My husband bought this tea for me for Valentine’s Day this year, along with the Strawberry Blush Rose. At some point, I intend to mix them together for a cup, but I wanted to try the two separately first.
This tea is very floral, just as expected. I’m not sure of the temperature when I steeped this, but I probably let it cool five minutes or so before adding the tea leaves. It’s a little astringent but not much. The leaves have only barely started to relax from their tight curls.
Second Steep
8 ounces water + 175 degrees + 3 minutes
Ready for my second cup of this! This cup still carries some of that floral scent, but unfortunately it’s also the tiniest bit bitter. The leaves have unrolled most of the way already, but I’ll probably try to steep this once more.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Floral
Preparation
Comments
The astringency would be less if the temperature was lower. In fact, you lose a lot of flavor from green pearls with water that hot. The second cup was probably bitter because it is necessary to steep shorter the second time, as the leaves have begun to unfurl and the flavor releases more quickly.
After they have completely unfurled, you can still get a couple more steeps, as long as the second steep wasn’t too long.
Thank you for your advice, teatortoise! This is my first time to try this type of tea on its own so I’ll admit that I’m not at all familiar with it. I basically just used the steeping parameters that Teavana suggests for green teas. What temperature would you recommend for a tea like this? Also, does the shorter second steep apply to other types of tea too or only to the pearls? I never would have thought to do a shorter steep. I always steep longer the second time around because it seems that most of the flavor would come out in the first cup, but that makes perfect sense for a tea that is bound up so tightly. Thanks for teaching me something new today. :)
I know just how you feel. I would recommend a lower temperature. Mostly I look at the bubbles and steam to control water temperature, and if necessary add a small amount of fresh cool water to lower the temperature. Well before boiling, tiny shrimp-eye sized bubbles begin to appear, and a gentle steam rises like a mist, not straight up. This brings out the light flavor of the delicate leaves, but without being so hot that it diminishes the sweetness, and brings out more astringency.
For very short, high leaf brews, a shorter second steeping (a matter of a few seconds) prevents bitterness, since the leaves have already expanded during the first steep. This difference is like 10 seconds then 8 seconds, or 6 seconds then 4 seconds, for example.
However with any pearl, or tightly rolled leaf, the difference is more significant, since the leaves are opening and beginning to unfurl in the first steep, and expanding in the second steep, when they start to release their real flavor. If not, then the second steep will be bitter, and all other steeps afterward will be lacking in flavor. So, if the water is a little too hot, and the pearls steep too much at first, then you are in danger of tasting an astringent, bitter, and ultimately not-as-flavorful brew.
You’re long steep time leads me to believe that you might use a larger vessel, or simply less leaf than myself, so note the difference. That being said, in my small gaiwan I simply barely cover the bottom with pearls (4-6 steeps), steep for about 45 seconds to a minute at first (without rinse), and then reduce that to about half, at 25-30 seconds, for a less bitter, sweeter, and more flavorful steep. From there, I steep longer, as you normally do. Maybe start from there and tinker a little.
Thank you for being so descriptive. Your posts and comments are a pleasure to read and have been very helpful. I will pay closer attention to the look of the water next time to be sure I’m steeping this at the best temperature.
You are correct about my using a larger vessel – I steeped this in a mug with my Finum basket. Next time, I will follow your lead and use my gaiwan. I should have thought to do this to begin with. I really appreciate you sharing in detail the way you would normally steep this tea. I’m going to try your method next time and see how it goes. Thank you!!
Sure thing. I know how confusing a tea can be until you get a familiar grasp of it. I’ve never used a finum basket, it looks effective. I’m glad to learn about those. Tomorrow, from my home computer, I could send you the more in-depth preparation of green pearls, I typed up—for myself, honestly—if you’d like. Anyway, just make sure not to use too many pearls in your gaiwan, or it will be too bitter.
I’ve had my Finum basket for a few months now and I use it all the time. It’s so much better than the tea ball I was using. The mesh is so fine that even smaller pieces of tea won’t escape it which is the problem I had with the tea ball. I love it! I’ll always keep one around now.
