The famous green tea powder known in Japan and around the world is Matcha. Sometimes green tea powder and Matcha can be called interchangeably. Matcha leaves don’t come from Camellia Sinensis like regular green tea. It comes from gyokuro leaves. The leaves first harvested then dried. After all the veins are removed from the leaves, the leaves are then grinded into powder.
Photo courtesy of Yai JR
Matcha is commonly used in Japanese tea ceremony. It’s also sometimes used to make green tea ice cream and Japanese noodle. Matcha is generally more expensive than other loose leaf tea. Although Matcha is so well-known in Japan, it actually has its origin in China.
Origin of green tea powder
During the Song Dynasty, Matcha was created in China in the form of tea bricks. The method to prepared Matcha was first created by the Zen Buddhists. First Matcha takes the form of normal tea leaves. Later is grind into the powder.
Green tea powder gradually lost its popularity in China but then gained great popularity in Japan. It then becomes the main tea used in Japanese tea ceremonies. The tea used to make Matcha is harvested a special way to reduce the amount of sunlight on the tea leaves. The purpose of his special method is to make the tea taste sweeter.
Green tea powder is graded according to 3 or 4 criterion. The younger the leaves, the sweeter it is. The older and bigger leaves taste duller and appear more brown than green. Tea leaves are either dried inside or outside. Matcha that is dried inside is now more preferred. It tastes better and is viewed as a higher-quality. The way tea leaves are grinded and oxidation time also affect its quality. Matcha is grinded with the right equipment is of higher quality.
How to prepare Matcha
There are different ways to make this green tea powder. But generally there are 3 steps
1. The tea first put into a stainless steel with fine wire mesh. You use the special wooden spatula to break any clump of tea in the sieve.
2. You then use a bamboo scoop to scoop the tea directly into the tea bowl. Add simmering water (not hot water) into the bowl.
3. The mixture is then whisked constantly using the bamboo tea whisk (Japanese called Chasen) until the tea is uniform and there is no clump left. A tip is that your tea whisk shouldn’t touch the bottom of the bowl.
Place the tea whisk vertically at the center of the bowl then whisk slowly and steadily outward.
There are 2 kinds of Matcha tea. Thin Matcha and thick Matcha.
Thin Matcha tea often requires about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of green tea powder for 3/4 cups of water. This Matcha is produced from leaves of tea plants 15 to 25 years old. This tea tastes somewhat bitter. Therefore, when served this tea, some sweet cakes are often served. In Japan, this kind of tea is commonly known as Usucha.
Thick Matcha tea usually requires 6-7 teaspoons for 3/4 cups of water. The more Matcha, the sweeter the tea will be. This Matcha comes from the leaves that are older than 25 year old. Thick tea is often known as Koicha. Matcha now is used widely in cooking and foods. A well-known food that may include Matcha is chocolate, ice-cream, latte and milk drink.
Buying tips
Matcha tea is quite expensive. Thus, it’s a good idea to try thin tea first since it requires much less Matcha than thick tea. If you seem to like the taste of this tea, then it’s not too late to purchase larger amount of Matcha to prepare for thick tea.
Among all the tea, Matcha is used most in cooking. Other green tea may have peculiar taste, but Matcha can actually enhance the food. There are some popular recipes like Matcha ice cream, Matcha truffles, and Matcha milk shakes and smoothies.
Matcha contains similar health benefits as regular green tea. It contains high amount of beneficial EGCG, flavonoids, minerals, and vitamins. If you like to drink green tea, you may like to eat green -tea-flavored foods without frowning. So Find the recipes and try it today.