Who is Matcha?? A Beautiful Background on The Green Goddess
Step into the limelight ~ Matcha, your time has come!
Get to know the beauty of your favorite green drink,
because we love a good origin story
Who is Matcha??
Long before tea was a beverage, it was first a medicine.
That's right, tea was initially enjoyed for it's healing properties! Matcha has evolved into a gorgeously delicious beverage that is trending for all the right reasons.
Matcha Preparation & Background:
How is matcha prepared? In accordance with Japanese tradition, matcha tea should be mixed with hot water before drinking. Matcha is consumed differently from tea leaves or tea bags, because it is fully suspended in the liquid and not an infusion from the leaves. It was long ago, during the Song Dynasty (960–1279), that we got our present method of making powdered tea from steam-prepared dried tea leaves and preparing the beverage by whipping the tea powder and hot water together in a bowl.
In modern times, matcha is also used to flavor baked goods, dye foods, and typically made with milk added. Matcha is definitely a versatile green machine.
The temperature of the water is very important in order not to degrade the powder and to ensure that it retains all its benefits. It's recommend that you do not exceed a water temperature of 80°C or 175°F. Be sure to choose a quality matcha, stick with ALWAYS choosing a matcha with Japanese origins. Matcha sourced from another area is not created equally from start to finish in the same way that Japanese matcha is. And that makes a huge difference in your end product~ a great matcha!
Matcha is a finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves, originally consumed in East Asia. The green tea plants used for matcha are shade-grown for 3 - 4 weeks before harvest; the stems and veins are removed during processing. During shaded growth, the tea plant camellia sinensis produces more theanine and caffeine compared with growing tea leaves in full sun.
Matcha is made from shade-grown tea leaves which also are used to make gyokuro. The preparation of matcha starts several weeks before harvest and may last up to 20 days, when the tea bushes are covered with shade cloth to prevent direct sunlight. This slows down growth, stimulates an increase in chlorophyll levels, turns the leaves a darker shade of green, and causes the production of amino acids, in particular theanine.
The tea leaves are then laid out flat to dry to process and become known as tencha. Tencha is deveined, destemmed, and stone-ground to the fine, bright green, talc-like powder known as matcha! Grinding the leaves is a slow process because the mill stones must not get too warm, because the aroma & quality of the leaves will be altered. It can take up to one hour to grind 30 grams of matcha.
The highest grades of matcha have a more intense sweetness and deeper flavor than the standard or coarser grades of tea harvested later in the year.
The flavor of a quality matcha is dominated by its amino acids. Matcha that is used in tea ceremonies is referred to as ceremonial-grade, meaning that the powder is of a high enough quality to be used in this ancient matcha tea ceremony. Lower-quality matcha is referred to as culinary-grade, but it's important to note that currently no standard industry definition or requirements actually exist for matcha.
Ceremonial grade designates tea for its use in tea ceremonies and Buddhist temples. All must be able to be used in koicha (濃茶), a "thick tea" with a high proportion of powder to water used in traditional tea ceremony.
Premium grade is high-quality matcha green tea that contains young tea leaves from the top of the tea plant. Best for daily consumption, it is characterized by a fresh, subtle flavor, usually perfect for both new and everyday matcha drinkers alike.
Cooking/culinary grade is the cheapest of all. Suitable for cooking purposes, smoothies etc. It is slightly bitter due to factors such as its production from leaves lower down on the tea plant, terroir, the time of harvest, and the process of its manufacture.
Higher grades of matcha are much pricier due to these more precise
production methods and younger first flush tea leaves that are used.
Which is desirable because it produces a more delicate flavor!
Classic equipment needed for making matcha:
Tea bowl (茶碗, chawan)
Large enough to whisk the fine powder tea around 120 millilitres, 4 US fl oz
Tea whisk (茶筅, chasen)
A bamboo whisk with fine bristles to whisk or whip the tea foam
Tea spoon (茶杓, chashaku, also called a tea scoop)
A bamboo scoop measures matcha into the tea bowl (not the same as a Western teaspoon)
Tea caddy (棗, natsume)
A container for the matcha powder tea
Tea cloth (茶巾, chakin)
A small cotton cloth for cleaning teaware during the tea ceremony
Although, many people choose to find unique ways to achieve a good cup of matcha, so don't let not having the right tools keep you from enjoying matcha! Modern matcha accessories can include: a handheld electric whisk, or even a blender.
A thirsty heart still deserves a good cup of tea :)
Trending for all the right reasons: hope you enjoyed Matchas evolution into the gorgeously delicious beverage that we are all able to enjoy today!
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