While intrepidly exploring rec.food.drink.tea, Michael Plant
rolled initiative and posted the following:

> /15/04
>
>
>> While intrepidly exploring rec.food.drink.tea, Jaime rolled
>> initiative and posted the following:
>>
>>>
>>> I have taken to drinking Red Rose Green Tea. I bought a box
>>> of it a few months ago, transferred the tea bags to a canister
>>> but it sat in my kitchen cupboards untouched. I just brewed a
>>> cup of it and it seems good.
>>>
>>> I was wondering (since I tossed the box all those months ago)
>>> how long should I let it steep for and is brewing green tea
>>> do-able in a teapot. I use a brown betty type pot.
>>
>> Loose leaf green teas typically steep for twice the time of
>> blacks, e.g. 3 minutes is typical for a black tea, while 6 to 7
>> minutes is typical of greens. Green tea is also steeped at a
>> lower temperature.
>
> Derek, I steep greens seldom more than 2 minutes, even at
> temperatures as low as 130 degrees (in the case of best Long
> Jins and Gyokuros). Once the leaves open, even less time is
> required. Perhaps I'm putting in far more leaf than you. My
> formula is simple enough and usually works: Half the number of
> grams of dry tea as there will be ounces of wet water. More
> often I brew at between 160 and 175. Most good green teas seem
> happy at this range. Six or seven minutes sounds like a pretty
> long steep to me.

You're using much more green tea than I am. I use about 1/3 or even
1/4 as much as you do.

I could be doing it "wrong", but it's always worked for me and
produced quite tasty results.

--
Derek

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