Item specifics
Condition: New
Product Type: Green Tea
Net Weight: 70g
How to make a bowl of Matcha?
1. Rinse the cup with hot water, let the matcha come to roomtemperature and sift through a fine strainer
2. Using a bamboo tea scoop, place 1 1/2 to 2 teascoops of matchainto the tea bowl; or, measure out a rounded 1/2 teaspoonful.Adjust the amount of matcha to your taste.
3. Add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of hot simmering purified water. Thisis a guideline for a typical bowl of tea; amounts can be adjustedto your preference.
4. Briskly whisk the tea and hot water using a bamboo tea whisk.Begin slowly to dissolve the matcha, then move very briskly backand forth as fast as you can in the middle of the tea bowl. Thewhisk should be vertical and barely touching the bottom of thebowl. When a soft light foam has developed, slowly lift the whiskfrom the center of the bowl.
5. Drink the matcha immediately.
About Matcha
Matcha is a variety of fine, powdered green tea usedparticularly in the Japanese tea ceremony, as well as to flavourand dye foods such as mochi and soba noodles, green tea ice creamand a variety of wagashi (Japanese confectionery). Matcha is madefrom shade-grown tea leaves also used to make gyokuro, unlike otherforms of powdered tea, such as powdered sencha.
History
In Tang Dynasty China (618-907), tea leaves were steamed and formedinto tea bricks for storage and trade. The tea was prepared byroasting and pulverizing the tea, and decocting the resulting teapowder in hot water, adding salt. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279),the method of making powdered tea from steam-prepared dried tealeaves, and preparing the beverage by whipping the tea powder andhot water together in a bowl became popular. Preparation andconsumption of powdered tea was formed into a ritual by ZenBuddhists. The earliest Chan monastic code in existence, entitledChanyuan qinggui (Rules of Purity for the Chan Monastery, 1103),describes in detail the etiquette for tea ceremonies. A bowl ofmatcha on a black lacquered tray with a traditional sweetZenBuddhism and, along with it, the Chinese methods of preparingpowdered tea were brought to Japan in 1191 by the monk Eisai.Powdered tea was slowly forgotten in China, but in Japan itcontinued to be an important item at Zen monasteries, and becamehighly appreciated by others in the upper echelons of societyduring the 14th through 16th centuries. Along with thisdevelopment, tea plantation owners in Uji perfected techniques forproducing excellent tea for matcha. It was thus able to live on inJapan, develop, flourish, and gradually giving rise to the iconicJapanese Tea Ceremony we know today.
Production
The preparation of matcha starts several weeks before harvest, whenthe tea bushes are covered to prevent direct sunlight. This slowsdown growth, turns the leaves a darker shade of green and causesthe production of amino acids that make the resulting tea sweeter.After being picked, fresh tea leaves are processed the same day.These tea leaves go through six steps: steaming, drying, sorting,drinding with a stone mill. After harvesting, if the leaves arerolled 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. Tencha canthen be de-veined, de-stemmed, and stone ground to the fine, brightgreen, talc-like powder known as matcha. It takes one hour to grind40g (1.41 oz) of top-quality Matcha with a stone mill. The resultis a finely-textured powder.
Grades
Fine matcha uses the best leaves. These are found in the tips ofthe green tea tree (Camellia Sinensis), otherwise known as theflush or new growth. Storage, the stone grind, and age can alleffect the quality of your maccha. The stone grinding process is anartisan technique and a bad grind can ruin otherwise premiummatcha. Humidity, time, and strong odours also have the potentialto ruin your tea.
The higher the grade, the:
sweeter it is (more amino acids)
smoother the texture
more vibrant it is
the "greener" the aroma (chlorophyll)
fuller it feels in the mouth
The lower the grade, the:
more bitter it is (more tannin)
coarser the texture
more earthy coloured it is
the shorter the finish
dryer it feels in the mouth
We at have gone to great lengths to locate only the finest teasavailable and have hand picked and personally chosen our teas afterdirectly visiting the tea farms and speaking with the owners.Dragon Tea House' top grade matcha use fresh leaves plucked inorganic tea garden in early spring, it is then ground by stoneother than machine. The product reaches 1600 mesh untrafine whichrepresents top quality on the market. We deal directly with thefarmers so that our green tea goes straight from the farm to yourdoorstep. Open our fresh sealed matcha and allow the fragrance topermeate your senses. Allow the smell of the freshly harvested teato uplift your mind and transport you to the cascading teafields.
Brewing Guide
A small amount of matcha is placed into the bowl, traditionallyusing a bamboo scoop called a chashaku, then a modicum of hot (notboiling) water is added. The mixture is then whisked to a uniformconsistency, using a bamboo whisk known as a chasen. There must beno lumps left in the liquid, and no ground tea should remain on thesides of the bowl. Because matcha can be bitter, it istraditionally served with a small sweet.
Usucha, or thin tea, is prepared with half a teaspoon of matcha andapproximately 75 ml (2.5 oz) of hot water, which can be whisked toproduce froth or not, according to the drinker's preference (or tothe traditions of the particular school of tea). Usucha creates alighter and slightly more bitter tea. 100g yields about 60-70servings.
Note: The depicted tea bowl, matcha whisk and scoop are shown forillustration purpose only. They must be purchased separately.