How to Brew Gyokuro Tea

Equipment:

• Tea Pot (Kyusu)
• Tea Cup (Yunomi) or mug
• Teaspoon 

Ingredients:

• Approx. 3-5 g Gyokuro Green Tea Loose Leaf (1 -2 teaspoonful)
• 100ml boiled & cooled water (about 50-60C)

Instructions:

1. Boil and cool the water to about 50-60C.
2. Add about 3-5 g of Gyokuro Green Tea leaves into a teapot.
3. Pour 100ml of warm water into the pot.
4. Let it sit for 2-2.5 min untill fully steeped. Feel free to wait for longer if you wish to get stronger flavour.

Notes:

• The temperature of the water is crucial when it comes to Gyokuro green tea because warm water helps the amino acids (which gives umami) be extracted from the leaf as well as helps prevent catechin (which causes bitterness) from being extracted. 
• Easiest way to cool the hot water is to use some clean empty cups. First pour boiling hot water from a kettle/pan into one cup. Then immediately shift it into the next empty cup. Repeat until the water cools down to the desired temperature. In winter, the temperature of hot water generally drops by 10C when shifted from one cup to another.
• The first brew has the natural aroma and sweetness from Gyokuro green tea. If you decide to make the second or third brew, steep the tea with 5-10 degrees higher water temperature and shorten the steeping time. The high-quality Gyokuro green tea can be used for three infusions.