The 4 Keys to a Delicious Second Infusion of Japanese Green Tea
Learn about the differences between the infusions and best practices for conducting second infusions of Japanese tea.
Can I do multiple infusions of Japanese tea? (Is it similar to Chinese tea?)
If I were having my favorite Sencha, my daily Genmaicha, or any Japanese green tea, for that matter, would it be proper to reuse the tea leaves to make a second cup of tea?
The quick answer: Yes, it absolutely is!!
As a matter of fact, it's another excellent way to enjoy Japanese green tea.
But don't go for your fifth or sixth infusion the way you would for, say, Chinese tea. For Japanese tea, it doesn't work that way. The maximum, I would say, is two or, at most, three infusions.
What's the difference?
Japanese tea is a world of its own, extremely distinct from Chinese tea. Compared to Chinese tea, it's not as much about the aroma of the tea as the rich taste that you savor. The umami and astringency components make each sip a unique experience.
The aroma tends to last longer, infusion after infusion. That's why you can have multiple infusions for Chinese tea. You can continue to drink the tea with the aroma.
On the other hand, the taste of Japanese tea tends to disappear quickly. When Japanese tea is prepared using standard methods, the first infusion extracts all the umami.
Following the first infusion, the second one is designed to draw out the astringency, a distinct flavor component of Japanese tea.
There won't be much to "taste" to enjoy after that.
How do the Nutrients Change for the 2nd Infusion?
A fascinating experiment was conducted by the Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center (FAMIC) in Japan.
In their July 1999 news magazine, FAMIC unveiled the unique and intriguing results of an experiment on Sencha tea, focusing on the variations in nutrients based on the number of infusions. A special mention to Cha Ichi for preserving this valuable data on their website.
Extraction of Nutrients per 1g of Sencha. (90 degrees, 60 sec infusion. 5g of leaves)
Nutrient (mg) | First Infusion | Second Infusion | Third Infusion | TotalExtraction |
---|---|---|---|---|
Glutamic Acid |
1.7 |
1.0 |
0.4 |
3.1 |
Theanine |
6.6 |
5.0 |
2.1 |
13.7 |
Caffeine |
10.6 |
8.5 |
4.2 |
23.3 |
Catechin |
42.7 |
37.7 |
20.1 |
100.5 |
Vitamin C |
1.4 |
1.3 |
0.3 |
3.0 |
Extraction of Nutrients per 1g of Sencha. (95 degrees, 60 sec infusion. 5g of leaves)
Nutrient (mg) | First Infusion | Second Infusion | Third Infusion | TotalExtraction |
---|---|---|---|---|
Glutamic Acid |
1.8 |
0.9 |
0.3 |
3.0 |
Theanine |
6.6 |
4.1 |
1.5 |
12.2 |
Caffeine |
8.9 |
10.9 |
4.9 |
24.7 |
Catechin |
38.7 |
40.3 |
23.4 |
102.4 |
Vitamin C |
2.3 |
0.8 |
0.0 |
3.1 |
Interestingly, the 2nd infusion of the 95 degrees experiment revealed a surprising increase in the levels of catechin and caffeine compared to the 1st infusion.
This study shows that the second infusion of Japanese tea substantially reduces umami. Therefore, the focus of the second infusion should shift to appreciating the tea's astringency, rather than the Umami. The third infusion of Japanese tea will be very prominent in the astringency and bitterness components.
Four Keys to a delicious second cup of Japanese Green Tea
1. Don’t leave water in the Kyusu (or the Teapot)
Even if you're not drinking the second infusion, you should serve the last drop anyway. The last drop of water from your first infusion is actually very delicious. Often called the "golden drop," you wouldn't want to leave that in your Teapot anyway! Yes, it will require some patience, but it's certainly worth the effort.
2. Keep the lid of the Teapot open
3. Use a higher water temperature for the second infusion
So, for example:
For a Sencha
if 1st infusion is 75 degrees Celsius
2nd infusion: 85 degrees Celsius
For a Gyokuro
if 1st infusion is 60 degrees Celsius
2nd infusion: 70 degrees Celsius
Adding 10 degrees to subsequent infusions in this way will allow the taste nutrients remaining in the tea leaves to seep into the tea.
4. Shorten the brewing time
The first infusion requires longer seeping time because the leaves are still closed and take time to open up.
The second infusion is different - the nutrients are ready to seep quickly. The general recommendation is to use roughly half the seeping time of the 1st infusion.
For example:
For a Sencha
If the 1st infusion is 60 seconds
Try 30 seconds for the second infusion
For a Fukamushi-Sencha
If the 1st infusion is 30 seconds
Try 15 seconds for the second infusion.
Even if you halve the seeping time, you may find the tea to be too strong. In that case, you can shorten the duration even more. Some people actually like the second infusion without any seeping time. They would start to serve immediately after the hot water is poured into the teapot!
Try experimenting and see what you like.
Enjoy!
Second Infusion FAQs:
Which Japanese tea can be used for second infusions?
It's worth noting that the taste of Kukicha, a twig tea, undergoes a significant change on the second infusion. The flavor profile dramatically reduces, so it's advisable to savor the unique taste of Kukicha on the first infusion.
Besides that, it might only be worth going for a second infusion if the tea is of high quality.