by Rena Sherwood

Created on: September 04, 2008   Last Updated: November 28, 2011

Green tea has a subtle, refreshing flavor when brewed correctly. When you haven't brewed it correctly, it can taste beyond vile. You can't just stick a bag in a mug and pour boiling water onto it, such as you can do with herbal teas or black teas. You need a different mindset in order to get a great cup of green tea.

Only Use Hot Water

Although green tea is becoming easier to find in the West, even tea makers and distributors are still under the impression that you can make it like the other teas Westerners are used to. Many brands of green tea, even Tetley and Lipton, instruct that you are to pour boiling water in a mug with a green tea bag and then let steep for two to three minutes.

You only do that if you want a really, really bitter brew to make you wince. Ignore the directions on any box or tea bag. You do need to really get to know the sounds of your kettle.

First off, you should only use hot water not boiled. Boiling water is too much for the green tea and makes it bitter. Green tea needs to brew in merely hot water. What you have to do is wait until the kettle is about to boil and then use that water.

You could also let the kettle boil, turn the kettle off, wait a few seconds and then pour, but that can be iffy. Boiling releases the oxygen in the water and can make the tea taste flat. But even flat hot water is better than boiling hot water.

One To Two Minutes Only

Green tea brewing is a fine balance. Take the leaves or bag out too early and you get a cup of hot water. Take it out too late and the tea tastes awful. You may need to sacrifice a couple of green tag bags in order to determine the right length of time to brew. Usually, it is about one to two minutes. Some people like their green tea to be brewed for only thirty seconds.

Then, you add your choice of sweetener or a slice of lemon and enjoy. Just be sure not to use milk. That will make a very noxious brew, indeed.

For Iced Tea

So far, we've only been discussing how to make a cup of hot green tea. Many people in the East prefer to drink it hot, but many North Americans prefer their green tea iced. If you are brewing green tea in order to eventually drink it cold over ice then you don't have to be so vigilant about brewing time. You still should use only hot water instead of boiling.

However, if you forget and use boiling water, your resulting brew will be bitter. You can thin the taste down by adding cold water to the tea.

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