The Biggest Mistake People Make When Brewing Japanese Green Tea

Hello, and welcome!

People often say that in the age of AI, it's a good idea to start a blog—so here I am.

My name is Reiko Wake, and I am a Japanese Tea Ambassador.

In 2016, I became a certified Japanese Tea Instructor in Japan, and since then I have been sharing the beauty and culture of Japanese tea.

Through this blog, I'd love to introduce the wonderful world of Japanese tea, including matcha, sencha, and many other varieties.

For my very first post, there's one message I'd like everyone to remember:

Please don't brew Japanese green tea with boiling water!

If you've tried Japanese green tea before and thought, "It's too bitter. I don't like it," there's a good chance the problem wasn't the tea—it was the water temperature.

Teas like sencha and matcha are meant to highlight their natural sweetness and umami. Unfortunately, using boiling water can overpower those delicate flavors and make the tea taste much more bitter. (I'll explain the science behind this in a future post!)

In fact, Japan even has a traditional tea tool called a yuzamashi, which is specifically used to cool hot water before brewing tea.

Here's an easy tip you can try today:

Instead of pouring boiling water directly into your teapot, first pour it into a cup and let it cool for a minute or two. Then pour it into your teapot and brew your tea as usual.

You'll be surprised at how much smoother, sweeter, and more flavorful your tea becomes.

I hope you'll enjoy exploring the world of Japanese tea with me. See you in the next post!