More About Matcha

In Japan, matcha’s popularity as a product is comparable to chocolate. You’ll see its distinctive pop of green in all sorts of foods, including matcha ice cream, smoothies, puddings, cookies, cakes and mochi (rice cakes). Due to its vegetal quality, matcha even complements savoury dishes like soba noodles. Typically, such food products will be made using culinary-grade matcha, which is slightly more bitter than other grades of matcha. Ceremonial-grade matcha is usually reserved for Buddhist temples and Japanese tea ceremonies.

A great deal of attention is given to preparing the tea in such circumstances. The equipment is chosen with immense care, and each gesture, from the rotation of the cup to the position of the whisk, is very deliberate. Being served matcha as a guest at these ceremonies is an incredibly memorable and unique experience. Less formal occasions might call for premium, classic or café grade matcha, from which you can make delicious everyday teas or add milk in order to enjoy a creamy matcha latte.

Since matcha tea comes in a powder, it must also be brewed differently from a tea bag or loose-leaf tea. Strictly no lumps! Most often, it is combined with hot water and mixed into a paste. A bamboo whisk then whips the matcha (with a little extra hot water) into a smooth, frothy drink.

Because matcha is made using the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, it contains naturally occurring caffeine. It’s also worth bearing in mind that matcha is consumed in a different way than most teas. Whereas teabags and tea leaves are usually removed after brewing, matcha dissolves into the hot water you drink. This means that the tea itself is often directly ingested. As a result, a cup of matcha might contain more caffeine than a cup of other green teas.