Before I go into a pictorial on how to make this intoxicating, frothy brew, let me first start by explaining what Matcha is, why it's so special, and why in my opinion, it is the finest form of tea.
Matcha is a finely ground powdered Japanese tea. The tea itself however, is much different than a standard green - as it's specially shade grown, picked at a different time, and the quality control is significantly more stringent than any other tea I know of. The best Matcha is the first pick at the beginning or right before the start of the season and only the choicest leaves from the very top of the bush are used. A good matcha should taste almost sweet and a VERY deep, robust flavor. Enjoying a QUALITY matcha (see notes below on what quality matcha is) is a near magical experience. It fills your mouth with such a robust, sweet, decadent flavor - for many it will overwhelm ones taste buds. This isn't something many dirnk daily - instead this is reserved for very special occasions and moments of intense concentration and reflection.
Quality - most of the stuff you can find easily online or in stores, is pure junk - but all it takes is ONE cup of the good stuff to knock your socks off. If you get some matcha, make sure it 1.) Is stone ground (other methods "burn" the tea and remove flavor) and 2.) Is from Uji. ALMOST everything from Uji will be superb, of course as with all things, it won't always be the case, but 95% of the time, this is true. 3.) Get Koicha - as it's grown from 30+ year old plants, and tends to be much better. You've probably only ever had usucha, which is the more common stuff. (There are 2 basic types, Koicha - essentially thick and usucha - essentially thin). Chiyo Mukashi is a really nice Koicha to start from, which isn't brutally expensive - however a good Usucha will get you started, and will be even less costly. Note: any good matcha should be kept under refrigeration, and any good proprietor will make it VERY clear their matcha(s) are kept under refrigeration until they're shipped. Also, good matcha (in fact all matcha) should have a production date on the bottom of the tin - and it is prime for 6 months after production. If it has a "best by" date, it is suspect, especially if the date is greater than six months from the purchase date, it is likely very old, low quality matcha.
Health Benefits - matcha has long been considered the healthiest tea as you actually consume the leaves (powder) thus giving you the maximum amount of nutrients. Matcha has more than 137 times (that's not a typo) more EGCG than an equally sized cup of green tea. Suffice to say, it's green tea on steroids and PCP. I won't go into detail RE: what the benefits of tea are (a quick google search will take care of you) but suffice to say, green tea is VERY good for you. Matcha will also give you a wonderful boost of energy, unlike anything else you've experienced (not a caffeine like boost, it's a very calming boost) and will kick your metabolism into gear like none other. If I drink this daily for a week, doing NOTHING different, I lose about 3-5 lbs. It's wacky stuff. YMMV on the weight loss stuff, but everyone should notice a boost in their ability to concentrate, and a stable boost of energy.
Not only is it exceptionally tasty, it's tremendously fun to prepare the frothy green elixir with the bowl, whisk, etc - so let's get down to business.
Here's a VERY basic setup I use when traveling - or when I want to enjoy a cup of Matcha at work. While basic, you need nothing more than the items below....
Matcha bowl (called Chawan), Prep tools (in the bamboo tube) and Matcha (that's some cheap/old stuff in the silver bag that's past expiration which i'm merely using as an example - still tastes good though )
Bamboo Whisk (called Chasen) and a Matcha Spoon (called Chashaku)...
Making Matcha
Step one - assemble your equipment (shown above)
Step two - select your matcha... (Note: you can tell this is old stuff as it should be a more vibrant, almost florescent green color)
Step three - Depending on the matcha, place one or two "scoops" of matcha into the dry bowl from the matcha spoon. In this instance, I am using two scoops....
Closer look at the good stuff.....
Step four - add an ounce or so of water that is approximately 180 degrees or so. You want it hot, but not so hot as to scald the incredibly fresh tea....
Step five - now is where it start to get interesting. Use the bamboo whisk and slowly start to whisk/mix the powder with the water at a speed of about 2 rotations per second.....
After a few seconds, slowly increase your speed - you should start to see a froth begin to form...
Kick it up a notch, and start to vigorously whisk small circles with the bamboo whisk and you'll begin to see a beautiful, cappuccino like froth begin to form. Depending on the whisk and the type/grade/freshness of matcha - you can generate a shocking amount of froth (in some cases i've gotten over an inch of foam)....
Step 6 - add water to form your desired strength. Many only like to use a few ounces of water to make a very strong, robust brew - while others like to add 6-10 ounces of water. I added more water than I typically prefer, as it was difficult pouring water while trying to take a picture of the process at the same time
Step 7 (optional) - some like a froth of thicker bubbles (see above) while others like a very tight, fine froth. With this little travel whisk - the best I can get is a medium thick froth. You don't have to use the whisk a second time, but for those who do - here's what it looks like....
Step 8 - enjoy a truly unique and special experience, once only enjoyed by royalty.
