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First, let's get hold of the right kind of tea. You can find packaged loose leaf green tea at most local Asian markets. Just ask for "sencha", which is the standard kind of green tea.
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Close-up of the loose tea leaves.
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Use approximately two tablespoons for two cups of tea.
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Pour just a little bit of hot water into the pot. Then, fill your cups with hot water.
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Let the tea steam in the pot with the lid on for about one minute. This will bring out the full flavor of the tea. The water in the cups will warm them and will also give the boiling water a chance to cool a bit. (The subtle sweetness of the tea will not come out if you brew tea with scalding hot water.)
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Now, pour the hot water from your cups into the teapot, and wait one full minute.
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Then pour the tea into your cups, alternating from one cup to the other little by little, so that both cups will be the same strength. Be sure to pour every last drop from the teapot into your cups in order to fully enjoy the green tea's deepest essence.
These cups, called sobachoko, were originally designed as soba noodle dipping cups but they make elegant tea cups. The blue design looks great with the green color of the tea.
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