I would love to read your in-depth notes on the green pearls, if it isn’t too much trouble!
No problem.
I moved up to a larger tea ball, then after I realized that tea doesn’t really expand or infuse properly in a tea ball, I started to separate it and use it as a strainer, if for some reason I’m making a very broken tea or using the teapot for Assam or something.
The astringency would be less if the temperature was lower. In fact, you lose a lot of flavor from green pearls with water that hot. The second cup was probably bitter because it is necessary to steep shorter the second time, as the leaves have begun to unfurl and the flavor releases more quickly.
After they have completely unfurled, you can still get a couple more steeps, as long as the second steep wasn’t too long.
Thank you for your advice, teatortoise! This is my first time to try this type of tea on its own so I’ll admit that I’m not at all familiar with it. I basically just used the steeping parameters that Teavana suggests for green teas. What temperature would you recommend for a tea like this? Also, does the shorter second steep apply to other types of tea too or only to the pearls? I never would have thought to do a shorter steep. I always steep longer the second time around because it seems that most of the flavor would come out in the first cup, but that makes perfect sense for a tea that is bound up so tightly. Thanks for teaching me something new today. :)
I know just how you feel. I would recommend a lower temperature. Mostly I look at the bubbles and steam to control water temperature, and if necessary add a small amount of fresh cool water to lower the temperature. Well before boiling, tiny shrimp-eye sized bubbles begin to appear, and a gentle steam rises like a mist, not straight up. This brings out the light flavor of the delicate leaves, but without being so hot that it diminishes the sweetness, and brings out more astringency.
For very short, high leaf brews, a shorter second steeping (a matter of a few seconds) prevents bitterness, since the leaves have already expanded during the first steep. This difference is like 10 seconds then 8 seconds, or 6 seconds then 4 seconds, for example.
However with any pearl, or tightly rolled leaf, the difference is more significant, since the leaves are opening and beginning to unfurl in the first steep, and expanding in the second steep, when they start to release their real flavor. If not, then the second steep will be bitter, and all other steeps afterward will be lacking in flavor. So, if the water is a little too hot, and the pearls steep too much at first, then you are in danger of tasting an astringent, bitter, and ultimately not-as-flavorful brew.
You’re long steep time leads me to believe that you might use a larger vessel, or simply less leaf than myself, so note the difference. That being said, in my small gaiwan I simply barely cover the bottom with pearls (4-6 steeps), steep for about 45 seconds to a minute at first (without rinse), and then reduce that to about half, at 25-30 seconds, for a less bitter, sweeter, and more flavorful steep. From there, I steep longer, as you normally do. Maybe start from there and tinker a little.
Thank you for being so descriptive. Your posts and comments are a pleasure to read and have been very helpful. I will pay closer attention to the look of the water next time to be sure I’m steeping this at the best temperature.
You are correct about my using a larger vessel – I steeped this in a mug with my Finum basket. Next time, I will follow your lead and use my gaiwan. I should have thought to do this to begin with. I really appreciate you sharing in detail the way you would normally steep this tea. I’m going to try your method next time and see how it goes. Thank you!!
Sure thing. I know how confusing a tea can be until you get a familiar grasp of it. I’ve never used a finum basket, it looks effective. I’m glad to learn about those. Tomorrow, from my home computer, I could send you the more in-depth preparation of green pearls, I typed up—for myself, honestly—if you’d like. Anyway, just make sure not to use too many pearls in your gaiwan, or it will be too bitter.
I’ve had my Finum basket for a few months now and I use it all the time. It’s so much better than the tea ball I was using. The mesh is so fine that even smaller pieces of tea won’t escape it which is the problem I had with the tea ball. I love it! I’ll always keep one around now.
I would love to read your in-depth notes on the green pearls, if it isn’t too much trouble!
No problem.
I moved up to a larger tea ball, then after I realized that tea doesn’t really expand or infuse properly in a tea ball, I started to separate it and use it as a strainer, if for some reason I’m making a very broken tea or using the teapot for Assam or something.