hi guys, ive just joined.. was today the starting day? x

Perhaps I should post this in recipes? Ah well.

There are 2 tricks to brewing the perfect cup of green tea.

1) You must NOT use boiling water because it burns the leaves.

It's GREEN tea because it has not been cured the way black tea is. Since it's "fresh" its more delicate than your ordinary black or herbal tea. The Japanese actually pour the boiling water into another container to cool it off slightly before they pour it into the tea pot. I just pour boiling water into my mug and let it sit for a few moments before adding the tea bag.

2) You must NOT steep it for too long.

Seriously, all that's needed is 30 seconds to 1 minute. I forgot to remove the tea bag before I let my dog out this morning, and have a totally sub-par mug of tea as a result (ugh...furry mouth). I know, I always think "longer would be better because it'll be even more anti-toxicant" right? I don't know whether it is or not, but I know personally I won't eat or drink something I don't like. And I don't like having a furry tongue. Furthermore, most people I've met who don't like green tea dislike it for exactly this reason.


Oh, and I recently heard that you have to drink at least 6 cups or more per day to get the benefits green tea is touted to have. So I'm aiming for 2 litres (8 cups/day).