Summer marks the middle of green tea season, which runs from late spring to fall. While it may seem counterintuitive to drink hot liquids in the heat, many Asian cultures believe that doing so will increase sweating and help cool you off.

But preparing green tea is a delicate process that most people get wrong, says Rona Tison, senior vice president of corporate relations for Ito En, Inc., a Japanese-tea company that sells bottled tea as well loose leaf tea from its Manhattan store. Green tea, unlike black tea, has not been oxidized and can easily turn bitter if not made properly.

A good cup of green tea begins with a fresh, high-quality leaf. Green tea 'is similar to having a fresh vegetable. It is perishable and has a shelf life,' Ms. Tison says.

Tea leaves produce the best flavor when used within two months of purchasing. Six months is the maximum time to store green tea. The leaves absorb smells (they are sometimes used as a deodorizer) so they should be stored in an airtight, moisture-free metal or tin container that is away from light. Out of date tea leaves will be brittle and dry, rather than lush and aromatic.

Ms. Tison uses mineral or spring water for brewing. One of the most common mistakes people make when brewing tea, she says, is adding boiling water, which burns the leaves and turns them bitter. Ms. Tison pours hot water into a 'yuzamashi,' or a Japanese cooling vessel. If you don't have a 'yuzamashi,' you can pour water into a cup or bowl to let it cool off. 'You'll know when it's [ready] because you can actually hold the vessel,' Ms. Tison says.

She measures about one teaspoon of leaves per teacup into a pot and pours in the warm water, letting it steep for a minute, but no more than two. Whether loose in a teapot or placed in an infuser, leaves should never be packed. 'You want the leaves to unfurl to really get the flavor out of the tea,' she says.

Ms. Tison gently swirls the teapot while the tea is steeping to make sure she mixes all the tea with the water. If she is serving more than one cup, she pours a little at a time in each cup to balance out the flavor.

Tea leaves can generally be steeped up to three times before the flavor runs out. It is important, however, to get all the water out between steepings. Any water that's left behind will oversteep the leaves, making your next batch overly tannic and bitter.

It's also bad form: 'In Japan, they say that you want to enjoy the tea to the very last drop,' Ms. Tison says.

绿茶采摘季节从晚春一直延续到秋季，夏季正好处于中间。大热天饮热茶听起来似乎有悖常理，但许多亚洲文化认为这有助发汗解暑，可以清凉降火。

但Ito En, Inc.负责企业关系的高级副总裁罗娜•蒂松(Rona Tison)介绍道，绿茶茶艺可是门精致的学问，大多数人都存在误区。Ito En是一家日本茶叶公司，在纽约曼哈顿销售瓶装茶与散叶茶。绿茶与红茶不同，没有经过发酵氧化，如果处理不当很容易发涩变苦。

一杯上等绿茶源自新鲜优质的茶叶。蒂松说，绿茶就象新鲜的蔬菜一样会变质，有保存期限。

茶叶在购买后两个月内品尝才能保证最佳品质。六个月是绿茶存放时间的上限。茶叶会吸收异味（有时可以用做除臭剂），所以需要避光保存在密封、干燥的金属或是锡罐中。过期的茶叶会变得干燥易碎，口感与 味道都会明显下降。

蒂松用矿泉水或者泉水泡茶。她说，泡茶最常见的错误就是用开水，因为开水会烫坏茶叶，使茶水变苦。蒂松先将热水注入日式容器，这是一种日本的冷却容器。如果你没有这个容器，那也可以用杯子或是碗来冷却热水。蒂松说，你用手端着容器，就知道什么时候水温合适了。

她向茶壶中倒入茶叶，比例大约是每杯茶一茶匙茶叶，然后注入热水，让茶叶浸泡一分钟左右的时间（不超过两分钟为佳）。不管是用茶壶还是冲茶器，茶叶都不能过量。她介绍道，茶叶需要充分舒展，才能真正散发出茶香。

蒂松轻轻地摇动茶壶，使茶叶在热水中充分浸泡。如果需要倒好几杯茶，每次她会向各个杯子倒入大致相当的茶水，让香味均匀分布。

茶叶一般最多只能泡三次，再泡香味就所剩无几。但需要注意的是，在下次加水前要将茶壶中的茶水倒完。不然剩余的茶水会过度浸泡茶叶，浸出过多鞣酸，使得下一壶茶水变苦。

蒂松说：“在日本，人们喜欢饮尽最后一滴茶汁”。这也是一个坏习惯。

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