Do you struggle with green tea?
Do you look at people strangely (and fail to hide it) when they claim they LOVE green tea?
Have you ever forced yourself to drink it because it's "so good for you", but gave up on it because you'd rather lick rubber tyres?
You're not alone.
(And if you don't relate to this, you already know what's coming next. So stop reading and go enjoy your beautiful cup of green tea.)
There are two reasons why green tea often doesn't tastes delicious (and what you can do about it).
1. You May Be Brewing Green Tea Incorrectly
Green tea leaves are delightfully delicate. They are like newborn babies that need an extra gentle touch.
Water that's too hot is terribly damaging! The result is a bitter, tragic mess.
For green tea leaves and newborn babies alike.
Technically speaking, boiling water will scorch green tea leaves, releasing undesirable, bitter flavours into your cup.
Green tea brewed on cooler water will allow the wonderfully fresh, sweet, even fruity flavours to reach their height of delight on your palate.
How to Brew Green Tea Correctly
Most green tea brews best at 70°C (158°F).
If you don't have a fancy temperature controlled kettle, there is an easy hack to fix this.
Simply fill your teapot/teacup 1/4 full with cold water, then add 3/4 boiling water.
Then add your green tea leaves and coax them into the water with a teaspoon.
2. You May Have Poor Quality Green Tea
There are many elements that make impact on the quality of a green tea.
Let's look at a couple:
The Tea Leaf
Low quality green tea leaves taste bad!
The sweetest, most delightful flavours in green tea are found in the newest part of the tea plant - the buds and the tiniest leaves. It takes great time and skill to harvest this part of the tea plant.
Hand harvested is best.
Good quality green tea is never cheap. If your green tea you are buying is cheap, it's likely you won't enjoy it, because poor quality tea leaves taste bad.
The Age of the Tea
Green tea ages quickly!
The fresh, grassy, sweet flavours of green tea have a fleeting moment in the sun, and then pass on.
It's important to always buy fresh green tea, and enjoy it immediately.
Always purchase green tea from tea companies that regularly buy after tea harvest, and don't keep selling it years after the fact.
When you open your green tea, consume within a couple of months.
The Best Green Tea
Tielka's Jade Mist green tea is one of the best you can find. It is hand-harvested and crafted in spring, and is made from the freshest tea buds and leaves.
It is delicately sweet, and fresh, without an ounce of bitterness.
It has also won four gold medals since 2018 in Australia's Golden Leaf Awards.
You can buy it here: