What is the best water for tea?

To make delicious tea, you also need to pay attention to the water.

As you may know, there are hard water and soft water. Water is classified according to the content of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Water with a Japanese hardness of less than 100 is considered soft water, and water with a Japanese hardness of 100 or more is considered hard water.

Soft water is characterized by a smooth, unobtrusive taste, and tap water in Japan is classified as soft water, except in some areas such as Okinawa. On the other hand, hard water has a slightly hard taste and a unique flavor.

Soft water is good for Japanese tea

It is generally said that soft water is best suited for Japanese tea.

Because it has a low mineral content, it does not affect the ingredients of the tea, allowing you to enjoy the original flavor of the tea leaves. On the other hand, hard water is said to suppress the leaching of catechins, resulting in a taste that is less bitter than the typical Japanese tea.

However, everyone has different preferences. Those who don't like bitterness may find that using hard water makes it taste better.

Tap water is OK

In Japan, tap water is soft, so you can make delicious tea without using mineral water.

Boiling the water will reduce the chlorine smell, and if it bothers you, you can leave it for 4-5 hours (make sure to keep it in a cool place) or pass it through a water purifier containing activated charcoal to make it safer.

The key is to keep boiling for 1-2 minutes

To make delicious tea, once the water has boiled it is important to keep it boiling for a minute or two.

This not only removes the chlorine odor, but continuing to boil the water breaks down the water clusters (groups of molecules) into smaller pieces, making it easier for the water molecules to penetrate the tea leaves, which is said to bring out the tea's ingredients and flavor better.

By the way, boiling for 3-5 minutes is too long. The air in the water escapes, making the aroma weaker and the taste somewhat bland. Be sure to pay attention to the boiling time!