Sencha summers - How to cold brew sencha tea

Japanese Sencha is my preferred choice of tea in the warmer months.

Yes - it is lovely to drink in the colder months too, but I feel the best of Sencha is extracted when brewed with cold water. 

After consuming 1 or 2 cups of cold brewed Sencha tea, I really feel relaxed, refreshed and replenished ...and there's actually science that explains why.

Green tea has different tastes and physiological functions depending on the temperature of water when it is brewed. 

If you brew Sencha for too long - like 3-4 minutes you'll notice a very astringent and bitter taste. 

Why?

This is because boiling water does a better job at extracting compounds such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and caffeine. 

In contrast, cold water brewed Sencha has far less bitterness and astringency than hot brewed Sencha, and this is because Theanine and epigallocatechin (EGC) are easily extracted in cold water and these are the compounds which are directly responsible for the sweeter and richer notes of Sencha tea. 

But here's the kicker - EGC has an immune-enhancing effect and theanine has a psychosocial stress-reducing effect. Two amazing outcomes from drinking cold brew Sencha. 

Now that we have the science out of the way. Let's get cold brewing. 

One of the easiest ways to cold brew tea is to set it up at night. It takes just a minute or two, and by morning a full bottle of rich tea is ready!

I'm using HARIO's filter in a bottle to brew my Sencha overnight in the fridge. 

HARIO'S cold brew tea bottle is made in Japan by a company dedicated to the design, production, and sale of heatproof glass since it was founded in 1921.

The look and feel of this bottle exudes quality and it has a built in tea filter at the neck of the bottle which means you can pour directly into your glass and enjoy immediately. 

The HARIO filter-in bottle is also very versatile. 

You can even brew your own healthy fruit infusions.