Matcha Green Tea

    Maccha (抹茶) or matcha is a fine, powdered green tea used in Japanese tea ceremony and to dye and flavour foods such as mochi and soba noodles, green tea ice cream and a variety of wagashi (Japanese confectionery). The most famous Maccha-producing regions are Uji in Kyoto (tea from this region is called “Ujicha”), Shizuoka, Northern Kyushu, and Nishio in Aichi on the main island of Honshu (tea from this region is called Nishiocha).

    Maccha is (as with other quality green teas) generally expensive compared to other forms of tea, although its price depends on its quality. There really is no such thing as a good quality matcha that is cheap. This is mostly due to the amount of labor involved in bringing it to the market. It can be hard to find outside Japan, as can the implements traditionally used to prepare and consume it.
    Unlike regular sun grown green tea (sencha), matcha is derived from gyokuro. Gyokuro is a green tea that has been grown under 90% shade three weeks prior to harvest. Like other types of shade grown green tea, the leaves used for matcha are steamed to prevent fermentation. Unlike gyokuro, however, the leaves for matcha are only processed to a certain point and are not rolled. Instead, matcha leaves are processed so that the veins are removed, producing a product known as “tencha“. This is done in a what looks like a big wind tunnel, with the matcha leaves being blown around until just the inner parts remain floating around in the air. The soon to be matcha tencha bits is further refined by grinding, traditionally on a stone mill. The resulting product is known as matcha. Since there are so many steps involved, each adding additional labor, matcha tends to be the most expensive of all green tea.

History

Powdered tea seems to have been invented in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Preparation and consumption of powdered tea was formed into a ritual by the Chan Buddhists, who drank from a single bowl as a sacrament.

A bowl of matcha on a black lacquered tray with a traditional sweet

    Chan Buddhism (also known in Japanese as Zen), and powdered tea along with it, were brought to Japan in 1191 by the monk Eisai. Powdered tea was slowly forgotten in China, but 16th century tea master Sen no Rikyu formulated the rules of Japanese tea ceremony, specifying maccha as the correct tea to use.

Production

The preparation of maccha starts several weeks before harvest, when the tea bushes are covered to prevent direct sunlight. This slows down growth, turns the leaves a darker shade of green and causes the production of amino acids that make the resulting tea 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 somewhat and become known as tencha (展茶). Tencha can then be stone ground to the fine, bright green, talc-like powder known as maccha.

    Note that only ground tencha qualifies as maccha, and other powdered teas are known as konacha (粉茶, lit. “powdered tea”). The high level of Catechin it contains is a consequence of the very small particle size of the processed leaf.

    The flavour of maccha is dominated by its amino acids. The highest grades of maccha have more intense sweetness & deeper flavour than the standard or coarser grades of tea harvested later in the year.

Preparation

A bamboo tea whisk (a “chasen”), used for whisking matcha

    Prior to serving, the maccha is often forced through a sieve in order to break up clumps. There are special sieves available for this purpose, which are usually 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 placed on top of the sieve and the device shaken gently.

    If the sieved maccha is to be served at a Japanese tea ceremony, then it will be placed into a small tea caddy known as a chaki. Otherwise, it can be scooped directly from the sieve into a tea bowl.

    A small amount of maccha is placed into the bowl, traditionally using a bamboo scoop called a chashaku, and a modicum of hot (not boiling) water is added. The mixture is then whisked to a uniform consistency, traditionally using a special kind of whisk made of bamboo known as a chasen. There must be no lumps left in the liquid, and ideally no ground tea should remain on the sides of the bowl.

    Usucha, or thin tea, is prepared with half a teaspoon of maccha and approximately 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 maccha. Usucha creates a lighter and slightly more bitter tea.

    Koicha, or thick tea, requires significantly more maccha, as many as six teaspoons to 3/4 cup of water. Because the resulting mixture is significantly thicker, blending it requires a slower, stirring motion which does not produce foam. Koicha produces a sweeter tea, and is served almost exclusively as part of Japanese tea ceremonies. Special chasen designed for this purpose are often employed. One common misconception is that the think types is stronger. In reality, the thick type is the milder of the two. Koicha is not actually thicker or stronger than usucha. The reason koicha is considered “thick” has more to do with how it is used. Thick matcha is used to make thick tea, and typically twice the amount of powder is used when making it. If twice as much thin matcha were used to make thicker tea, the taste would become too bitter. For that reason, most thick matcha comes from plants that exceed thirty years in age. Once again, this specialization adds to the cost of the tea, making koicha one of the most expensive, yet exquisite teas available.
    Because maccha is slightly bitter, it is traditionally served with a small sweet.

Other uses

    Maccha 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 maccha-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 maccha-flavoured version.
    The use of maccha in modern drinks has also spread to North American café culture where, as in Japan, it has become integrated into lattés, iced drinks, milkshakes, and smoothies, as well as alcoholic beverages.
    The health benefits of green tea and maccha have also raised significant interest in North America. Consequently, it can now be found in numerous health food products ranging from cereal to energy bars.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org, http://www.green-tea.us, http://www.matchaandmore.com