Okay, so I’ve been on this huge green tea kick lately, but honestly, sometimes it just tastes… meh. Like, bitter grass water. Not exactly the zen experience I’m going for, you know? So, I decided to figure out how to make this stuff actually taste good.

My Green Tea Experiment

First, I ditched the cheap tea bags. Seriously, those things are full of dust and broken leaves. I picked up some loose leaf green tea – Sencha, to be exact. It looked way more legit, like actual leaves instead of… well, you get the picture.

Next, the water. I used to just nuke some water in the microwave until it was boiling. Turns out, that’s a HUGE no-no. Boiling water basically scorches the delicate green tea leaves and makes it super bitter.

• I started using a thermometer (yeah, I got fancy) to heat the water to around 170-180°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, just let the boiling water sit for a few minutes to cool down a bit.

Then, the steeping time. I used to just leave the tea bag in there forever, thinking stronger = better. Wrong again!

• I learned that green tea only needs to steep for like 2-3 minutes, max.
• I set a timer and everything!

Over-steeping is another major culprit for bitterness.

Okay, so after I followed all those steps, the tea was better, but still not amazing. It needed a little somethin’ somethin’.

• That is where I added a squeeze of lemon. It really brightened up the flavor.

• Then I tried add a tiny bit of honey and it helped too, just to take the edge off.

  

Finally, I got a decent cup!

The result?

Way less bitter, actually enjoyable. I could taste the subtle flavors of the tea, and the lemon and honey just made it even better. I’m still experimenting with different types of green tea and add-ins, but I’m definitely on the right track. Now, instead of forcing myself to drink green tea, I actually look forward to it. Mission accomplished!