What do I like to drink in summer?
I like the right leaves for the right moment. Infused like like it feels good for this moment. At this place on earth it is summer right now. Some say it is nice and good to drink something hot even in summer. I understands this theory.
But, actually I usually do not really prefer to drink hot drinks on hot summer days.
What does the ice do with the leaves?
The ice cools the black kyusu, it cools the green leaves, it cools the water.
And then, the cold water gets into the green leaves, it lets them open softly. It brings out the umami from the leaves, and it brings out the greenishness (Mimi’s word for the taste of breathtaking green infusions from green leaves).
In fact: The temperature of the water (including ice infusions) does have a big influence on several factors, like the kind of colour coming out of the green leaves and how this colours tends to develop, the ingredients coming out of the leaves and going into the water and how stable they exist in the infusion.
Why does the water temperature have such a strong impact on these factors?
On the one side, a higher water temperature can solve more different kinds of ingredients from the green leaves. This has the effect that with a higher temperature more kinds of ingredients go into the infusion. This means also, that you do not only get umami (which you also get with cold water), but also more bitterness. Also you get much less caffeine out of the leaves and into the infusion, if you use cold water or ice.
On the other side, a high water temperature distroys some ingredients like some kinds of vitamins, and it enforces oxidations, which changes the colour of the infusion finally from green to yellow.
Therefore, some may say: Take the Morimoto Shiraore as an example to try how strong the influence of different water temperature is. I guess, the Morimoto Shiraore should not really be infused with to hot water, because the leaves and leaves stems are very fine and went through deep steam. Infuse it with a temperature close to 0 degrees (with cold water and ice), or with 10 degrees (only cold water), and infuse it with 55 degrees, 65 degrees. Doesn’t is really tend to be a different thing?
Different taste notes. Different colour. Different ingredients. Different feeling. Different day.