Exact quantities, then the method.
Green Tea asks for the opposite of rooibos or Black Tea: not a fierce boil, but cooler water and a short steep. Boil the kettle to clear any flat taste from the water, then let it stand for a couple of minutes to drop to around 80C before it goes anywhere near the leaf. Too hot and the green tea scalds, turning the cup harsh and bitter.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the How to Brew Green Tea (and Why 80C Matters) recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/green-tea/how-to-brew-green-tea-and-why-80c-matters/
Two habits make all the difference with Dragonfly Organic Pure Green Mountain. Keep the steep short, two to three minutes, because green tea over-brews quickly. And when the time is up, simply lift the bag out; do not squeeze it against the side of the cup, as that wrings out the tannins and leaves the cup astringent.
You'll need
- 1 Dragonfly Organic Pure Green Mountain tea bag
- 200ml freshly drawn water (use less than a full mug; green tea works better in 200ml than 250ml)
- 1 thin curl of unwaxed lemon peel (optional, the citrus oil lifts the vegetal notes; never use lemon juice on green tea)
- 1 tsp honey (optional, but Pure Green Mountain is balanced enough to drink plain)
Method
- Bring the kettle to a full boil. Boiling first drives off any flat or chlorine taste in the water before you let it cool.
- Take the kettle off the heat and leave it to stand, lid open, for two minutes. That brings it down from 100C to about 80C, which is what green tea wants. A thermometer will read it exactly, but the two-minute rule is reliable without one.
- While it stands, warm a cup by half-filling it with hot water and tipping it out. A smaller cup suits green tea; about 200ml of brew in a 250ml cup is the right amount.
- Drop the tea bag into the warm cup.
- Pour the cooled 80C water over the bag, filling to about a centimetre below the rim.
- Cover with a saucer or tea cosy to hold in the delicate aromatics during the short steep.
- Steep for two to three minutes, no longer. Green tea over-extracts fast, and the gap between three minutes and five is the gap between a clean cup and a bitter one.
- Lift the bag out with a teaspoon and discard. Do not press it against the side; squeezing a green tea bag forces out the tannins and turns the cup astringent.
- If you like, twist a thin curl of lemon peel over the surface to drop a little of its oil in, then add the peel to the cup. The peel gives a fragrant lift without the sharpness that a squeeze of juice would bring.
- Drink it while it is hot and fresh, in the first ten minutes or so, with a plain shortbread or a slice of sponge if you fancy.
The tea it is made with, and what to make next.
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Brewed with: Dragonfly Organic Pure Green Mountain, 40 Tea Bags 80g
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