A Bit About Matcha Tea

Posted by admin on May 21st, 2008 filed in Matcha Tea

Powdered tea was slowly forgotten in China, but in Japan it continued to be an important item at Zen monasteries, and became highly appreciated by others in the upper echelons of society during the 14th through 16th centuries.  Matcha tea is uniquely Japanese and unlike regular green tea sold in health food stores, comes in a fine powdered form that you only need roughly a teaspoon for every serving. Matcha contains, by volume, higher concentrations of catechins and vitamins. Matcha comes from gyokuro leaves that have been steamed and dried and is a fine, powdered green tea used particularly in the Japanese tea ceremony.

Uji Tawara is famous in Japan for shincha, matcha, gyokuro, and sencha. The highest quality matcha comes from the Uji Tawara area, which is the primary Matcha producing region in Japan.  It is made from the leaves of shade grown tea trees.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”).  The misty climate, sloping hills, and diurnal temperature means that these regions have perfect conditions for producing high quality gyokuro and matcha .

Tea plantation owners in Uji area of Japan perfected techniques for producing excellent tea for matcha.  When the leaves are harvested they are steamed, dried and then further processed to remove the veins, stems and impurities. The pure dried leaves (tencha) are then stone ground into a super fine powder that is the consistency of talc.Thin and thick matcha are made from the highest quality leaves and because it is the whole leafe that is being consumed rather than just the leaves being steeped in water the benefits of green tea are magnified. 

In the Japanese tea ceremony koicha is brewed with less water than usucha. Usucha comes from the leaves of tea plants that are less than 30 years old and koicha from plants over 30 years old.

Matcha can be used as an ingredient or made as a tea. There are many green tea recipes and matcha’s flavour blends well in dairy-based recipes and its powder form makes it easy to work with. It is used as an added color and flavor to pastries, cakes and pies, to dye and flavour foods such as mochi and soba noodles, green tea ice cream and a variety of wagashi (Japanese confectionery).