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Boiling water and green tea

I've been drinking green teas for a long time, and I subscribe to the accepted wisdom that green teas, especially high quality delicate greens, should be steeped in water far below the boiling point - maybe as cool as 150 F (65 C) or even lower for some teas.

I just read the Wikipedia section on brewing green tea, and found this:

"Tea Masters living in China nowadays say that boiling water must be used all the time even with green teas because high quality leaves can handle higher temperatures very well. ... If a tea claims to be high grade but the vendor instructions says that boiling water mustn`t be used then there is a chance that the tea is not so high grade."

This sounds like horse hockey to me - but have I missed something?

Randy

P.S. Yeah, I know, you don't have to say it: "What do you expect, it's Wikipedia."

Reply to
RJP
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When I was first experimenting, blindly, with green tea, I rather liked the results I got with boiling water and a 45-second steep. In retrospect, I don't know if I was using good tea or bad (I wasn't keeping records), but I suspect it would be worth a try with some decent teas.

dmh

Reply to
David M. Harris

who cares, try both ways, drink what tastes better to ya. There's no "right" way to enjoy tea.

Reply to
Bonky

Some care, get over it.

I have been told recently to boil the water, but let it cool to under boiling before steeping.

TBerk

Reply to
TBerk

I sense a little emotion in that statement. Why would you be even a little emotional over a post made by a guy on the internet with my silly name?

Realizing that all your time spent looking for an orthodox tea-brewing method has been a waste of time is a little disconcerting, isn't it? I understand. ;)

Reply to
Bonky

The reason one doesn't want to use boiling water on green tea is that the leaf itself has only been dried and steamed, therefore still left in its green state. Boiling water can burn the leaf and make it taste bitter. Best results would seem to be allowing your water to come to a boil then allow a cooling off period. Green tea is best steeped at temperatures ranging between 175 and 195.

Reply to
katrinha

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