Recipe
Green tea brewed properly
- Herb:
- Tea plant Camellia sinensis
- Method:
- Herbal infusion (tea)
- Plant part:
- Leaf
About 5 minBeginnerRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Bring water to the boil and let it cool for 3–5 minutes to 70–80 °C (or pour it into an empty mug and back).
- Put 2–3 g of leaf (a heaped teaspoon) per 200 ml into the pot.
- Pour and steep for 1–2 minutes; Japanese greens prefer shorter, Chinese longer.
- Pour off completely, never leave leaf sitting in water. Re-steep the same leaf 2–3 more times, each slightly hotter.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 2–3 g (1 vrchovatá čajová lžička) listu na 200 ml
- Solvent:
- voda 70–80 °C, 1–2 minuty; stejný list lze zalít 2–3×
- Shelf life:
- vypít do hodiny; přelouhovaný hořkne
- Target compounds:
- katechiny (EGCG), kofein a theanin; nižší teplota zpomalí uvolňování hořkých katechinů a taninů
Notes
An everyday drink. It contains caffeine — moderate in pregnancy and for children. According to EFSA, the liver-injury risk concerns concentrated extracts in food supplements (≥ 800 mg EGCG a day), not the infusion; do not stack extract supplements on top of tea 'for health'.
Why it works
Temperature and time set the ratio of theanine and caffeine (fast to dissolve) to bitter catechins and tannins (slower); that is why cooler water and short steeping taste sweeter. The EMA monograph bases the fatigue use on tradition and caffeine content.
Literature
- EMA HMPC — Camelliae sinensis non fermentatum folium, European Union herbal monograph — Tradiční použití zeleného čajového listu k úlevě od únavy a pocitu slabosti.
- EFSA ANS Panel (2018): Scientific opinion on the safety of green tea catechins. EFSA Journal 16(4):5239 — Nálev je bezpečný; koncentrované doplňky s ≥ 800 mg EGCG denně souvisí s poškozením jater.
Related
Tea plant — Herb card
Herbal infusion (tea) — Processing method detail