Ito En Green Tea Recipe

Heat water

Bring 800 ml of fresh, filtered water to a temperature of about 75–80°C (approx 167–176°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, bring water to a simmer and let it cool for about 3–4 minutes.

Steep tea leaves

Place 8 g of sencha green tea leaves in a teapot or heatproof pitcher. Pour the 75–80°C water over the leaves. Steep for 1.5 to 2 minutes for a light, fresh flavor close to Ito En unsweetened green tea. For slightly stronger flavor, steep up to 2.5 minutes, but avoid longer steeping to prevent bitterness.

Strain

Immediately strain the tea into a clean container to stop extraction. Use a fine mesh strainer or tea infuser so no leaves remain in the liquid.

Cool for bottling

Allow the strained tea to cool at room temperature for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill until cold (about 30–45 minutes) if you want a chilled bottled-style tea. If you prefer iced immediately, proceed to the next step with ice.

If serving cold immediately, fill a 16.9 oz (500 ml) bottle or glass with a few ice cubes and pour the chilled tea over the ice. Optionally garnish with a thin slice of lemon for a subtle citrus note. Ito En unsweetened green tea is traditionally served unadorned, so lemon is optional.