The attention to small detail is found not only in the art of tea making, but in cooking and many other Japanese activities.  Is it important?  Yes, it is and you will be handsomely rewarded for your effort in what can be a fulfilling ceremony.

1. Selecting a Suitable Teapot and Cups

An ordinary teapot (preferably a small size) and cups can be used for green tea, however, it is best that the teapot is used exclusively for making green tea.  Japanese teapots have a wire mesh insert that has been made for green tea infusion. (We plan to sell Japanese tea ware on this website in the near future.)  The Japanese use an aesthetically appealing teapot and cups for added enjoyment.

2. Quantity of Tea

Use 2 to 3 level teaspoons of tea for 300 to 400ml of water. (This will make 2 cups of tea.)  Experiment to find the strength you prefer most.  Make only the exact amount of tea you are going to drink straight away.  Do not leave the water in the teapot or the left over tea will become bitter.

For houjicha, use 3 or more heaped teaspoons of tea according to taste.

3.  Water Temperature and Steeping Time

The temperature and brewing time vary depending on what type of green tea leaves you are using.  Here, we will write about the teas that are sold on our website.

Sencha

Bring the water to boil and pour the water into the cups you are going to use and allow it to cool for a few minutes.  (The water should be hot, but not boiling.)  About 60 ˚C (156˚F) to 65˚C (169˚F) for Hatsutsumi and about 70˚C (182˚F) to 75˚C (195˚F) for all other sencha leaves (including kukicha and konacha).  Pour the water from the cups into the teapot and steep for about 2 to 3 minutes according to taste.

Houjicha

You can pour boiling water on this tea and steep for 5 minutes or more according to taste.

4. Pouring the Tea

If you are making more than 1 cup of tea, pour a little into each cup in order.  If you fill the first cup and then move on to the second, third and so on, inevitably, the first cup will contain the weakest tea and the last cup will contain the strongest tea.  So, to avoid this, tea needs to be poured in sequence so as to make each cup the same strength.

5. Second Infusion

After the first infusion, the tea leaves in the teapot will not continue to steep, so you can use the same leaves for the second infusion.  Although the leaves can be infused again, one may taste some difference between the first and the second infusions.

For the second infusion, pour hot water into the teapot and steep for 2 to 3 minutes for sencha and 5 minutes for houjicha.  Some sencha can often become bitter during the second infusion, but not our tea.  You can pour the tea without steeping, if you prefer it.

It is recommended not to re-use leaves that have been left in the pot for more than 2 to 3 hours even if you have only used them once.

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