How to brew tea

Tea at home can taste much better with a few simple tips. The key is the balance of leaf amount, water amount, temperature, and steeping time. Get this right and the same leaves will shine.

This page shares easy recipes and tips for your daily tea time. Whether it’s a busy morning or a quiet afternoon, you can enjoy fragrant tea at home with minimal effort.

Balance of leaves and water

If you pay attention to the amount of leaves, the amount of water, and the steeping time, it’s easier to get the strength you like.

Amount of leaves: more makes it stronger, less makes it lighter.
Amount of water: less water gives a stronger brew, more gives a milder one. Good leaves often need only a small amount for a rich cup.
Steeping time: use a longer time with lower water temperature and a shorter time with higher. If you prefer less astringency, keep the time short.

Brewing with tea bags

Guide: 160cc water / 70–80°C

Put the tea bag in a mug
Pour about 160cc of hot water
Wait 90–120 seconds

Brewing green tea slowly at 70–80°C brings out sweetness and body. Hojicha is more aromatic at around 90°C. You can add more water to the same bag for a second and third cup.

Teabags

Brewing loose-leaf tea

Guide: 160cc water / 70–80°C

Put about 3g of leaves in a teapot
Pour about 160cc of hot water
Put the lid on and wait 90–120 seconds
Pour slowly. When serving several cups, pour a little into each in turn so everyone gets the same strength.

Fukamushi tea has fine leaves, so a teapot with a fine mesh (fukamushi kyusu) will brew it better.

Leaf tea

Choosing a kyusu for fukamushi tea

Size: 200–300ml is common (2–3 cups). If you usually drink alone, 150–200ml makes it easier to control the amount of water and get a good brew.
Shape: Flatter or wide-bottomed pots are best. Fine leaves spread in a thin layer so the water reaches them evenly and umami is extracted well.
Material: Tokoname and Banko ware are made from clay rich in iron oxide, which reacts with tannins to soften astringency and deepen body. They suit fukamushi tea well.
Strainer: Fukamushi leaves are powdery and can clog normal strainers. Use a stainless mesh or a fine-mesh strainer made for fukamushi.

Deep-steamed tea

Cold-brew tea

Guide: 10–15g leaves (2–3 tbsp) or 2–3 tea bags per 1 litre of water

Put the leaves (or tea bags) in a pot or bottle
Add 1 litre of water
Leave in the fridge for 2–6 hours

Fukamushi gives a vivid green and full-bodied cold brew; hojicha is nutty and light. Drink cold-brew tea within a day.

Teabags for cold brew

Why we use fukamushi for our powder

We use premium Ise fukamushi tea as the base for our powder, not ordinary green-tea powder. While many powdered teas look dull in a latte, ours keeps a deep aroma and vivid green colour. We’ve kept the rich body and colour of fukamushi even in powder form.

Gaienmae Cafe Nyuwa owner and influencer @__wadakanami__ made a fun hojicha latte with Fujihachiya's hojicha powder. Please take a look. You can also enjoy it at Cafe Nyuwa.

Green tea & hojicha latte

Green tea latte

Green tea powder: 3g
Hot water: 25–30ml
Milk: 160cc
Sugar: 1 tsp (optional)

Dissolve the powder in a little hot water, then add warmed milk.

Hojicha latte

Hojicha powder: 3g
Hot water: 25–30ml
Milk: 160cc
Sugar: 1 tsp (optional)

Dissolve the powder in a little hot water, then add warmed milk.

Powder for lattes

Powdered green tea vs matcha

What is powdered green tea

It’s sencha (the tea we brew in a pot) simply ground into powder. It doesn’t have matcha’s special aroma and can look dull in lattes, but it’s easy for daily use and you get the full nutrients of the leaves. Grown in full sun, it’s rich in catechins.

What is matcha

Matcha is made from tencha. The tea is shaded for about 20 days before harvest, which limits the conversion of theanine into catechins. The result is matcha’s vivid green colour and deep, smooth flavour.