Matcha tea: what it is, how to make it and all the benefits of this ancient beverage

The ancient origins of matcha tea

Matcha tea is a wonder that comes from Japan and about which we hear so much in recent times. It is related to the fascinating Japanese tea ceremony called Cha No Yu or also Chado (literally: “the way of tea”), a real social and spiritual ritual in which matcha tea is the absolute protagonist: prepared and offered to guests with elegant and precise gestures, it is combined with the beautiful wagashi, the traditional Japanese sweets made from rice flour and azuki beans.

But what are the origins of matcha tea? We have to go back to the time of the Buddhist monk Eisai, an important Japanese figure in the development of Zen philosophy: in 1191, after years of study in China in which he was particularly impressed by the tea culture he found there, he decided on returning to Japan to take with him the knowledge he had learned and some tea seeds. Those seeds were planted in the vicinity of the Kyoto temple and gave rise to Japan’s first tea cultivation. Thus was also imported to Japan the mode of tea preparation as Eisai had known it in China: it was not the more modern leaf tea infusion, but tea ground very finely and whipped in water. Not many people know, in fact, that in Song times in China tea was consumed in pulverized form, emulsifying it in water in much the same way as matcha tea: the very name “matcha” comes from the Chinese“mocha,” a term for ground green tea.

Of different shades of green, from the ceremonial from the brightest color to the culinary with the palest hue, so fine it looks like powder, today matcha tea is found not only pure but also in many recipes and has now become part of our cultural and culinary vocabulary. We, too, have learned how to properly prepare it, taste it, and imaginatively decline it in the kitchen-but what exactly is matcha tea?

What is matcha tea?

Matcha tea is actually a powdered Japanese green tea made from the highest quality shaded tea leaves. The base of matcha tea is called tencha: it is a Japanese green tea that for the last 21 days before harvesting is kept in the shade, so as to increase the chlorophyll content in its leaves and decrease polyphenols, which are responsible for bitterness and astringency. In fact, without sunlight, photosynthesis almost does not occur and most of the chlorophyll and amino acids such as L-theanine remain in the leaves, unable to be transformed into polyphenols. This gives the tea leaves a much deeper green color than the norm, a sweet flavor and incredibleumami.

After the tencha leaves have been harvested and processed to make green tea, we move on to the two decisive steps in the production of matcha tea:
1. The leaves are chopped evenly so that it is easier to remove impurities, stems and ribs: in fact, only fully open leaves are selected for harvesting so that this step is easier
2. These shredded leaves stripped of their hard parts are ground with stone grinders and turned into a very fine powder: and here is matcha.

To make a few grams of matcha tea therefore requires a lot of leaves and shaded teas, therefore of high quality; this motivates the price of the higher matcha grades, intended for ceremonial use and recognizable by their bright green. Of course, there are also matcha teas with a less demanding price tag: these are the “culinary use” matcha teas, which are less sweet and valuable than those of ceremonial grade but perfect for use in cooking as ingredients in many recipes. But more on this later….

Matcha tea: properties and benefits

Surely you are aware, even if only by hearsay, how many excellent properties matcha tea has and how beneficial it is to our health. This is also due to the fact that we consume it without waste: when we drink matcha tea we ingest everything, as the leaves are pulverized and remain suspended in the water.

First and foremost, matcha tea is recommended to fight aging and free radicals: in fact, one of the benefits of this tea is its very high intake of epigallocatechins, including EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which has anticancer properties and benefits the cardiovascular system. Also contributing to the antioxidant action is vitamin C, in which matcha tea is rich.

Matcha tea also contains quercetin, an element that has a neuroprotective and metabolism-helping function by slowing intestinal absorption of glucose.

Another effect of matcha tea on our bodies is the energy boost it gives us, great in the morning to start off with a burst of energy. That’s right, because matcha is also a caffeine powerhouse: one gram of matcha contains 19 to 44 milligrams of caffeine, while one gram of coffee contains 14 to 35 milligrams.

It is also true that far fewer grams of pulverized tea are used to make a cup of matcha (about 2gr) than how much ground coffee is used for an espresso (about 7gr), so a cup of matcha will still be less of an impact on our nervous system.

Unlike coffee, then, the boost from matcha is long-lasting and does not increase our stress level: this is because the effect of caffeine is mediated by L-theanine, the relaxing amino acid in tea. Result? Focus and lucidity for long periods of time. Are you already thinking of substituting it for your morning espresso?

Matcha tea: some contraindications to know about

For those who are obviously sensitive to caffeine, a cup of matcha can be uncomfortable and give you palpitations or not sleep well. If this is the case, the advice is always not to take it in the second part of the day and to prepare it with water at a lower temperature: 60°C will be sufficient (remember that heat extracts caffeine).

For those who are anemic, that is, suffer from iron deficiency, it is also not recommended to take matcha with main meals because the high presence of catechins tends to further slow the absorption of this substance: this rule generally applies with all green teas.

Lastly, there is always a need to pay attention to the provenance of the matcha tea we want to buy: it would be good to choose a tea from organic cultivation or at least one that certifies the non-use of pesticides and other substances harmful to the body.

How to prepare matcha tea

A few utensils are needed to make matcha tea. You can find a set of matcha tea accessories also in our online store. In this case you will need:

• A chawan or wide-mouthed cup
• A chashaku or a teaspoon to dose the matcha
• A chasen, i.e., a bamboo blender (if you do not have one, an electric beater)

Ingredients:

• 2 grams of matcha tea (corresponds to 1 chashaku or 1 teaspoon)
• 70ml water at 70°-75°C

Preparation:

• Put the matcha in the chawan or cup.
• Pour water over it gently
• Stir with vigorous, quick movements using the chasen and imagining drawing the shape of an 8 in the cup, or use the electric beater. The important thing is to prevent lumps from forming and to create what is called “jade foam“: a froth of very fine, dense, full-bodied bubbles that stays on the surface for some time.

This lighter preparation is called usucha. If you want to try a thicker variant called koicha you can use twice as many grams of tea powder for the same amount of water.

In summer you can also prepare iced matcha tea, benefiting fully from the properties of the tea while enjoying a cool, thirst-quenching drink.

Matcha latte: what it is and how best to prepare it

If, on the other hand, you want a slightly more mouth-watering drink, you can use matcha tea to make a matcha latte, either a vegan version or a traditional version with cow’s milk. Let’s see how to do it in a few simple steps.

Ingredients:

• 2 grams of matcha tea (corresponds to 1 chashaku or 1 teaspoon)
• 70ml water at 70°-75°C
• 250ml milk (cow’s milk or vegetable milk such as soy, coconut or oat milk)
• Sugar or agave syrup, to sweeten to taste

Preparation:

• Prepare matcha tea in the chawan , as per the instructions previously provided
• Heat the milk in a small saucepan, never bringing it to a boil
• Use an electric beater or a whisk to whip the milk making it fluffy and frothy
• Transfer the milk to a cup and if you like add sugar or agave syrup to taste
• Combine the matcha tea with the milk, pouring it into the cup slowly
• Dust with a dusting of matcha powder and your matcha latte is served

But how many things can you do in the kitchen with matcha tea? So many, because the matcha tea of culinary grade is also often used as a healthy and natural coloring agent for foods and beverages. For example, you can surprise your friends with colorful green macaroons: good, sweet and beautiful to the eye.

Are you curious to try other recipes with matcha tea? You can find them all on our blog!