Indian Tea vs Japanese Tea

While I was in Japan, I learned how to brew Japanese tea (kocha/ maccha), while here in Canada, my friends taught me how to brew tea in Indian/ Bangladeshi style.

The previous resembles our daily "tea minum petang" but with a more refreshing taste, while the latter kind of remind me to our truly "teh tarik satu", but with a nicer smell and without the overly-sweet taste.

Japanese Tea - Kocha

1. Bring the water to boil (100'C)

2. Place your tea bag (or few spoons of tea leaves) in the cup/pot. Soon after the water is boiled, pour the water into the cup and stir.

3. When your tea became the nice "golden" color, take out the tea bag or the leaves (completely) from the cup/pot.

4. Add some sugar. A nice Japanese tea has a light taste of sweetness. Easier to explain with the phrase "manis-manis buah"..

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These instructions is as easy as ABC. However, what differs the Japanese style Koucha to our daily tea is the brewing requirements, as follows:

1. Water must be boiled only ONCE! No reheating the water.

2. Water is poured immediately once it was boiled. Do not wait until it got a bit colder.

3. Tea bags or the leaves must be taken out immediately after the tea reach its nice golden (orange) color. Remember, if tea leaves remain too long in the pot/cup, the taste may get stronger and tannins would be produced. Excessive tannins give the tea a bitter taste.

4. Take note that the sugar added is to enhance the taste of the tea, not to cover it.

A nice, hot Japanese style koucha/tea leaves a refreshing smell and taste. For those who loves the taste of a tea brewed this way, they (me) can somehow tell the different in taste and freshness to the other type of tea.

Sources: Rancangan masak-masak TV Jepun dolu2

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Indian/ Bangladeshi Tea (Chai)

I have compared the brewing style made by 2 friends, one who used the Bangladeshi style, the other - Indian style, and can safely conclude that they are the same, and even similar to the Pakistani style made by a friend (whose husband is a Laos - Pakistani).

Instruction
1. Bring the water to boil in a pot.

2. For 8 to 10 cups of tea, we use 4 tea bags of Liptons (or any other brands). Left it to boil for a while until the color become reddish. I may say, around another 5 minutes?
(They prefer to use the black tea)

3. Pour in some fresh milk the same amount of the water added (the tea mixture should be made with 1/2 or a bit more of water and 1/2 fresh milk) Leaves the tea to boil again and again. Keep stirring continuously. Again, take precaution that the milk in the tea mix might evaporate easily.
(they prefer to use their own pot, since the shape would prevent the milk from evaporating)

4. Add in some slices of ginger, sugar and cardamon if you want to.
(They also add some other things such as black pepper or cinnamon stick)

5. Take away the pot from the heat and add some honey.

Voila! Serve them for your family with some butter cookies for your tea time. Deliziouss..

Sources: Mrs H and Mrs F

I love tea. Tea give an instant dose of my daily drugs :P So for those tea lovers outside there, who would love to try these two variations of tea brewing, why not give a try.