Ronnefeldt green tea: varieties, brewing and which one suits you
Green tea is rarely bought badly, but it is often brewed badly. Water that is too hot and too long a steeping time turn a fine Sencha into a bitter cup. Here you will find the Ronnefeldt green teas we stock, with the figures that make the difference.
Our Ronnefeldt green teas at a glance
| Variety | Character | Format | Water | Steeping time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fancy Sencha | Large-leaf Sencha from China, grassy and fresh with a delicate sweetness | 100 g loose | 70–80 °C | 2 min. |
| Jasmine tea | Green tea scented with real jasmine blossom, floral and soft | 100 g loose | 75–80 °C | 2–3 min. |
| Green Dragon Lung Ching | Classic flat-leaf Chinese tea, nutty and mild | 15 sachets | 75–80 °C | 2–3 min. |
| Morgentau | Sencha with flower petals and a mango-citrus flavour, the classic for beginners | 100 g loose or 15 sachets | 80 °C | 3 min. |
| Green teas tasting box | Ten varieties of 3.9 g each to try your way through | 10 portions | depends on the variety | depends on the variety |
The temperatures and times are guide values; the information on the packet takes precedence. Basic rule: cooler and shorter rather than the other way round, then increase if you need to.
Which green tea suits you?
You have hardly drunk green tea so far. Then Morgentau. The mango-citrus flavour takes away the astringency that keeps many people from green tea, and the tea also forgives water that is a bit too hot now and then.
You like it plain. Fancy Sencha is the most honest tea in the range: no added flavour, with a clear freshness. If you want it gentler, take Lung Ching – nuttier, less grassy.
You are looking for a present. Jasmine tea looks refined in its tin and appeals to people who otherwise drink black tea. If you do not know what the person receiving it likes, take the tasting box.
You want it quick at the office. The Joy of Tea sachets of Morgentau or Lung Ching – portion measured out, nothing to strain.
The three most common mistakes
Boiling water. At 100 °C the tannins dissolve all at once and the tea turns bitter. Bring the water to the boil, then let it stand for two to three minutes or mix in a dash of cold water.
Steeping too long. Green tea is ready after two to three minutes. If you forget it in the cup in its bag, you taste it immediately.
Only one infusion. Good loose green tea takes two to three infusions. The second is often the best, because the leaves have opened by then.
Storage
Green tea is more delicate than black tea. Keep the tin closed, away from light, warmth and spices – then it stays fresh for six to twelve months. The 100 g tins from Ronnefeldt are made for that.
You can read more about the house of Ronnefeldt, its tea tasters and the Tea Academy in the portrait Ronnefeldt: 200 years of tea culture from Frankfurt.
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