Description
Matcha green tea
Matcha is a green tea powder, which is different from all other green teas. It is traditionally used for tea ceremonies in Japan, and today it is also a big part of the daily life of tea lovers. The processes by which matcha tea is obtained are much more complex compared to classic loose leaf tea. Matcha tea preparation and tea ceremony are also special in comparison to others.
Brief description of matcha tea production
The harvest is usually in early May. Before that, the tea plant is sheltered from the sun for about 20 days. Traditionally, bamboo mats are used for this, although today various types of materials are used for shading the tea plant. It is important that it is minimally exposed to the sun. That the shade gradually thickens over time, by adding more and more layers as we get closer to picking time. In such conditions, the plant produces more chlorophyll, and the theanine level remains and doesn’t disappear due to reduction of light.
Leafs full of chlorophyll and theanine are harvested, and then steamed to stop oxidation (15-20sec). Then the leaves are dried, after which only the “meaty” part of the leaf is separated from the central stem of the leaf (vein) and dried again.
That re-dried part of the leaves is finally ground traditionally in stone mills. The grinding process must be at lower temperatures in order not to denature the nutrients, i.e. so that the heat would not affect the composition of the matcha tea, and thus all of this would have an effect on the taste itself. This is a very slow process and sometimes only 30g of matcha is made in 1 hour.
You can try matcha in our tea shop in Golsvordieva 5 from a hand-made matcha bowl.
- Country of origin: Japan
PREPARATION
1-1,5 g (cca. kašičica )
60 - 70ºC
