Green tea preparation and storage guide

Green Tea Preparation

All premium loose leaf green teas are made of young tender tip leaves (eg, Bi-Luo-Chun and Mao Jian). It is crucial to avoid over steeping so that the tea brew does not lose it refreshing taste and silky texture. There are three essential factors that one needs to take into consideration when making your favourite brew: 1/ amount of tea leaves to use 2/ water temperature 3/ brewing time. Everyone has a difference preference just like everyone has a different taste. The following serves as a guide for you to experiment and build on:

1. Boil water and let the water temperature drop down to around 75-80^OC before start brewing
2. Quantity of tea leaves: about 1/2-1 tea spoon of the tea leaves per cup or 2 tea spoon per small tea pot. (The strength of the tea could be adjusted to personal preference by adjusting the amount of the tea leaves put in.)
3. Add the leaves to the brewing vessel before adding the 75-80^OC water to it up til about 1/3 of the tea vessel.
4. Allow to sit for 10-20 seconds before topping up the same temperature water. Serve after 10-20 seconds of brewing time.
5. Don't put a lid on the brewing vessel to reduce the chance of stewing the tea.
6. Repeat infusions: The tea leaves can be used for repeat infusions for up to 3-4 times by just topping up with hot water, slightly increase brewing time (about 20-30 additional seconds) with each extra infusion.

Hints:

• Most of premium Chinese teas are hand handled. We always recommend rinsing the tea leaves for up to 5 seconds before brewing: add the tea leaves to the teapot->top up with 75-80^OC water and dispose the water after 5-10 seconds (until the tea leaves are softened and start unfolding)
• Recommended brewing vessel: GLASS. Made of tender and young tea leaves, all fine green teas present a dynamic and elegant 'under water forest' phenomenon when hot water is added. For the Chinese green tea lovers, this is all part of the enjoyment while assessing the tea leaves unfolding.
• Green teas are not to be made too strong.
• Do not soak tea leaves. Use a small tea vessel wherever it is possible and top up with hot water frequently. Fresh made and freshly served teas are the best.  
• Avoid using big teapots. Big teapots take big volume of hot water and the water temperature stays hot for long period of time. This can cause tender young green tea leaves being over stewed and lose their refreshing taste. 

Advance Green Tea Preparation:

Three ways to add tea leaves: 

1. Top dropping: suitable for teas with tight shape and solid body such Dragon Well, Bi Luo Chun and Bamboo Green. Rinse the brewing vessel with 75-80^OC water to ensure the vessel is the equal temperature as the water and nicely moistened -> dispose the rinsing water -> add 75-80^OC water to the vessel -> add the tea leaves into the hot water from the top and watch the leaves soften and gradually drop to the bottom, some directly and other float and wave their way down
2. Mid-adding: suitable for teas with loose and expended shapes such as Liuan Leaf, Mao Feng and Monkey King. Due to the stretched and 'puff' shapes of these teas, the top dropping method will cause the leaves floating on top of the vessel and hard to decent. To avoid this, the Chinese have adopted: add tea leaves to the brewing vessel -> pour in 75-80^OC water to about 1/3 of the vessel -> wait for a minute or so til the tea leaves soak up the water and soft -> top up the vessel with the 75-80^OC water before serving
3. Base-adding: add the tea leaves to the vessel before adding 75-80^OC water on top. This method is mostly used for green teas that are not so fine and tender (eg, lower quality loose leaf green teas made of more mature leaves instead of the fine tip leaves.) 

 Green teas’ storage:

• store in a cool, dry place that is absent from direct light and foreign odour;
• keep the unopened satchels refrigerated to prolong the freshness.

To order our premium green tea, please go to: GREEN TEA .