pour to serve.

Tips :
# You will get the same ratio of tea to water whichever method you choose.

# Try to buy good quality tea. It will last longer and have a more pleasant taste. Teas all have different unique tastes. instead of buying just one (because the name sounds good), buy a few (but in smaller quantities).

# Using more tea is a sign of respect to a guest. The more tea you put into the pot, the higher the level of respect.

# Having the spout of the teapot facing anyone is a show of bad manners and disrespect.

# Boiled water is too hot for tender green tea leaves. Pouring boiled water upon the leaves will cause the immediate release of tannins, resulting in a bitter brew.


Warnings :
# Watch out for old, out-of-date tea. Check the tea. Smell it. Look at it and check for dried-out leaves. Taste a piece (but dont taste it if is has been wet and in a container for a long time, or smells completely different from its original scent; if it smells a sickly sweet [rotted]).

# It helps to know how a specific tea will smell before you buy it. If you happen to buy a tea frequently, then you can check at the store if it has gone bad before buying it.

# If you are buying loose leaf tea, make sure you examine what you are putting in the pot. Rarely small objects, such as twigs, foil(depending on the wrapping), or insects can make their way into tea accidentally.

Things You'll Need :
# Teapot
# cups
# kettle
# water just under boiling(190°F)
# tea

Source : http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Chinese-Green-Tea

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How to Enjoy a Cup Of Japanese Green Tea

Tea is the world's second most popular beverage, after water. Many people enjoy a cup of green tea--they find it relaxing and tasteful. It has many health benefits and is a good substitute for coffee after a meal as it has less caffeine. Steeping the perfect cup or pot of green tea is a tricky process. If not handled properly, those same polyphenols that provide health benefits can ruin the flavor, making the tea taste bitter. It's particularly important not to over-steep.

Steps :
1. Put 3 grams (approximately one teaspoon) of loose green tea into a ceramic cup or inside the ceramic filter of the cup if there is one.

2. Do not use boiling water for green tea, especially sencha, shincha and other delicate green teas. Instead, bring water to a boil then let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Water temp should be around 60-80 C (140°F - 175°F). Pour water over tea leaves, into your ceramic cup. Water can be a bit higher for other green teas.

3. Put a cover on top of the cup, and let it sit for 1-3 minutes. The newer the tea, the less it should steep.

4. Open the cover of the cup--remove filter if using one. (Shincha and sencha are best steeped using a filter, then removing filter and leaves from cup or pot.) Smell the tea first to enjoy its pleasant aroma. Then take a look at the bright green color of the tea.


5. Relax and slowly sip your first taste of the tea. Let it roll down your tongue and savor the subtle scent of the sweet grass. Slowly, enjoy every sip of your green tea.

6. If drinking green tea with leaves still in cup/gaiwan, wait until one third of the tea is all that is left in the cup,then add more hot water. You can repeat the above procedure with the same loose green tea leaves up to three times or more. If using a filter, tea leaves can be infused 1-2 more times.


Tips :
# Some green tea (notably a variety called Matcha) is naturally bitter. It is up to you to decide how bitter you like your tea. One way to find your favorite is to visit an authentic tea house and try a number of varieties.

# If you believe your green tea is too bitter, you may have brewed it too hot and/or too long. Go get a clean thermometer (meat thermometers work well, don't use one that you'd use to see if you have a fever) and check the water temperature as you heat it. Try brewing for only 1 minute, then experiment with longer times. If the tea is still too bitter for your palate, either try a different, less bitter variety of green tea or try cutting your tea with honey.

# Appreciation of green tea is not limited to the taste of drinking. You can use your other senses as well.

# Many who dislike the taste of green tea have often tried only bagged teas such as Lipton. Try to find higher quality green teas, which are becoming increasingly available.

# An added benefit is many of these teas can be purchased with mint, jasmine, and other interesting flavors.

# Additionally, green tea is traditionally brewed much weaker than most tea drinkers brew theirs.

# Another thing to try is green tea ice cream. Some people enjoy a small bite of green tea ice cream followed by a sip of luke-warm green tea. The flavors contrast nicely.

# For a more interesting flavor, try Tazo brand tea, which merges multiple tea leaves together to give a a different taste.

Source : http://www.wikihow.com/Enjoy-a-Cup-Of-Japanese-Green-Tea

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How to Drink Green Tea Without the Side Effects

Green tea has a lot of heath benefits, but like most things, it can also have some bad side effects. Follow these simple steps to avoid harming yourself.

Steps :
1. Don't drink green tea when it's scalding hot or when it turns cold. The ideal temperature for drinking tea is between 56 to 62 degree Celsius. Drinking tea that's scalding hot is harmful to the digestive system, while cold tea is "damp" and gathers phlegm. Leave freshly brewed tea for a while and you'll notice that its colour darkens and its fragrance fades. Like an apple that turns brown, tea compounds lose their potency through oxidation.

2. "Never drink tea that has been left overnight", Grandma says. She's right; nutrients like Catechins, Theanine, and vitamins C and B diminish over time. Leave it even longer and bacteria starts to breed.

3. Don't over-brew your tea. The chemical composition of the brew changes with each infusion. Over-brewed tea not only tastes bitter, it's harmful.

