Brewing Notes:
 |
HOW TO PREPARE MATCHA  SIFT: Pass your matcha through a fine sieve or tea strainer to reduce the possibility of clumps when preparing. Sift the whole can at once onto waxed paper and then return the sifted powder to the can.
PREPARE: Preheat your tea bowl with boiling water, then discard the liquid and dry the bowl. Wet the whisk with warm water to protect its porous material.
 MEASURE: Place 2 chasaku (almond-sized) scoops or one level teaspoon of matcha in the bottom of the bowl. Then add approx. 1/4 cup of slightly less than boiling water to the bowl. Pour the water in from the side, to avoid
dispersing the fine powder.
 WHISK: Agitate the mixture
vigorously with a back and forth motion of the wrist for approx. 15
seconds. The surface of the matcha should become completely frothy.
ENJOY: Try to drink the matcha immediately, as the powder settles quickly to the bottom of the bowl. In the Japanese tea ceremony, it is customary to quaff the bowl in three audible slurps.
How to Prepare Matcha Without Traditional Tools
If you do not have the traditional Japanese bamboo spoon (chashaku) or whisk
(chasen), you can still enjoy this flavorful tea. First strain the
entire can of tea through a tea strainer and then return to tea can.
(This will remove any lumps and make the tea easier to blend.) Then add
1/2 teaspoon matcha to 8 ounces of hot (but not boiling) water, stir
vigorously, and enjoy!
We offer a Matcha Starter Kit with tea, whisk and ceramic mixing bowl.
More About This Tea:
Matcha tea from Japan is traditionally produced from high-quality
tea leaves. Several weeks before picking, the fields are covered with
straw or black plastic fabric to shade the plants from the sun. This
intensifies the color and caffeine as well as other compounds within
the leaf. The same method is also used to make gyokuro tea, a full-leaf
style that is similar in appearance to sencha. Why Matcha Is Stone Ground
Grinding
tea by stone was the method used in China when a Japanese Zen priest,
Myoan Eisai, brought the tradition back to Japan in 1191. Eisai carried
with him tea seeds and the knowledge of how to grow, process, and drink
the tea. By the thirteenth century tea was being cultivated in Uji,
Japan, where our matcha grows today. It is still ground using stone
wheels that have been specially chiseled for this express purpose, made
by craftsmen whose families have been making these grinders for
generations. Thick Tea (Koicha)
The
Japanese refined drinking the powdered tea so that it became a
elaborate manifestation of Zen buddhism. The more superficial aspects
are the physical acts of the tea ceremony and exchanges of hospitality
and appreciation whereas the spiritual side (cha-no-yu) concerns Zen
practice and quest for a pure state of mind.
A full tea ceremony can take four hours and includes a meal, sweets,
and tea served two times. Thick tea is made with three bamboo spoonfuls
(chashaku), or about 3.5 grams of tea which then has the hot water
added to it. The bamboo whisk (chasen) is moved back and forth slowly,
only enough to blend the tea into a smooth, thick liquid. The exact
temperature of the water varies according to the season and and can
range from nearly boiling down to about 190 degrees. The exact amount
of water to make the perfect tea comes from experience. Thin Tea (Usucha)
Thin
tea is served after a sweet cake (kashi) and is prepared differently
than the thick tea. Two bamboo scoops of tea are added to the bowl
(after being sifted through a metal sieve to eliminate any lumps in the
tea). The goal is to briskly whisk the tea into a froth (15-20
strokes). Too little doesn't blend the tea and it can be too watery and
if you whisk it too much it becomes foamy. Practice of course is the
best teacher. Health Benefits of Matcha Tea - as Described by Dr. Andrew Weil M.D.
In addition
to providing trace minerals and vitamins (A, B-complex, C, E, and K),
matcha is rich in catechin polyphenols - compounds with high
antioxidant activity. These compounds offer protection against many
kinds of cancer, help prevent cardiovascular disease and slow the aging
process. They also reduce harmful cholesterol in the blood, stabilize
blood sugar levels, help reduce high blood pressure and enhance the
resistance of the body to many toxins. The most important polyphenol in
matcha is EGCG (epigallo-catechin gallate), which is the subject of
many medical studies. Matcha has a significant amount of dietary fiber
and practically no calories. - Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D. (Read more about health benefits of tea by Dr. Andrew Weil M.D.
|
