Matcha – Japan’s Oldest Tea

Japanese teas.  This gives the leaves a
fresh, clean, pure vegetal flavor with- out
any of the roasted flavors fired teas have.Once dried the tencha leaf is then stone-
milled into fine, bright, emerald green matcha
powder.  In the shiny, state-of-the-art factor-

tea
                                              ceremonies or Chado.The next level of matcha produced is called usucha or “thin tea.”
This grade of matcha or usucha is less expensive, making it more
affordable for everyday use.

A third grade is also produced.  Called commercial grade matcha,
it’s used in

 baking to add color and flavor to cakes and cookies, ice cream, lattes, and other
green tea flavorings.  (Visit Mighty Leaf Tea’s Matcha Store where you’ll find all the tools to
properly prepare matcha tea as well as
green tea latte and frappe.  Be your own
barista with their green tea frappe and latte
starter kit. Click the MLT link below right and
go to their Matcha Shop–Just as with Japan’s most popular everyday
tea,

sencha, the demand for matcha is now
exceeding supply, so that China is now pro-
ducing some in an unusual reversal of his-
tory, as matcha is what Buddhist monks
brought back with them to Kyoto in the 9th
century.  Up until today, China hadn’t pro-
duced powdered tea since the end
of the Ming dynasty in 1644.After the monks began cultivating
the tea brought back by them from China in the 9th century, the matcha they made was
exclusively for their use and royalty only.  Some eventually made its way to the noble
warrior class, or samuri.

By the 1550’s, Sen Rikku, a Japanese tea master codified
the practice of Chado (which translates to the “Way of
Tea”), a form of religious observation or tea ceremony.

With the influence of Taoism as well as Zen Buddhism,
Sen Rikku ritualized the tea service and ceremony as a
way of bringing attention to everyday objects.  By
emphasizing the proper tools and gestures used when

brewing and serving tea, as well as the correct arrangement and architecture of the
teahouse, Rikku encouraged followers to concentrate on the three elements of tea
preparation and drinking:  water, fire, and the tea leaf.After Rikku’s death, his three grandsons developed their
own schools teaching chado-Urasenke, Omotesenke, and
Mushanokojisenke, which still exist today, an amazing six-
teen generations later.

Matcha tea has an intense flavor, like no other tea you
have ever tasted.  It’s thick and frothy with a smooth, veg-
etal flavor, with a bitter kick that’s immediately balanced
out by a sweet aftertaste, that lingers in the back of your
mouth.

Because the tencha leaves it’s made from are air dried rather than

roasted, you get only the pure unadulterated taste of the leaf.With matcha tea the entire leaf is consumed, rather than just an
infusion, so you’re getting 100% of the vitamins, minerals, and
antioxidants, so it’s beyond healthy.

Along with

gyokuro, which is also a shade grown tea, matcha is
one of Japan’s most expensive teas.  Prices vary according to
grade, but even the commercial grade is up there.Just to give you some “ball park” figures, a half ounce of commercial grade matcha can start at $14 up to $40+.  For second level usucha matcha for everyday drinking starts at around $40 for a half ounce
on up to $80 plus.  And for ceremonial grade koicha matcha, or best grade, you’re looking at $80 and up for half an
ounce, or 20 grams.  Enjoy.