Kyusu vs western brewing
Japanese green tea brewed the Japanese way and the western way are not the same drink. The kyusu is closer to gongfu practice than to a teapot, which is why sencha tastes thin from a mug.
brewing method
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Kyusu brewing (Japanese style) | Western brewing (teapot or mug) |
|---|---|---|
| Leaf to water | Around 4 g per 100 ml — three times western strength. | Around 1.2 g per 100 ml. |
| Steep time | Under a minute, and shorter with each infusion. | Two to four minutes, once. |
| Temperature across infusions | Rises as the session goes on, while times shorten. | Fixed. |
| Infusions | Three or four, each distinct. | One. |
| Why it matters | Japanese green tea is authored for this ratio; western brewing under-leafs it and over-steeps to compensate, which extracts bitterness instead of sweetness. | Works well for black tea, which is what it was developed around. |
The short answer
If sencha has tasted thin and bitter, the vessel is the most likely cause. More leaf and less time is the fix, not a better tea.
Not a ranking. TeaHQ publishes no ratings and does not know your occasion.
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