Matcha ~ The Elite TeaThe first time I saw quality matcha tea, it reminded me of the most brilliant emerald I had ever seen. I thought they must have enhanced the color to make it that bright. It was, in fact, the true color of the tea leaf, and I was anxious to try it. I wasn't disappointed. Matcha is a powdered green tea that was first produced in China in the Song Dynasty. It was first brought to Japan in 1191 by the Zen Buddhist monk, Eisai. It was somewhat forgotten in China but Japan began producing it. In the 16th century, tea master Sen no Rikyu established the rules of the Japanese Tea Ceremony or chado. The most famous regions that produce this wonderful tea are Uji in Kyoto and Nishio in Aichi. It’s not easy to acquire it or the implements used to make it outside of Japan, though it is still produced on a smaller scale in China and Korea. It’s an expensive tea compared to others, but the price varies somewhat with the quality. 
About four weeks before the tea is harvested, the bushes are covered with screens, sometimes made from bamboo, so they do not get direct sunlight. This process pulls more chlorophyll into the leaves, producing more amino acids resulting in a darker, sweeter tea.After the leaves are harvested, they are rolled and laid out to dry. After drying they are known as tencha. The veins and stems are removed from the tencha and it’s stone ground to the very fine, very bright green powder known as matcha. As with all types of tea, the small new leaves at the top of the plant are the ones that are picked to make the highest grade of this tea. The larger, more developed leaves on the lower part of the bush are harder and the resulting tea is a lower grade with a more course texture. The tea from the top leaves is sweeter due to the high levels of amino acids, a result of the tea plant nurturing its tender new leaves with higher nutrients and less of the bitter tannin flavor. The tea from the new leaf is a more vibrant green compared to that from the older leaves which result in a dull brown or yellow green. To prepare matcha, a small amount, about a half a teaspoon, is placed in a tea bowl. Approximately 2.5 ounces of hot, not boiling, water is added. The tea is then whisked with a bamboo whisk known as a chasen until there are no lumps in the liquid and no ground tea on the sides of the bowl and a froth is produced. Traditionally, a small sweet is served with the tea. The health benefits of matcha are numerous. Because you are drinking the whole leave in it’s purest form, you are getting about 85% more nutrients than if you drink the typical strained tea. We serve matcha the traditional way in our tea room, prepared with chawan and chasen at the table. Our staff have been excited to learn of this old tradition and to be able to share it with our customers. We have our own tradition of toasting each other with a bowl of this elite tea for a good days work. It’s uplifting and soothing after a busy day.
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