Matcha is on everyone's lips and when the tea is made in the traditional, ceremonial way, there is more to it than just putting the powder in a cup and pouring water on it.
Matcha is Japanese and means "ground tea". It is traditionally poured into a matcha cup through a sieve with a bamboo spatula (chashaku) and stirred with a special bamboo whisk (chasen) and warm water. The temperature of the water also plays a role and should not exceed 75°C to 80°C, depending on the quality of the matcha. The powder is stirred with the whisk until it has a creamy, foamy consistency without bubbles. So preparing a good matcha requires awareness and technique.
Matcha can be prepared as thin tea (Usucha) and as a strong tea (Koicha).
Why is good matcha expensive?
In recent months we have received many inquiries about matcha powder and found good suppliers for it.
The prices for matcha powder vary greatly, however. On the one hand, the origin plays a role. Goods from China are often cheaper than goods from Japan. The tea originally comes from China and was only brought to Japan in the 12th century. However, the quality and technology were refined there.
For premium matcha, the tea plants in Japan are shaded for at least four weeks before harvest to stimulate the plant's chlorophyll production. This gives the tea its intense color. And the extended ripening time increases the quality and nutrient content. This is also the main difference between Japanese and Chinese matcha. Traditionally, only the leaf tissue is used, which is separated from the stems and leaf veins by steaming and sucking air. In reality, however, today only the stems are usually removed. The leaves are then baked/dried and finely ground. Awareness and technology therefore also play a major role in production.
Since matcha is not a protected term, theoretically any ground green tea can be called matcha.
- For ceremonial qualities, young leaves from the first picking are usually used, which taste rather sweet, nutty and umami. These are therefore only harvested once a year. Other qualities taste rather bitter, but are good for mixing with other ingredients and are used in ice cream or desserts, for example.
- High quality matcha has a rich, juicy green color, while the lower quality varieties have more yellowish, brownish green tones.
- The grinding process influences the quality and the content of ingredients. Traditionally, matcha is slowly ground between granite stone slabs (just 50g of powder can be produced in an hour).
- High quality matcha is finely ground and can easily clump when it comes into contact with air (which is why sieving before preparation may be advisable). This allows the tea to be completely mixed with water, which is not always the case with lower quality teas.
While ceremonial quality is mainly used for these special occasions or delicatessen foods, there are other gradations that are then used for matcha drinks, nutritional supplements or as an ingredient in ice cream or desserts, for example.
What Matcha can be used for
Because matcha is dissolved in water as a powder instead of just being extracted, it contains more nutrients than "normal" green tea. The tea has been found to have a high content of beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A) and polyphenols.
Antioxidants, especially the catechins in it, can also have a positive effect on health.
Matcha also contains caffeine, which some people may find more tolerable than coffee due to the tannins in the tea.
There is also evidence that drinking the tea daily can help reduce cardiovascular disease. In line with this, there are also studies that have shown that with the help of matcha, poor eating habits have little impact on health (less weight gain, less absorption of harmful substances, better glucose levels, and much more).
Our Products
We offer several organic and conventional matcha powders from our suppliers and can offer both ceremonial quality and culinary quality/industrial quality..
Please contact us for a non-binding offer.
Disclaimer
For legal reasons, we would like to point out that some of the above statements require further research and studies to scientifically substantiate them. Therefore, not all statements can currently be accepted by conventional medicine.