Matcha (pronounce: "MA-cha") also spelt maccha (Japanese: 抹茶), is a fine, powdered green tea. It is used in Japanese tea ceremony and for dying and flavouring foods such as mochi and soba noodles, green tea ice cream and different types of "wagashi" (Japanese confectionery). The most famous Matcha-producing regions are Uji in Kyoto (tea from this region is called "Ujicha"), Nishio in Aichi (tea from this region is called "Nishiocha") both on the main island of Honshū; Shizuoka, and Kyushu.
Matcha costs more money than other kinds of tea. Its price depends on its quality (how good it is). It can be hard to find outside Japan, and also the special things that are used to make it and drink it.
Powdered tea, stored and traded as tea bricks, seems to have been invented in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Making and drinking powdered tea was formed into a ritual (special ceremony) by the Chan Buddhists. These Buddhists use to drink from the same bowl as a sacrament.
Chan Buddhism (also known in Japanese as Zen), and powdered tea, were brought to Japan in 1191 by the monk Eisai. Powdered tea was slowly forgotten in China, but the 16th century tea master Sen no Rikyu made the rules of the Japanese tea ceremony. He said that "matcha" was the correct tea to use.
The preparation of "matcha" starts several weeks before harvest. At that time, the tea bushes are covered so that they do not get direct sunlight. This makes it grow slower and turns the leaves a darker shade of green. It also causes amino acids to be made, and these make the tea taste sweeter.
After harvesting, if the leaves are rolled out before drying as usual, the result will be "gyokuro" (jewel dew) tea. However, if the leaves are laid out flat to dry, they will crumble and become known as "tencha" (). "Tencha" can then be de-veined, de-stemmed, and ground (pressed) with a stone until it becomes the fine, bright green, talc-like powder known as "matcha".
Only ground "tencha" can be called "matcha": other powdered teas are known as "konacha" (, lit. "powdered tea").
Nearly all the flavour of matcha comes from the amino acids. The best matcha has more sweetness and a deeper flavour than the normal grades of tea harvested later in the year.
The way that watcha is graded depends on several things:
Leaves that are going to be made into tencha have to come from certain parts of the tree.
The very top of the tree has developing leaves that are soft and supple. This gives a finer texture to higher grades. More developed leaves are harder, giving lower grades a sandy texture. The better flavour is due to the tree sending all its nutrients to the growing leaves.
Chlorophyll's relationship to tannin is also important. Younger growth is greener and stronger in colour, while more developed leaves farther down the plant have had their chlorophyll changed gradually into tannin, which gives a more bitter flavour and duller brown-green colour.
Tencha leaves are traditionally dried outside in the shade and are always kept away from direct sunlight. However, these days, drying has mostly moved indoors. Quality matcha is very green because of this treatment.
Stone grinding is quite difficult to do well. Without the right tools and technique, matcha can become "burnt" and is not such good quality.
Matcha must be kept away from oxygen. Oxidation smells like hay and affects colour and texture.
Before it is served, the matcha is often forced through a sieve in order to break up clumps. There are special sieves available for this purpose. These sieves are usually made of stainless steel and combine a fine wire mesh sieve and a temporary storage container. A special wooden spatula is used to force the tea through the sieve, or a small, smooth stone may be put on top of the sieve and shaken gently.
If the sieved matcha is to be served at a Japanese tea ceremony, then it will be put into a small tea caddy called a chaki. Otherwise, it can be poured directly from the sieve into a tea bowl.
A small amount of matcha is placed into the bowl, traditionally using a bamboo scoop called a "chashaku", and a small amount of hot (not boiling) water is added. The mixture is then whisked until it is all the same consistency (thickness). This is traditionally done with a special kind of whisk made of bamboo known as a "chasen". There must be no lumps left in the liquid. Ideally no ground tea should remain on the sides of the bowl.
"Usucha", or thin tea, is prepared with half a teaspoon of matcha and about 75 ml (2.5 oz) of hot water. Some drinkers (and schools of tea ceremony) prefer to whip the mixture to produce a light frothy "head," while others prefer as little foam as possible. Schools also vary on the amount of water and matcha. "Usucha" makes a lighter and slightly more bitter tea.
"Koicha", or thick tea, needs much more matcha, as many as six teaspoons to 3/4 cup of water. Because the mixture is much thicker, blending it needs a slower, stirring movement which does not produce foam. Koicha produces a sweeter tea, and is almost always only served as part of Japanese tea ceremonies. Special chasen made for this purpose are often used.
Because matcha can be bitter, it is traditionally served with a small Japanese sweet.
Matcha is now a common ingredient in sweets. It is used in castella, manju, and monaka; as a topping for kakigori; mixed with milk and sugar as a drink; and mixed with salt and used to flavour tempura in a mixture known as matcha-jio. It is also used as flavouring in many Western-style chocolates, candy, and desserts, such as cakes and pastries (including Swiss rolls and cheesecake), cookies, pudding, mousse, and ice cream. Even the Japanese snack Pocky has a matcha-flavoured version.
The use of matcha in modern drinks has also spread to North American café culture. Here, as in Japan, it is put into lattés, iced drinks, milkshakes, and smoothies, as well as alcoholic drinks.
People now realize that green tea and matcha are good for the health. This is why in North America it can be found in a lot of health food products such as cereal and energy bars.
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Green tea
The drink green tea () is a "true" tea. It comes from the plant species "Camellia sinensis". Green tea is a tea that has undergone little oxidation while it was processed. Green tea is popular in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East. Recently it has been drunk more widely in the West, where usually black tea is consumed.
In the Kamakura period, a Buddhist monk, Eisai (1141–1215), and his follower, Dogen, first brought tea "(maccha)" to Japan. He had learned about tea on a visit to China. Eisai taught people to grow the tea plants, and how to prepare the tea leaves. People drank tea for its benefit as a medicine rather than as a refreshment. Tea-drinking gradually spread as part of Zen Buddhism. The tea ceremony was part of the training for mental discipline. Green tea kept the mind pure and relaxed, an effect caused by the caffeine in the tea. The custom of drinking tea gradually spread throughout Japan.
In the Muromachi period, tea tasting competitions were popular. People also gambled on these competitions. Zen Buddhist master, Juko Murata (1422–1502) stopped these competitions. He broke with the grand tradition, and developed a small ceremony performed around the tatami mat. The tea ceremony was perfected afterward in the Azuchimomoyama era by Jou Takeno and Sen no Rikyu (1522–1591). They removed all extra movements and unnecessary decoration and objects from the tea room. The idea, based on Zen, was to concentrate your attention on the wealth inside your mind.