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Pouring Ippodo green tea from above frmo ivory clay banko-yaki kyusu teapot into glass carafe with lid removed for storing

How to Make Japanese Tea to Share

Written on January 02, 2022 (updated on March 02, 2023)

It’s lunch, and a group of friends are over. You’re just about to sit down to eat, but you don’t have anything to drink!

Japanese green teas-sencha, gyokuro, genmaicha, and hojicha- pair really well with all sorts of lunches, from sandwiches to stews; burritos to bowls of salad.

Pick your favorite aroma, and with a kettle of hot water, you can have a pitcher full of tea ready to serve in about 3 minutes.

Recipe for Sharing (Gyokuro or Sencha)

Makes one pitcher
1. Measure the leaves
2 tbsp. (10 g / 0.35 oz)
Add tea leaves to a kyusu or teapot.
Silver tablespoon filled with dried rolled Ippodo premium Japanese green tea leaves with
Silver tablespoon filled with dried rolled Ippodo premium Japanese green tea leaves with
Recipe for Sharing (Gyokuro or Sencha)
1. Measure the leaves
2 tbsp. (10 g / 0.35 oz)
Add tea leaves to a kyusu or teapot.
2. Add boiling water
240 mL (8 oz) 100°C (212°F)
Pour boiling water to cover tea leaves.
Pouring hot steamy water from stainless steel tea kettle into brown clay side-handle Japanese Yakishime Kyusu on wood table
Pouring hot steamy water from stainless steel tea kettle into brown clay side-handle Japanese Yakishime Kyusu on wood table
Recipe for Sharing (Gyokuro or Sencha)
2. Add boiling water
240 mL (8 oz) 100°C (212°F)
Pour boiling water to cover tea leaves.
3. Brew
30 seconds
Brew without stirring or disturbing the tea leaves.
Pouring hot steamy water from stainless steel tea kettle into brown clay side-handle Japanese Yakishime Kyusu on wooden table
Pouring hot steamy water from stainless steel tea kettle into brown clay side-handle Japanese Yakishime Kyusu on wooden table
Recipe for Sharing (Gyokuro or Sencha)
3. Brew
30 seconds
Brew without stirring or disturbing the tea leaves.
4. Repeat and serve
Pour out every last drop into a pitcher. Repeat steps 2-4 (with zero seconds brew time) until the pitcher is full.
Serve to your guests.
Pouring green tea from above from brown Yakishime clay kyusu teapot into large glass carafe with white Ippodo Tea engravings
Pouring green tea from above from brown Yakishime clay kyusu teapot into large glass carafe with white Ippodo Tea engravings
Recipe for Sharing (Gyokuro or Sencha)
4. Repeat and serve
Pour out every last drop into a pitcher. Repeat steps 2-4 (with zero seconds brew time) until the pitcher is full.
Serve to your guests.

Recommended Teas

Recommended Utensils

Ippodo Tea - blending teas that deserve to be rebrewed

As a Japanese tea specialist established in Kyoto three centuries ago, we blend and produce each of our teas with experience and high standards of quality.

Since our tea leaves have endurance, you can rebrew them three times without sacrificing flavor. Between each brew, peek inside the pot—if it looks like the tea leaves have not fully opened up yet, you can even try brewing a fourth or fifth time.

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