Vlad,
I'm sure others on the NG will add their input, but here are some starting-point suggestions:
- For green tea, keep the water temp below 180F/80C.
- Look at the dry tea leaves - if they appear to be smallish, use a rounded dessertspoonful of tea per 8oz/250ml of water. If the leaves are fairly large, start with 2 spoonfuls.
- Warm the pot, add the tea, pour in the hot water.
- Try brewing for 2 minutes. Immediately pour ALL of the tea out of the pot.
- Taste. If still too bitter, shorten the time. If you cannot shorten the time to the point where the tea still tastes good but is not too bitter, try another tea. Just between you and me, green tea is an acquired taste - I much prefer black teas, but I've had a few greens that don't taste to me like spinach water. Paradoxically, my favorite is gunpowder.
Keep experimenting!
Regards, Dean
Hey, hello! I've only recently started to prepare a green tea at home
> and I came to I conclusion I may be doing something wrong... :-) I
> bought about 4 different kinds of fresh medium price/quality tea
> (Oolong,Gyokuro types), they look nice they smell nice, but when I try
> to make a drink of them, I only get a coloured hot water without much
> taste or aroma... I tried using a lot of tea leaves, I tried using
> just a little but the best result I can get is more or less bitter hot
> water without any special sensual amusement. :-) Now, while "why
> should a tea bring you any special sensual amusement?" is surely a
> question on itself I'm considered about the following ones:
>
> Where did I go wrong?! :-)
> Is it the temperature of the water? Do I use too hot or too cold > water?
> How about the amount of the tealeaves I should use? I am not looking
> for an exact and ultimate amount as I am sure hardly any exists but
> more for a little guidance, so how many, if it can be quantified? One,
> two teaspoons per half litter of water?
> Three, five seven?!
> Should I remove the tea leaves after some time or leave where it is?
> Or is it better to "remove" the liquids after a while? What's the
> usual time of preparation?
>
> Now AGAIN! I am sure there's lots of you who'd say, "well, the tea is
> ready when it is good, there are no rules to follow" and I generally
> agree. But as I there's no person around that I can observe while
> he/she prepares the tea and learn I would apreciate any little hint
> from you to start with...
>
> Thank you thank you thank you! Ah, and I am sure it is me, not the tea
> that is wrong! :-) Thanks and have a nice weekend!
>
> Vlad
> -z3r0-