Matcha - tea for connoisseurs of taste and style

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Matcha is a tea that originated in China. It appeared during the imperial Tang dynasty, under which the country flourished unusually. The most devoted fans of this product there were Zen Buddhists, who made the preparation of the drink a separate ritual. Later, matcha green tea, along with Zen Buddhism, migrated to Japan. Experts notice that it is more correct to call it not in English, but in Japanese transcription - "matcha", which means "pounded tea" in translation. Now it is called Japanese and is drunk during the traditional tea ceremony.

Fragrant Green Powder

A striking feature that matcha (tea) has is that it has an unusual powdery consistency. This means that its preparation is also different from the classical method to which we are accustomed. How to brew matcha tea? Strictly speaking, it is not brewed, but mixed with water or whipped.

The Secret of the "Jade Drink"

First, the powder is sifted through a strainer, rubbing the resulting lumps with a wooden spoon or a smooth stone. Then it is poured into a cup and filled with water heated to 80 ° C. And here begins the most unusualpart of the preparation of tea: the mixture is thoroughly mixed or whipped until a homogeneous green mass is obtained. Whipping creates a characteristic foam. Connoisseurs recommend using not an ordinary, but a special whisk, which is made of bamboo and is called chasen. The finished drink pleases the eye with a bright green tint, which is why it is called "jade".

What is matcha like

Tea can be prepared in two versions: strong (koicha) and light (usucha). For a strong one, take 4 grams of powder (this is a teaspoon) and mix with 50 ml of water (this is a quarter cup). Whipping the mixture is not recommended, it must be slowly stirred. The drink is tart and fragrant. The taste is bittersweet. If you take half the powder - 2 grams, and a third more water (75 ml), and then beat the mass intensively, you get a light (weak) matcha. The tea in this case will be lighter and taste bitterer.

Tea ceremony

It is held strictly according to the rules. First - cooking with the help of special accessories, and then - the ritual of tea drinking. If you intend to drink a cup of matcha in Japanese style, tea, the aroma of which is incomparable, you must first not swallow, but “breathe”, then, having enjoyed its fragrance, drink from a cup that should be held in both palms. In the moments of tea drinking, you need to get rid of the hustle and bustle and protect yourself from the noise. The drink does not need to be sweetened, and in order to emphasize its specific bitter taste, you should try sweets before drinking tea. During the Japanese tea ceremony, only koicha is always served, which is made frommore expensive matcha varieties.

Secrets of tea leaves

Matcha is made from leaves that have been deliberately inhibited from growing. To do this, a few weeks before the harvest, the bushes are closed from the sun. Organic compounds are then formed in the leaves, giving the drink a tart-sweet taste. The collected raw materials are dried without twisting, and then ground to a state of flour. What kind of tea will be depends on several factors: the timing of collection, the method of drying, grinding, the age of the tea bush and the place that the leaf occupied on it. Elite varieties are made from upper soft leaves collected from older plants. When processing them, all the necessary rules are meticulously observed.

Perfect doctor

The drink has all the advantages that green tea has in general: the presence of antioxidants that keep the cells of the body he althy and young, and also strengthen the immune system; bactericidal properties; vasodilating and antidiabetic action. However, the special value of this type of tea is due to the fact that, according to American scientists, it contains a hundred times more catechin - a compound that can fight cancer, HIV infection. The advantage of the matcha is also that it is made from the best raw materials and enters the body along with the "brewing", in its entirety.

Tea that is not only drunk

Desserts are made from beautiful green powder in Japan. It is added to ice cream, cookies, cakes, mousses, fruit and milkshakes. It is also mixed with other types of tea, coffee and alcohol. In the US, matcha is actively used in the creation of he althy foods.

You can also experiment in your own kitchen. Here, for example, is a smoothie recipe that is prepared in London's Fifteen restaurant. Put in a blender: half an apple, a quarter of a stalk of celery, 2 sprigs of mint, half a pear and a banana each, add 2 grams of matcha. All are well mixed and served over ice.

Tea powder is readily used not only in the food industry, but also in cosmetology, the substances with which it is rich noticeably smooth and brighten the skin. Matcha can be found in toothpaste, acne products, face masks, soaps and creams.

Japanese matcha is certainly not cheap, and it is not so easy to find a quality sample, but it can give the gourmet a whole range of unforgettable sensations.