How to make an incredible cup of Matcha...

as I gather you are a coffee drinker you might appreciate the concentrated caffeine kick I get from matcha which others teas need a few toilet trips to induce.

I do find it a great morning drink as nothing says morning to me like a cup of the freshest, greenest tea around. The added kick that matcha provides makes it even more suited to my tastes, unfortunately life has got in the way of me enjoying free time in the morning over the past few weeks and I'm lucky if I get a cup of whatever leaf I was drinking the night before before I'm out the door.

I think I'll be taking the matcha plunge very soon.

My MiL received a link for a Matcha set as a suggestion for a Christmas gift for me.

-Scott

Nope. Not bitin'. Not this time.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. And NO.

Got enough tea.
Got enough razors.
Got enough blades.
Got enough brushes.
Got enough soap.

Heck, I don't even like the colour of the stuff.
Reminds me of the Exorcist.

Fuhgeddaboudit.



What was that link, again?

expatCanuck said:

Nope. Not bitin'. Not this time.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. And NO.

Got enough tea.
Got enough razors.
Got enough blades.
Got enough brushes.
Got enough soap.

Heck, I don't even like the colour of the stuff.
Reminds me of the Exorcist.

Fuhgeddaboudit.



What was that link, again?

Click to expand...

Didn't I tell you not to look here?

Haven't had any since I left Japan! Never developed a taste for it -- I always went for the poor man's genmaicha or hojicha. Even then, most of my generic sencha gulping Japanese coworkers thought I was being snooty!

whyyyy... this place is too expensive.

took the plunge, ordered this tea. Seems less expensive then the great stuff but honestly I usually can't notice a huge difference, if I like it I'll probably go higher quality.

This is the tea I picked up http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GB3NS4

I also got the little portable whisk and spoon set, I think I have a bowl I can use at home but I'll probably make it in a mug. I also saw somewhere that you can put a couple of table spoons of the powder into a water bottle and shake it up and you can make this tea cold. If that does work and I like it that will probably be how I have it just because it's easier.

gatto said:

whyyyy... this place is too expensive.

Click to expand...

Well, yes & no.

One certainly can be tempted to acquire new gadgets that one otherwise might not. But I think it just as likely that B&B can facilitate getting a better bang for the buck.

Fer instance -- I'm now drinking 25-30¢ French pressed coffee at work, rather than $1-2 Peet's or Charbucks. Cheaper & better.

I had already climbed on the tea wagon before B&B (tho' I'd not gone to the Pu-erh corner). But pu-erh needn't be more costly than good 'conventional' tea. And as hobbies go, it's certainly less expensive than Guitar Acquisition Disorder.

And now that I have RAD & SBAD under control (3 brushes, 4 soaps, a handful of razors and a dirt-cheap box of Israeli Platinums), the shaving thing is more effective, more enjoyable and less costly than my Atra/Edge days.

Admittedly tho, I do have enough tea to last me well into 2010 & perhaps beyond ...

But I really don't think I'm gonna go the Matcha route. Have difficulty getting beyond that fluorescent green. And Pu-erh's just too much fun.

expatCanuck said:

Well, yes & no.

One certainly can be tempted to acquire new gadgets that one otherwise might not. But I think it just as likely that B&B can facilitate getting a better bang for the buck.

Fer instance -- I'm now drinking 25-30¢ French pressed coffee at work, rather than $1-2 Peet's or Charbucks. Cheaper & better.

I had already climbed on the tea wagon before B&B (tho' I'd not gone to the Pu-erh corner). But pu-erh needn't be more costly than good conventional tea. And as hobbies go, it's certainly less expensive than Guitar Acquisition Disorder.

And now that I have RAD & SBAD under control (3 brushes, 4 soaps, a handful of razors and a dirt-cheap box of Israeli Platinums), the shaving thing is more effective, more enjoyable and less costly than my Atra/Edge days.

Admittedly tho, I do have enough tea to last me well into 2010 & perhaps beyond ...

But I really don't think I'm gonna go the Matcha route. Have difficulty getting beyond that fluorescent green. And Pu-erh's just too much fun.

Click to expand...

hehe, this place definitely saved me money when it comes to buying the new things I found. If I wasn't on this site and discovered all my new hobbies on my own I'm sure I would have paid a lot more money.

Old saying- buy something good, and you'll only cry once.

So, since everything comes back to buying a product -- what brand do you suggest for a newbie and where can I get it online? I'm willing to try match again, considering it's probably way different from the stuff at my local kaiten-zushi place back in Ibaraki...

I have enjoyed this post very much.

I lived in Japan when I was 19 and it was a blast. All this time I thought Matcha was a hangover drink only. It seemed to me that the only time I was taken to drink Match by my Japanese friends was after a night of heavy drinking. And it did do wonders.

Time to rediscover Matcha.

petr said:

All this time I thought Matcha was a hangover drink only. It seemed to me that the only time I was taken to drink Match by my Japanese friends was after a night of heavy drinking. And it did do wonders.

Click to expand...

+1!

So after playing around a lot with this tea I think my favorite way to drink it is a few scoops of matcha in 10oz of hot water with some milk in it. I gave it a try cold shaken into a bottle of water and that isn't bad either.