How to Brew

Unlike other teas, do not mix anything else into green tea - especially not sugar or milk. Brew it strong if you can manage it - that's how the farmers drink it. Your taste buds will adjust if you do, and the benefits will be greater. 

Farmer Tea

Whether it be Sencha, Hojicha, or Genmaicha - the coarser, stem-inclusive cuts in this group hold up well to a stronger brew and a second or third steep. Use hot (not boiling) water, roughly 80–85°C, and steep for 60–90 seconds. 

*Dad's tip: Green tea is easy to burn, which will turn it brown and destroy the taste. To get the right brewing temperature in a normal glass kitchen kettle, listen for the rumble to lower in tone just before the boiling stage, when tiny snow-like bubbles begin to float upwards from the bottom - that's the moment. Once poured and allowed to steep for a minute or two, feel free to strongly agitate the filter cup - green tea likes to be shaken up a little!

*Mum's tip: We always serve green tea in a white (inside) cup, because the colour is one way the tea speaks to you. In summer you can also brew these teas cold overnight, and leave the jug in the fridge to be served in a tall glass over ice. Perfect for those hot summer days!  

Other Teas

With so many possible varieties to choose from, each with its own particular method, we can't cover every possibility here - but almost all will work out fine using just the instructions provided above as a starting point.