Hi, I'm new here too; I appreciated your post as I love Sencha.
You can really reduce the amount of caffeine in your cup by brewing
your first cup for 30 seconds to 1 minute and pouring it out into the sink.
Sencha is a delicate leaf and releases its constituents quickly, so your subsequent cups will be much lower in caffeine than your first.
Personally, I like 160 degrees at 90 seconds. If you don't have a digital thermometer and timer yet, you really must get one of each.
The thing I've noticed about Sencha is that it is very high in Qi; the first brew will enliven your mind without "buzzing you out". The following brews (you can get at least two) are loaded with theine, which has a calming effect and also contains a lot of the beneficial elements of tea.
Try to deal with the first brew, though. It's a great morning wake-up!
Also, keep in mind that the Japanese monk who discovered tea while he was in China fell in love with it because it helped him to meditate without falling asleep. This is why it caught on in Japan and their technique of steaming the leaves retains all of the healthy constituents.
Remember that tea needs to be brewed for a total of 3 to 5 minutes in
hot water to release all of it's goods.
I hope that this helps somewhat.
Re: hello
Hi Kasey, thank you for the tips. This is very helpful, and I appreciate you taking the time to write. Also, welcome to teachat, nice to hear from another new person.
I actually do need to invest in a thermometer so that I can be more accurate with temperature. I use the guess method still! I use a stopwatch to time my steeps though already. I don't hear too many folks here talk about a stopwatch rather than a timer, but as far as I know it works the same, just counts up rather than down.... It's so multipurpose. I use it for cooking, baking, tea, and working out!
Is there a particular thermometer type you would recommend? I've been stalling because I'm not too clear on what type to use.
Also, what does Qi mean? As a martial arts enthusiast my first guess would be that you are talking about the Eastern idea of life force, but I may be reading into this the wrong way.
Again, thanks for your input. Getting a new view on sencha and caffeine was helpful.
I actually do need to invest in a thermometer so that I can be more accurate with temperature. I use the guess method still! I use a stopwatch to time my steeps though already. I don't hear too many folks here talk about a stopwatch rather than a timer, but as far as I know it works the same, just counts up rather than down.... It's so multipurpose. I use it for cooking, baking, tea, and working out!
Is there a particular thermometer type you would recommend? I've been stalling because I'm not too clear on what type to use.
Also, what does Qi mean? As a martial arts enthusiast my first guess would be that you are talking about the Eastern idea of life force, but I may be reading into this the wrong way.
Again, thanks for your input. Getting a new view on sencha and caffeine was helpful.
Re: hello
Hi JazzNGreen,
Digital thermometers are pretty much the same, and you can get them at
any home goods store like Tags or Target for $13 to $15. They are more
accurate than the mechanical type and a LOT more rugged than the glass
candy thermometers, so they are worth the price.
Qi, as I understand it (as far as tea goes) has to do with the feeling of well-being that a particular type of tea brings. I don't know if it's because
they are steamed, but Japanese teas seem to offer more of this quality
than Chinese teas, which are usually pan or wok fried.
I wish it were otherwise, because I prefer my tea to taste other than
vegetal!
Digital thermometers are pretty much the same, and you can get them at
any home goods store like Tags or Target for $13 to $15. They are more
accurate than the mechanical type and a LOT more rugged than the glass
candy thermometers, so they are worth the price.
Qi, as I understand it (as far as tea goes) has to do with the feeling of well-being that a particular type of tea brings. I don't know if it's because
they are steamed, but Japanese teas seem to offer more of this quality
than Chinese teas, which are usually pan or wok fried.
I wish it were otherwise, because I prefer my tea to taste other than
vegetal!
Re: hello
Hi Kasey, thanks so much for your reply. I will take a look at some digital thermometers and probably try to pick one up soon. I'm sure it would help me get a more consistent brewing method.
Thank you for explaining Qi, I think I recall seeing that term used to describe a lot of the Pu' Erh teas in that section here at Teachat now that you mention it, so perhaps you could look into those if you like the extra Qi.
That might be some what of an acquired taste, but it's an option.
Thank you for explaining Qi, I think I recall seeing that term used to describe a lot of the Pu' Erh teas in that section here at Teachat now that you mention it, so perhaps you could look into those if you like the extra Qi.
That might be some what of an acquired taste, but it's an option.