matcha, powdered green tea of Japanese origin by way of China, and popular among tea connoisseurs everywhere.
Matcha was introduced to Japan in the 1100s by a Zen Buddhist monk who, returning from study in China, brought tea seeds with him and established a practice called “the way of tea,” by which the perfect preparation of tea became an exercise of devotion that honoured the beauty found among the otherwise flawed world. The tea grown for the ceremony was powdered, in the custom of the time, and then whisked with a bamboo brush into boiling water, the tea leaves suspended in the frothy water being drunk rather than strained out as they are in steeped tea.
Combining the Japanese words matsu, “to rub, to daub, to paint” and cha, “tea,” matcha is grown according to strict rules. Matcha must be taken from shade-grown tea plants, which have heightened levels of chlorophyll and have a bright green colour. Only the buds and top three layers of the young tea plant, Camellia sinensis, are harvested. The tea leaves are steamed to halt the oxidation process, then deveined and ground in stone mills. Because of such laborious and exacting production standards, matcha is among the most expensive kinds of teas on the market.
Matcha contains more caffeine than other green teas. Consumed in moderation, it is an aid to memory and perception, and its high level of antioxidants makes it a healthful dietary supplement with possible cancer-fighting properties. Matcha is also thought to alleviate stress and anxiety, and its catechins are known to be helpful in reducing blood pressure and dietary cholesterol.
Matcha has a slightly nutty, grassy flavour with a hint of bitterness. In Japan the best matcha as judged by flavour and colour is classified as ceremonial grade, meant to be consumed on its own without any sweeteners or other ingredients. Culinary grade matcha, somewhat more bitter still, is used in ice cream and is added to milk to make a kind of latte. Certain cocktails also contain matcha. Matcha has become popular far outside its country of origin, sold in health-food grocery stores and tea and coffee shops.