Matcha green tea is great for so many recipes including Matcha-based sweets and Matcha latte. However, many people find it quite difficult to prepare Matcha.
We often hear people saying:
"I don’t know how to prepare Matcha green tea the right way."
"It seems difficult."
"It is difficult to get all of the essential tea ceremony utensils."
But that is not the case. Matcha green tea can easily be made at home.
Matcha is a Japanese green tea composed of the entire leaf, so it is an excellent source of nutrients.
Why don’t you incorporate Matcha into your daily diet?
Preparation
First, you have to prepare all the essential tools for preparing matcha.
1. Matcha
We recommend you to buy a 20-gram can at a minimum purchase price of ¥1,000.
To make one cup of Matcha, you need to use about 2 g of the powdered green tea. Therefore, you can get 10 cups of tea out of one can of Matcha green tea.
The higher the price, the more aromatic and mellower it will be.
The lower the price, the more astringent and blander it will be.
2. The whisk
The higher the number of tines, the easier is to whisk the tea powder into a creamy and frothy texture.
The number of tines should be chosen according to what type of tea you will be making. A 80- or 100-tine bamboo whisk is best suited for making thin tea (Usucha).
※Bamboo is prone to breakage or damage if dry and exposed to cold temperatures. The bamboo whisk will last longer if you soak it in warm water to soften the bamboo tines before use. It is highly recommended to dry the bamboo whisk on a kusenaoshi to keep it in shape after you clean it.
A Matcha mini shaker can be used in place of a bamboo whisk.
3. The cup
Any milk coffee cups or wide mouth bowls can be used.
Heat-resistant hira chawan are also really cool to use in summer.
4. The tea scoop
A teaspoon can be used in place of a chashaku. One level teaspoon of powdered green tea is equivalent to one cup of tea (approx. 2 g).
※Measuring spoons are often available in sets of three.
From left to right : ½ teaspoon = 2.5 cc, 1 teaspoon = 5 cc, 1 tablespoon = 15 cc.
Directions
1. Choose your favorite cup of tea.
2. Place 2 g of Matcha ( 2 heaping scoops or 1 level teaspoon of matcha powder) into the cup.
3. Pour 10 ml of water into the cup. Whisk the Matcha green tea powder using the bamboo whisk to dissolve it in the water. Whisk until it is no longer powdery and there are no lumps or clumps. It will enhance the flavor of the tea. Then pour 60 ml of boiling water into the cup.
※ You will not need to strain the Matcha green tea if you dissolve it first in water.
4. Slightly lift the chasen from the bottom of the cup and move it quickly across the entire width of the bowl, in a back and forth motion as if you were drawing the Japanese character "川" (river).
※Place the teacup on your left.
5. Stop whisking when the perfect Matcha froth appears.
6. Draw the Japanese character “の” (no) on the surface of the tea with the whisk and slowly lift it up. Enjoy this delicious cup of Matcha green tea.
※Add ice cubes to the tea cup for a strong cup of matcha ice tea.
Add a little twist to your drink for a trendy drink
Pour your Matcha mix into your favorite teacup.
That’s all it take to make Matcha as fancy as coffee.
Add milk to the Matcha mixture for a delicious Matcha latte.