Japanese Matcha Green Tea

Matcha green tea is the famous powdered japanese tea made from pulverizing the highest quality gyokuro into a fine powder. The powder is dissolved in hot water and whipped to a froth with a bamboo whisk.

Matcha is made in many regions of Japan, but it is always made from tencha, shade-grown leaf that is grown under the same conditions as gyokuro.

In Japan, many people appreciate the unique properties and flavor qualities of matcha and drink it as a simple, refreshing cup of tea.

The finest matcha is made from gyokuro. During the processing, the rolling and twisting steps typical to the gyokuro process are skipped. Instead, the green tea leaves go directly to a stone grinder, which pulverizes the leaves into a silky powder. The powdery texture is critical to making the frothy tea.

This practice of making whipped teas from powdered green tea leaves originated in China and was adopted by the Japanese. This is now used in Japanese tea ceremony. It is believed that the froth created by whipping enhances the taste of the tea.

Sweets such as matcha green tea cookies or red bean cakes or other delicately flavored ingredients are served on small plates and eaten with fingers. The sweetness counteracts any bitterness of matcha, however, the finest matcha is sweet and very pleasant tasting.

Matcha green tea is made by pouring hot water (about 185 degrees Fahrenheit) onto the powdered tea in a warmed small bowl rather than a teapot. A dampened bamboo whisk is used to stir it up and water into a frothy drink that is at once sweet and astringent.

Japan is the only country that produces a significant amount of matcha, the powdered tea that is integral to Chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony. Japan has raised the details of matcha production to a fine art. You can find many choices in flavor and cost in both ceremonial-grade matcha and premium-grade matcha for less formal tea drinking and socializing.

Matcha is highly regarded in Japan but not widely used in other tea-drinking countries.

China and Vietnam now also produces matcha although the fresh leaf used for making it is not the same as the one being used in Japan.

We have yet to see Chinese matcha that compares in flavor, color, astringency, and overall taste to the traditional Japanese product. Some Chinese matcha is used in iced tea beverage where the flavor of the tea is only part of the taste.


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