How To Make And Steep Green Tea

Many advocates recommend drinking about three to four cups per day for the most anti-aging benefits of green tea, but even drinking one to two cups is a step in the right direction with this Sirtfood.

The standard way to brew green tea is to:

Place your tea bag or high-quality tea leaves (purchase organic from a reputable company for the best tea) in your teapot.

1. Heat or boil water, but don’t let it completely boil and become too hot, as this can destroy some of the delicate compounds found in green tea leaves. The “ideal” temperature for brewing green tea is between 160 degrees Fahrenheit to 180 degrees F (traditionally standard Japanese green teas brew at slightly higher temperatures). Pour hot water into the teapot to steep the leaves for only about 1–3 minutes. Larger leaves need more time to steep than finer, smaller leaves. At this point, you can also add any fresh herbs you plan on steeping.
2. Once brewed, pour a little tea at a time into each cup in order to have the tea’s strength evenly distributed. At this point, you can add some lemon juice or raw honey as the finishing touch.

There is authoritative source material on preparing green tea here

Because it’s used somewhat differently than regular green tea, directions for making matcha green tea are found below (note that directions can vary, so it’s best to read the label of the product you purchase):

1. Fill the kettle with fresh, filtered water and heat to just short of boiling.
2. Fill the matcha bowl or cup with hot water and pour out (to warm the bowl/cup).
3. Add 1 teaspoon of matcha powder to the bowl or cup and 2 ounces of nearly boiled water.
4. Whisk for a minute or two until it looks thick and frothy with a tiny bubble, then add 3–4 more ounces of water before drinking.