Enjoy - and if you have any questions, or would like to add in any tips/tricks/hints, feel free to jump in!
Matcha is a finely ground powdered Japanese tea. The tea itself however, is much different than a standard green - as it's specially shade grown, picked at a different time, and the quality control is significantly more stringent than any other tea I know of. The best Matcha is the first pick at the beginning or right before the start of the season and only the choicest leaves from the very top of the bush are used. A good matcha should taste almost sweet and a VERY deep, robust flavor. Enjoying a QUALITY matcha (see notes below on what quality matcha is) is a near magical experience. It fills your mouth with such a robust, sweet, decadent flavor - for many it will overwhelm ones taste buds. This isn't something many dirnk daily - instead this is reserved for very special occasions and moments of intense concentration and reflection.
Quality - most of the stuff you can find easily online or in stores, is pure junk - but all it takes is ONE cup of the good stuff to knock your socks off. If you get some matcha, make sure it 1.) Is stone ground (other methods "burn" the tea and remove flavor) and 2.) Is from Uji. ALMOST everything from Uji will be superb, of course as with all things, it won't always be the case, but 95% of the time, this is true. 3.) Get Koicha - as it's grown from 30+ year old plants, and tends to be much better. You've probably only ever had usucha, which is the more common stuff. (There are 2 basic types, Koicha - essentially thick and usucha - essentially thin). Chiyo Mukashi is a really nice Koicha to start from, which isn't brutally expensive - however a good Usucha will get you started, and will be even less costly. Note: any good matcha should be kept under refrigeration, and any good proprietor will make it VERY clear their matcha(s) are kept under refrigeration until they're shipped. Also, good matcha (in fact all matcha) should have a production date on the bottom of the tin - and it is prime for 6 months after production. If it has a "best by" date, it is suspect, especially if the date is greater than six months from the purchase date, it is likely very old, low quality matcha.
Health Benefits - matcha has long been considered the healthiest tea as you actually consume the leaves (powder) thus giving you the maximum amount of nutrients. Matcha has more than 137 times (that's not a typo) more EGCG than an equally sized cup of green tea. Suffice to say, it's green tea on steroids and PCP. I won't go into detail RE: what the benefits of tea are (a quick google search will take care of you) but suffice to say, green tea is VERY good for you. Matcha will also give you a wonderful boost of energy, unlike anything else you've experienced (not a caffeine like boost, it's a very calming boost) and will kick your metabolism into gear like none other. If I drink this daily for a week, doing NOTHING different, I lose about 3-5 lbs. It's wacky stuff. YMMV on the weight loss stuff, but everyone should notice a boost in their ability to concentrate, and a stable boost of energy.
Not only is it exceptionally tasty, it's tremendously fun to prepare the frothy green elixir with the bowl, whisk, etc - so let's get down to business.
Here's a VERY basic setup I use when traveling - or when I want to enjoy a cup of Matcha at work. While basic, you need nothing more than the items below....
Matcha bowl (called Chawan), Prep tools (in the bamboo tube) and Matcha (that's some cheap/old stuff in the silver bag that's past expiration which i'm merely using as an example - still tastes good though )
Bamboo Whisk (called Chasen) and a Matcha Spoon (called Chashaku)...
Making Matcha
Step one - assemble your equipment (shown above)
Step two - select your matcha... (Note: you can tell this is old stuff as it should be a more vibrant, almost florescent green color)
Step three - Depending on the matcha, place one or two "scoops" of matcha into the dry bowl from the matcha spoon. In this instance, I am using two scoops....
Closer look at the good stuff.....
Step four - add an ounce or so of water that is approximately 180 degrees or so. You want it hot, but not so hot as to scald the incredibly fresh tea....
Step five - now is where it start to get interesting. Use the bamboo whisk and slowly start to whisk/mix the powder with the water at a speed of about 2 rotations per second.....
After a few seconds, slowly increase your speed - you should start to see a froth begin to form...
Kick it up a notch, and start to vigorously whisk small circles with the bamboo whisk and you'll begin to see a beautiful, cappuccino like froth begin to form. Depending on the whisk and the type/grade/freshness of matcha - you can generate a shocking amount of froth (in some cases i've gotten over an inch of foam)....
Step 6 - add water to form your desired strength. Many only like to use a few ounces of water to make a very strong, robust brew - while others like to add 6-10 ounces of water. I added more water than I typically prefer, as it was difficult pouring water while trying to take a picture of the process at the same time
Step 7 (optional) - some like a froth of thicker bubbles (see above) while others like a very tight, fine froth. With this little travel whisk - the best I can get is a medium thick froth. You don't have to use the whisk a second time, but for those who do - here's what it looks like....
Step 8 - enjoy a truly unique and special experience, once only enjoyed by royalty.
Enjoy - and if you have any questions, or would like to add in any tips/tricks/hints, feel free to jump in!
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