4. Don't drink tea full-strength. A cup of tea typically contains 2 to 3 grams of leaves or one teabag. Some people can brew as much as 15 grams in an 8 ounce (or 225 millimeters) cup. That's not a good idea. Very strong tea contains concentrated caffeine and polyphenols. Caffeine can cause insomnia, while polyphenols can over-stimulate the production of gastric acids and causes stomach upset.

5. Don't drink tea with medications or when suffering from fever. Tea can interfere and interact with medications. As a safety precaution, avoid drinking tea for at least 2 hours after taking medications.

6. Don't mix tea with alcohol. Drinking tea and alcohol together is harmful to the kidney system, causing constipation and problems to sexual organs.

7. Don't drink too much! The United Kingdom Tea Council recommends drinking not more than 6 cups of tea a day. Drinking too much green tea can cause caffeine intolerance and minerals overdose.

8. Don't drink tea on empty stomach or with meals. Drinking tea on empty stomach cause "coldness" to enter the lung and stomach system. On the other hand, there are good "Western" reasons why one should avoid drinking tea with meals:

8.a. Tea reduces the absorption of non-heme iron, causing problems to those prone to iron deficiency anemia.

8.b. Tea reduces the absorption of thiamine, or vitamin B. Thiamine deficiency leads to a condition known as 'Beriberi'. Once common to sailors, Beriberi is now relatively rare in the Western world except for alcoholics.

9. The good thing about drinking tea with meals? Tea blocks the absorption of nutrients. Drinking tea with meals can actually help lose weight, but only if the stomach is happy about it.


Tips :
# Drinking tea won't get rid of high temperature. As a mild stimulant, tea may further increase the body temperature. The body cools down by sweating - tea tannins actually inhibit this effect.

Warnings :
# People with special conditions should exercise caution when drinking tea.

# The alkaline nature of tea conflicts with the acids produced by the stomach. Drinking tea around mealtimes can cause indigestion to those with sensitive stomach.

Source : http://www.wikihow.com/Drink-Green-Tea-Without-the-Side-Effects

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How to Drink Green Tea Properly

Have you ever tasted green tea before? If you have not, it is a very tasteful tea. If you did taste it before, did you drink it the proper way? Now relax get a hot cup of green tea and read this article.

Steps :
1. Invite a friend or two to come to your house to drink a cup of green tea.

2. Brew the tea before your friend arrives to your house. After brewing, pour the tea into two cups, one for your friend and one for you.

3. Invite your friend to sit on one chair, and give him or her tea.

4. Chat with him or her and sip your tea sip by sip.

5. After you've drunk 25% of your tea, pour a little more hot water into your tea. Take out the tea leaves and put in new ones.

Tips :
# Add a little sugar to your tea if you think it doesn't have any taste.

# Ask your friend if he wants seconds of the green tea, you don't want your friend to go home angrily.

# You don't need to ask your friend if he or she likes the tea or not.

Warnings:
# Do not sip your tea too quickly. You might burn your lip.

# Do not over brew it. It can make the tea taste a little too bitter.

# Never Boil water with tea in it, ruins the taste. Watch the temperature.

Source : http://www.wikihow.com/Drink-Green-Tea-Properly

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How to Brew Xi Hu Long Jing Green Tea

Xi Hu Long Jing Green Tea ( West Lake Dragon Well tea) is unquestionably the most famous green tea in China and commonly known worldwide. Grown originally in the Long Jing mountain area of Hangzhou, southwest of the West Lake. This tea is also one of China’s top ten teas and the Rolls Royce of the Longjing varieties. Xi Hu Long Jing has more than a thousand years of recorded history and was mentioned in the first ever tea book (Cha Ching) by Lu Yu during the Tang Dynasty.

Steps :
1. Rinse tea cup and teapot with hot water.

2. Use about 3.5 - 7 grams of tea leaves (2-3.5 teaspoons) for every 225 ml of water.

3. Steep tea leaves in hot water at 70°c (158°F) to 80°c (176°F) for 1 minute for the first and second brewing.

4. Gradually increase steeping time and temperature for subsequent brewing.

5. Refill when glass is still 1/3 full

Tips :
# It is recommended that you use glass-based or porcelain tea ware.

# The tea's taste is delicately sweet with a refreshing meadow-like flavor, deep fragrance, very smooth, similar to chestnuts with a sweet aftertaste.

# Store your Xi Hu Long Jing green tea sealed in the freezer to maintain its freshness and flavor. it can last for long if kept in the freezer.

Warnings :
# Do not over brew the tea or use boiling water.

Source : http://www.wikihow.com/Brew-Xi-Hu-Long-Jing-Green-Tea

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How to Brew Green Tea

Its healthy and its good...all you want to know about making that delicious cup of green tea.

Steps :
1. Purchase a box of green tea bags. You will find this in the coffee or tea aisle at the grocery store. If this is your first time trying green tea, I would recommend that you purchase a sampler box of different flavors of green tea. That way, you can see which flavor you like the best.

2. Boil water and pour water into a mug. Or you can just microwave a cup of water.

3. Add your green tea bag to the cup of boiling water.

4. Allow the tea bag to seep in the hot water for 3-5 minutes. You can leave the tea bag in the mug or you can remove the tea bag before enjoying your drink. Its your choice.

5. Add sugar, honey, or milk to suit your taste.

6. Now you are ready to enjoy green tea.

7. Repeat often.

Source : http://www.wikihow.com/Brew-Green-Tea

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