The history of green tea bags and how to make them delicious

Introduction

Tea bags allow you to easily enjoy the rich flavor of green tea.

It can be used in a variety of situations, from a quick drink in the morning to a relaxing afternoon.

This time, we will take a deeper look at the appeal of green tea bags, including their history and tips for brewing them deliciously.

The beginning of tea bags

The birth of tea bags dates back to the late 19th century in America.

At the time, the most common way to sell tea was to put tea leaves in tin cans and sell them wholesale to retailers.

However, New York tea merchant Thomas Sullivan found this method too expensive and came up with the idea of ​​selling the tea in silk bags.

This can be said to be the prototype of the tea bag. Early tea bags were made from silk or gauze, but nowadays they are made from a variety of materials, including paper, nonwoven fabric, and nylon. They also come in a wide variety of shapes, including square, triangular, and circular.

The story behind the creation of green tea bags

Green tea bags were developed in Japan in 1961 when black tea bag making machines were imported.

Initially, it was packed into tea bags to make effective use of the powdered tea that was generated during the green tea manufacturing process.

However, tea bags made from powdered tea, which has little umami flavor, were not recognized for their quality and did not become popular in ordinary households.

The cost vs. quality dilemma

Because of the high cost of packaging materials, tea bags require the sacrifice of tea leaf quality in order to sell them at a low price, which was one of the factors that prevented them from becoming more widespread.

Additionally, green tea is easily oxidized and its quality deteriorates quickly, making it unsuitable for use in tea bags.

Introducing high-quality green tea bags

Green tea bags have long had an image of being low quality, but in recent years, products have been released that use nylon tetra bags and blend sencha and matcha, resulting in significantly improved taste, aroma, and appearance.

Thanks to these improvements, green tea bags have shed their previous negative image and are now attracting attention as a product with new possibilities.

One green tea bag contains roughly one cup (2-3 grams) of tea leaves, and many products contain a small amount of matcha blended in to make the tea appear darker.

For commercial use, powdered tea mixed with second- or third-grade tea, which is of slightly lower quality, is sometimes used, but tea blends with matcha are of stable quality.

Tea bags are often used for making cold-brewed sencha and barley tea because they can be extracted easily and in a short amount of time.

Tips for making delicious tea from tea bags

In order to enjoy green tea in tea bags, it is important to keep a few points in mind, such as the temperature of the water and how to handle the tea bags. Using these points as a reference, try brewing your favorite delicious green tea.

1. Water temperature

First, the temperature of the water will vary depending on the type of sencha, but we recommend a temperature higher than that for brewing in a teapot. If the water is too low, the flavor of the tea will not be fully extracted.

After pouring boiling water over the tea bag, leave it for 30 seconds to 2 minutes to make the tea of ​​the right strength.

2. Teabags first

When brewing tea bags, add the tea bag first and then add the boiling water.

This method allows the tea leaves to open up all at once, allowing the tea ingredients to be extracted efficiently and resulting in a beautiful blue color. By pouring the water slowly, rather than vigorously, the tea leaves do not fly up too much and can be extracted evenly.

3. Shake well

Also, if you shake the tea bag vigorously before removing it, the green tea will have a mellower flavor with less bitterness and astringency.

4. Bring out the rich flavor

If you prefer a richer flavor, pour 60 to 80 degree hot water into a teacup until it is half full, steep the tea bag for 3 to 4 minutes, then shake vigorously and remove the tea to enjoy a green tea with a deeper flavor.

Finally

Green tea tea bags are the perfect choice for busy modern people who want to easily enjoy authentic tea.

You can enjoy the rich flavor anytime, anywhere, whether at the office or at home.

In recent years, a diverse lineup has been developed with an emphasis on the quality and flavor of tea leaves, expanding the ways to enjoy tea even further. Yamamotoyama also offers a wide variety of tea bags. Please try them out.