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 heaped teaspoon) of leaf per 200 ml
- Solvent:
- water at 70–80 °C, 1–2 minutes; the same leaves can be infused 2–3 times
- Shelf life:
- drink within an hour; oversteeping makes it bitter
- Target compounds:
- catechins (EGCG), caffeine and theanine; lower temperature slows the release of bitter catechins and tannins
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 — Traditional use of green tea leaf to relieve fatigue and a feeling of weakness.
- EFSA ANS Panel (2018): Scientific opinion on the safety of green tea catechins. EFSA Journal 16(4):5239 — The infusion is safe; concentrated supplements containing ≥ 800 mg of EGCG daily are associated with liver damage.
Related
Tea plant — Herb card
Herbal infusion (tea) — Processing method detail