Iced matcha lattes and a matcha cortado from Chalait.
The green wave is spreading. No, it’s not kale again; this time it’s in the water. Well, steeped in water that is. During the Tang Dynasty in China, the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant began to be brewed into green tea for pleasure and not just medicinal purposes. In the 800s, religious students brought this tea over to Japan along trade routes. From that point on, the highly pigmented tea became a key ingredient in the island country of Japan, used frequently in a variety of dishes.
I recently attended a workshop hosted by Ippuku Tea to learn how to make the perfect cup of matcha, and about other types of green tea as well. “Ippuku” means “a cup of tea” and the small company works hard to ensure they are receiving the best quality leaves from farms they have sourced themselves. The company believes in serving tea by following tea master Sen no Rikyū’s methods. Rikyū revolutionized tea ceremony by joining it with art, particularly pottery. He coined the phrase “wabi-sabi”, meaning transience and imperfection. The ironic term applied to the tea ceremony often refers to the ceremony being performed in a setting that might not be completely aesthetically pleasing, but simple. This joins an imperfect space with the elegance of the tea ceremony.
In the midst of matcha making at the Ippuku Tea workshop.
Besides the luxury of drinking green tea in the context of a traditional tea ceremony, there are many benefits from the consumption of the plant-based beverage. Directly after plucking, Chinese green tea is pan fried while Japanese green tea is steamed. This preserves the natural vitamins and minerals found in the tea leaves. Other benefits of the final product include cancer prevention, a boost in metabolism, an extreme amount of antioxidants, and a healthy dose of vitamin C, chlorophyll, zinc, and other vitamins, to mention a few. The combination of all of these attributes makes it the ultimate health food.
This sandwich board at Matchabar speaks the truth.
If matcha isn’t your perfect cuppa, the Camellia Sinensis plant can produce a few other types of green tea: sencha, gyokuro, genmaicha, and hōjicha. Sencha is a sweet green tea with light vegetal flavors and is normally brewed in 70-80 degree water. Gyokuro is brewed with 50 degree water and is rich in umami. This type of tea is shaded for at least 20 days. Genmaicha is green tea that is also mixed with toasted brown rice, producing a popcorn-like taste with grassy notes. This green tea was originated in lower societal classes to prolong their tea supply. Hōjicha tea has a very deep, full bodied flavor with leather-like notes. It is almost caffeine free since it is not fermented, but actually roasted at a very high temperature. All of these teas function just as well brewed in cold water as well as warm since they are saturated in flavor.
The portion of the crop that is meant to be turned into matcha is also shaded for 20-30 days before plucking. This forces the plants to work harder to reach the sunlight, increasing the amount of amino acids and overall flavor. After the matcha crop gets steamed and rolled, the middle phase before grinding the leaves into a powder is called “tencha”.
In Western cultures, matcha is still quite new. Japan only exports about 4% of its coveted supply, but as with any superfood, Americans and other Western nations have decided to let the tea permeate our diets by putting it in absolutely everything. Matcha has become one of the new “it” foods. Previously found in solely beverage form, most eateries found ways to work it into pastries (because adding a superfood makes them healthy), smoothie bowls (often with açaí - double the superfood, double the Instagram possibilities), and even infusing western recipes such as tiramisu, ice cream, and brownies. Recently, it has even trickled its way down to the consumer masses of fast food, being featured in a limited edition custard flavor at Shake Shack.
With all of the hype, there is of course a quality check needed to ensure the consumption of the most potent matcha possible. The tea comes in four different classifications: kitchen, cafe, classic, and ceremonial grades. With ceremonial grade topping the matcha hierarchy, it also runs the priciest, coming in at about $25-50 for a small jar that will make about 15-20 servings. Overall, the more vibrant the coloring of the powder, the better quality it is.
Avo toast + Chalait matcha + good classics = the most wonderful start to a day off.
In hipster-friendly cities such as New York and London, you can’t walk a few blocks in any direction without finding a restaurant or cafe that offers at least a matcha latte; the basic introduction to your newfound matcha addiction. The lowbrow version of this is ordering a green tea latte at a local Starbucks. But, if you'd like a more artisanal cup of green tea than your average, head over to a cafe that specializes in matcha, a good atmosphere, and little else. A couple of favorites in New York are Chalait where you can get your matcha with a side of the ever-vogue avocado toast, and Matchabar, which has replaced every classic coffee or espresso beverage with its matcha counterpart. As for matcha hubs in London, I am still on the hunt, but Ippuku Tea will be opening up a cafe in York soon; that might be worth the trek!
Matcha soft serve with rainbow sprinkles in a cotton candy bed (found at Milk Train in London).
Matcha has come a long way from its days at monastery, and its reach continues to extend far beyond the mountains where it’s grown in Japan. You’ll most likely get to have a taste of the good-for-you green stuff without catching a flight thanks to its high demand, but just in case, you can find me at the nearest teahouse sipping on a matcha latte (or ten).
For illustrated instructions on how to make the perfect matcha cuppa and to order your own batch of quality tea, visit www.ippukutea.co.uk. They ship internationally!!