Who Me... Enjoy Matcha?...
Yes, YOU and…You Will be Happy You Did…Matcha Tea is a Special Treat!
There is a lot to know about matcha, and most people who enjoy it don’t realize all that there is to know…they don’t need to, but it is helpful if you want to get the best experience from your tea.
Let’s begin with what matcha means...quite simply, it means rubbed or ground tea. That is, any tea that is rubbed or ground is matcha tea...even black teas, for example.
What we have come to know as matcha is typically the green version most renowned from Japan.
Within the past 15 years, the average person walking into a teashop has gone from not having matcha tea on their radar to knowing that it’s exceptionally good for us and being intrigued or much more.
Let’s take a closer look at the matcha we hear more about every day:
Classic matcha tea is produced from tealeaves called Tencha (meaning Mortar Tea) that have been stone-ground on granite wheels into a fine brilliant green tea powder.
This is the tea consumers think of when they hear "matcha"...
Because any tea can be ground into powder, you can imagine the misunderstanding that can develop with companies grinding tea leaves and selling them as what consumers think is made from tencha.
The way tencha is grown and processed is the key to understanding the quality of the matcha you are consuming. Relying on someone who knows the source of the tencha and the care that has been taken in processing it into matcha tea is key to assuring the quality of your tea and its health benefits.
How is matcha tea so good for us?
When we steep whole-leaf tea, we diffuse the ingredients that create the aroma, taste, and flavor, and bring us health benefits. We infuse multiple times to extract all the goodness from the leaves.
When we finally discard our depleted tea leaves, we dispose of unused vitamins and nutrients that we cannot get from the whole leaf because they are non-water soluble…they will never come out of the whole tea leaves, no matter how long we might steep them.
When we consume matcha, we ingest tiny particles of tea leaf, which our body breaks down. Not only do we obtain what would have been the water-soluble steeped-out ingredients, but we also gain the non-water-soluble ingredients from the ground tea that would normally be locked into the solid part of the tea leaf....vitamins, nutrients, etc.
The world of matcha tea is large, and there is a lot to know. Therefore, you rely on a Tea Purveyor to identify and select grades that will be good choices for how you will be using and benefiting from your matcha. Searching online is challenging because you can’t be sure what you get, where it is from, or what the quality will be.
At Drink Great Tea, we have chosen matcha grades to cover a range of uses:
We air-freight our Japanese teas, including matcha, and store our bulk inventory in refrigeration until we package it for customers:
- Ceremonial Matcha Used in Cha No Yu, The Japanese Tea Ceremony. The Matcha that you would whisk in your Matcha bowl. The finer particles are appropriate for creating the desirable foam from the whisking process. We refer to this type as Usucha. Our ceremonial matcha tea is an excellent grade of blended first and second flush tencha.
- Ichibancha is the first harvested tea of the season. This exclusive grade is 100% first flush tencha that has been ground into very fine particles..."rubbed" or "ground" tea. This grade of matcha tea is considered precious and is a delightful, exclusive indulgence for those who enjoy whisking matcha and appreciating exclusive excellence in tea. The tencha comes from Mie Prefecture, a prime source of superior tencha purchased by Uji and Kyoto, then ground into their premium ceremonial matcha.
- Koicha Thick Matcha. This type of tea is gently stirred with your whisk in the bowl with less water, until a honey-like consistency is reached. Wow, what an intense beverage! This is an especially wonderful variation for those who particularly enjoy usucha.
- Culinary Matcha Although not discernible by eye, this matcha is harvested in the autumn, which makes it preferable for culinary purposes like baking and beverages like smoothies or lattes. It is less expensive than usucha because of its harvest season. Culinary Matcha is appropriate for any recipe that blends the tea with other ingredients.
- Imperial Jade This tea is a blend of a high-grade genmaicha (rice tea) with matcha added. It is a user-friendly way to routinely consume matcha tea without taking time to go through the whisking process. Imperial Jade pairs beautifully with seafood of many types, especially Japanese seafood.
- Matcha Smoothie Mix We create an outstanding blend for our popular Matcha Tea Smoothie beverages. Simply add ice and your choice of milk to create creamy, flavorful smoothies. Once you have one, you become an instant fan!
Bringing matcha into your life is a good thing. It will be ultra-pleasing and introduce many benefits that will help you build your program of wellness and longevity.
How to Make Matcha:
Step 1: Scoop Matcha tea powder into a bowl. Add a little bit of water, just enough to dissolve all the powder.
Step 2: Quickly whisk in a "W" pattern until an emerald foam forms on the surface of the broth.
Step 3: Add a splash more of water and continue whisking.
Step 4: Drink directly from the bowl or transfer to a cup to enjoy!