Tea Brewing Method (H)

This page introduces how to brew the following teas.

The following methods are used to brew these teas.

Let's introduce each method in order.

1. Brewing for Beginners / Large Groups

This method is for brewing teas like black tea and green tea with relatively fine leaves. It uses a teapot with a practical capacity of about 300ml.

For green tea, it's generally believed that brewing at a lower temperature is the norm, but green tea brewed at a higher temperature can also be surprisingly not bitter and has a high aroma with unexpected deliciousness.

Especially at HOJO, we introduce teas rich in minerals and polyphenols. Since polyphenols are more efficiently extracted at higher temperatures, brewing with boiling water is more suitable.

There are many types of teapots for Chinese tea, Japanese tea, and black tea, but as long as the material is considered, they can be used interchangeably between teas.

About the Material of the Teapot and Teacup

Pottery: Pottery teapots are thought to improve flavor, but surprisingly, the majority of pottery can cancel out richness and add astringency. If you don't feel depth in the flavor, it might surprisingly be the teapot's fault, so be careful.

Porcelain and Glass: Porcelain and glass are thought to be neutral and not affect the flavor, but mineral leaching tests show that minerals do leach out, and in fact, significantly affect the flavor of the tea. The higher the quality of the tea, the more careful you need to be in selecting the material.

Regardless of the type of material, consider that the material affects the flavor and choose accordingly. For more details, refer to "How to Select Teaware."

How to Select Teaware >

Water Temperature

100℃ (boiling water)
* Use water that has been boiling for 3–5 minutes.
* Boiling for a while converts calcium bicarbonate in the water to calcium carbonate, making the tea taste sweeter.

Water Volume

300ml (practical capacity)
* Adjust the amount of water and tea leaves to your preference based on the above guidelines.
* As a guideline, 5g can make 1 liter (or more) of tea.
* As another guideline, use 2–3g for 1–2 people, and 5g for 3–4 people.

Tea Leaves

3–5g

• Warm the Teapot
  Pour boiling water into the teapot to warm it up (let it sit for 10 seconds). Once the teapot is sufficiently warm, discard the water and empty the teapot.
  * The more water you use, the better the preheating of the teapot will be.
• Brew the Tea
  Put the appropriate amount of tea leaves into the teapot and pour in boiling water. Steeping times are as follows:
  • 1st infusion: about 1 minute
  • 2nd infusion and beyond: a few seconds to within 10 seconds
  * The first infusion requires steeping time to open the tea leaves. Adjust to your preference.
  * To stabilize the flavor and aroma, use a sharing pot and combine the first and second infusions to get the right strength.
  * The tea leaves will open after the first infusion, so a few seconds is enough for subsequent infusions.
  Sharing Pot (Taiwanese Teaware)

2. Cold Brewing Method

For more details on how to make cold brew tea, please refer to this article.

How to Make Cold Brew Jasmine Tea >

Water

Boiled and cooled water
* Boiling the water converts calcium bicarbonate into calcium carbonate, which enhances the sweetness and flavor.
* Be sure to use water with the chlorine removed.
* If you use raw water, the taste will be somewhat watery.

Tea Leaves

5g per liter

Steeping Time

4–6 hours in the refrigerator, then remove the tea leaves
* If it becomes too strong, dilute it with water.

Storage

Refrigerator (around 5℃)
* This method allows the tea to maintain its freshness for up to 3 days.

3. Brewing for Those Who Want to Limit Caffeine

Caffeine is easily extracted at water temperatures above 80℃ and less easily extracted below 80℃.

By applying this property, it is possible to brew tea with very little caffeine.

Specifically, use water that has been cooled after boiling to make cold brew tea. However, the key is to use a small amount of water for a long time to make a concentrated tea extract (5 times concentrated).

This extract can be diluted with boiling water, like making a drink with Calpis concentrate. By applying this method, you can enjoy freshly brewed tea not only at home but also at work.

Please refer to the following article for more details.

How to Enjoy Tea Brewed at Home at Work >

Water

Boiled and cooled water
* Boiling the water converts calcium bicarbonate into calcium carbonate, which enhances the sweetness and flavor.
* Be sure to use water with the chlorine removed.
* If you use raw water, the taste will be somewhat watery.

Tea Leaves

5g per 100–200ml

Steeping Time

4–6 hours in the refrigerator or at room temperature

How to Drink

Dilute the extracted tea with boiling water to 5 times the amount.

Storage

After opening, reseal the tea in the aluminium bag it arrived in and keep it out of direct sunlight and away from humidity. Do not decant the leaves into a HOJO tin: contact with the metal changes the taste and the flavor.

If you have a heat sealer, sealing the bag with an oxygen absorber inside will keep the tea fresh for far longer.

Do not keep tea in a refrigerator or a freezer. Condensation forms every time the bag is taken out, and within a few days it oxidizes the surface of the leaves and dulls the aroma.

Teas meant to age, such as raw pu-erh and white tea, are best left unopened in as warm a room as you can give them. As with decanting wine, a long-aged tea also gains aroma if you open it and leave it a few days before drinking.