Caffeine in Green Tea
While it is widely believed that green tea has less caffeine than other teas such as oolong, that is not necessarily true, and studies have found that all teas have about the same amount of caffeine. Green tea in teabags, however, does have slightly less caffeine than the more expensive teas and this can be attributed to the larger, lower quality leaves used in teabags.
If caffeine is a concern for you, there is a method for removing a great deal of the caffeine in green tea. After steeping the leaves for the first time for several minutes, throw away the first batch of tea and you will be throwing away about 50% of the caffeine contained in the leaves as well.
Preparing Green Tea
Korea has eight provinces and while each province has its own unique method of preparing green tea, below is a common method that is familiar to all the provinces.
The most basic equipment needed is a tea pot and cups. And while it is also nice to have a cooling bowl, it is not a necessity. Great tea can also be made using a teacup set with a internal strainers. It is also nice to have a tea container, but again, it is not a necessity.
Using a tea set with a cooling bowl :Boiling water is too hot to make green tea - the extreme heat can burn the leaves and it tends to draw the bitter flavors out of the leaves. Boiling water should first be poured from the tea kettle into the cooling bowl where it should sit for a several minutes to attain the desired temperature. While the water cools, place the tea leaves into the pot. The chart below shows the amount of tea that should be used based on the number of cups of tea to be served (there are many different types of green teas, the chart below is a generalization based on the most common types). Refer to the instructions for your particular type of tea for the amount of tea and steeping time that best suits your tea.
Number of servings Amount of tea leaves Water temperature Steeping time
3 10g = 2 1/2 teaspoons 60C = 140F 2 ½ min.
Once the water is cooled, it is ready to be poured into the pot. After letting it steep for 2 ½ minutes, it should then be poured equally into the cups, and sipped slowly for maximum enjoyment. For a teapot set without a cooling bowl, the boiling water may first be poured into the cups and then left to cool in them for several minutes before it is poured into the teapot. The tea leaves should be used three times, and then washed out of the teapot with water.
Using a cup set with strainers :Again boiling water is too hot to make green tea so the water can either be let to cool some in the kettle, or poured into the cups with the strainers removed. The strainer can be placed on its lid and the tea can be put into the strainer while the water is cooling in the cup. After the water is cooled the strainer can be lowered into the water and then removed and placed back on the lid after steeping.
Water
While many think the quality of the water cannot have an impact on the taste of the tea, nothing could be farther from the truth. The taste and fragrance of the better teas are so delicate that the wrong water - that is water containing chlorine, hard minerals, or other additives - can destroy the delicate aroma and taste of the tea. The best water to use for tea is fresh spring water or a good quality bottled spring water. The water can be boiled in any vessel but a non-reactive one is the best. Ceramic coated pots or teapots, are the best, while bare aluminum vessels are the worst as the aluminum is very reactive and tends to add a metallic flavor to the water.
Laying out the Tea Ware
The tea ware should be laid out on a small low tea table or a Gyo-ja-sang (교자상). Though the placement of the various pieces is different for each province and school of thought, below is listed a general guide that is the most common.
As shown in the photo below, the teapot is placed on the right side of the table near the front (the side nearest the server). The cooling bowl directly beyond
it, the tea container is placed in the center of the table, towards the back, and the cups placed on the left towards the back and usually face down. A small spoon and a small scoop are usually placed either between the teapot and the cooling bowl, as shown here, or beyond the cooling bowl on the back edge of the table. To the right of the table is either a kettle with boiling water, a thermos with hot water, or as in this case, both. Prior to the ceremony beginning the entire table and the tea ware should be covered with a cloth. There is also usually a waste water bowl to the side for discarding the unused water and used tea leaves.
Preparing the Tea
Drinking green tea is an art in itself, and the rhythm and ritual of the ceremony is an aid to help the mind relax and achieve a higher level of spiritual enlightenment. In order to achieve that, the following movements are all performed with slow grace, and in a very smooth, controlled and artful motion. First the cloth cover is removed from the top of the table and the tea ware. Next with the right hand the lid of the tea container is removed and placed on a stand (not shown) or on the table in front of the container, and then the lid of the teapot is removed in the same manner. Then with the left hand the tea container is picked up, and with the right hand the spoon is used to place the proper amount of tea in the teapot. The tea container is then returned to its place and the lid restored At this time, hot water from the kettle is poured into the cooling bowl and one must wait the appropriate amount of time for the water to cool sufficiently - generally one to two minutes. After the water is cooled, the bowl should be lifted