Guricha!!

[Katmandu]

Hey I was just wondering if anyone had some parameters they could share for brewing guricha...I did 45 sec and then 20 sec and the first one was light and the 2nd was a bit bitter/astringent. Does anyone have a formula to make it sweet?
Thanks in advance!

[Victoria]

According to Den's it should be more sweet and less astringent.

I saw Wesli did a nice review on his blog - check here:

http://thegreenteareview.blogspot.com/2 ... kucha.html

[Chip]

Yeah, as Wes mentions you can up the time a little and/or try upping the amount of leaf. For the first steep, no more than a minute, I recall.

If your second steep is turning out astringent or bitter, perhaps you are using too hot water. 20 seconds is generally not too long for a second steep. I go around 176*. Try cooler or shorter and see if it helps.

[Space Samurai]

Yeah I'd start with Wes' instructions. He and Ed were more fond of that stuff than anyone else I know.

If that doesn't help, you can try looking for sugestions under guricha's other name, tamaryokucha.

[Wesli]

Thanks.

The first steep is best at one minute, but if it's too light, keep adding leaf until it's just right. For the second infusion you can cut the time down to a flash infusion if you need to, then move up from there.