There are many kind of Japanese teas, but they are made from the same tea
plants, but with different ways of processing the tea, that makes the difference.
The Japanese tea service Tea
Ceremony
(in which green tea
is used), is an art form in and of itself.
Brewing
In Japan, high-grade green teas like gyokuro and sencha are considered
best brewed at a relatively low temperature (50-80 degrees); coarser
teas like bancha and hojicha, which are characterized mainly by their
aromatic fragance, are best brewed at a higher temperature ( 90-100 degrees).
In general two to three grams of loose tea are stepped for about one to
two minutes in approximately 2 dl of hot water to make an avarage cup
of Japanese green tea.
Preparation of Japanese Tea (20 cl)
| Type of Tea |
Amount of Tea [g]
|
Water Temperature [C]
|
Infusion Time [s]
|
Gyukuro
|
35
|
50
|
150
|
Sencha
|
5-7
|
70-90
|
60-120
|
Yanagi-Cha
|
5
|
95
|
60
|
Genmai-Cha
|
5
|
95
|
60
|
Hoji-Cha
|
5
|
95
|
60
|
Kukicha
|
12-30
|
60-80
|
60-120
|
More on brewing of Japnese tea
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Kinds of Japanese Tea
The various kinds of green tea produced in Japan differ according
to cultivation and the method used in processing the leaves.
Sencha
Gyokuro
Matcha
Bancha
Houjicha
Mecha
Kukicha
Genmaicha
Sencha
The most popular type of green teas. It makes up to 90% of all
Japanese processed leaf tea which has a wide variety in quality and price.
The leaves are dark green and needle-shaped. High quality one is
served only on speical occassions. Brewed with hot (not boiling) water,
sencha has a mildly astringent flavor.
Gyokuro
Gyokuro is the top grade of leaf among Japan's green teas. It means
"the dew of jewels". It is made from the tenderest leaves of tea
bushes kept covered by bamboo blinds during cultivation. Gyokuro
is grown in the Uji district of Honshu near Kyoto. Its dark leaves produce
a light yellowish-green tea when brewed. Gyokuro has a stronger flavour and
aroma with less bitterness than Sencha
because when the buds are about to come out, the teas buses are shaded..
Matcha
Matcha is a powdered form of green tea used mainly in the Japanese
Tea ceremony (chanoyu). Like gyokuro, it is made from careful choosen
tea leaves, which are steamed, dried, and then ground into powder. Hot
water is added to the powder and then rapidly beaten with a bamboo whisk.
The tea is cloudy dark green in color and has a astringent flavor.
Bancha
Bancha is a low-grade tea. It essentially is the same at sencha
but made from older, brittle leaves. Bancha has a yellowish brown tint
and a slightly astringent taste. Though is lower in grade, but it
has a very simple taste, so it is pleased to drink after meals or to drink
when thirsty.
Houjicha
Houjicha is a roasted Bancha
which is made from sencha and bancha heated at high temperature (150
degrees celsius) until the leaves turn brown, has a strong roasted flavor.
It is a dark reddish brown color and has a strong robust flavor.
It is also pleased to drink after meals or when thirsty.
Mecha
It is tea buds slected while refining Sencha
or Gyokuro
. It has strong flavor and taste. It is better than coffee when
standing sleepy.
Kukicha
It is tea stems also selected while refining. It tastes light and
has fresh flavor. It is for everyday use.
Genmaicha
It is a mixture of Bancha
and popped Genmai (hulled rice kernels). It makes a light brown tea
with a sovay flour.
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