How to brew and enjoy Sencha deliciously

This time's Baicha Diary will introduce you to the basic method of brewing Sencha to make it delicious and enjoyable.

The most recommended method for making sencha is to brew tea leaves in a teapot.

It brings out the maximum potential of tea leaves.

The brewing method is very simple, so please give it a try.

◾️1 / Preparing tools

First, prepare what you need to brew tea.

From the left: a teacup, a hot water cooler (*a teacup is also OK), a teapot, and 4~5g of tea leaves.

If you have these tools, you are ready.

Next, let's boil the water.

◾️2 / First cooling with hot water

Once the water has boiled, pour it into the empty teapot and lower the temperature.

This will reduce the hot water from 100°C to approximately 90°C.

Also, by warming the teapot during this process, you can enjoy the sweet aroma when you add tea leaves later.

◾️3 / Second cooling

Transfer the hot water from the teapot to the cooling water.

Every time you transfer hot water to another vessel, the temperature drops by about 10℃.

This will bring the temperature of the water from 90°C to around 80°C.

This is the best temperature for brewing the first brew of tea.

◾️4 / Put tea leaves into the teapot

Put the tea leaves into the teapot.

First, try smelling the aroma inside the teapot with just the tea leaves in it.

You can enjoy the sweet and refreshing scent of tea leaves.

The scent differs depending on the tea leaves, so that is another key point in enjoying it.

◾️5 / Pour hot water into the teapot

Pour the hot water from the cooler into the teapot containing the tea leaves.

After pouring hot water, wait for 1 minute.

While you wait, sencha is slowly brewing in the teapot.

Wait quietly without moving the teapot.

◾️6 / Pour the tea

Pour the tea into the teacup.

If you have multiple tea cups , take turns pouring the tea so that the strength of the tea is even.

The important point is to get every last drop out.

The last drop is called the "golden drop" and contains the concentrated flavor and aroma of tea.

If you do not drain all the hot water and leave it in the teapot, the tea leaves will open up and the second brew will have a bitter taste.

◾️7 / Completion

Now you have your first cup of delicious tea.

For the second brew, skip the cooling process once and brew with 90°C hot water.

For the third infusion, brew directly from boiling 100°C water.

Try increasing the temperature by about 10 degrees Celsius each time you brew it.

The key to making delicious Sencha is to use cold water for the first brew.

If it's too hot , the bitter and astringent ingredients will be extracted all at once.

By brewing at a low temperature, the bitterness and astringency are suppressed and you can enjoy the flavor of the tea leaves.