Matcha - Taiyou

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Matcha in kanji means ground tea, but doesn’t specify exactly which tea leaves are used - the large majority of high grade matcha is ground from tencha, though occasionally gyokuro (the king of Japanese teas) may be used. Tencha and gyokuro are grown in relatively the same way; covered from the sun and grown in varying amounts of shade for the last 16-30 days prior to harvest. This covering blocks direct sunlight and interrupts photosynthesis, stressing the plant and changing the flavour of the tea as the amino acids inside the tea leaves are prevented from changing into catechins, resulting in a higher level of amino acids (which give umami flavour and sweetness) in shaded tea compared to unshaded tea. The difference between tencha and gyokuro is after being steamed and dried there is no need for tencha to be rolled as it is usually ground into matcha, whereas gyokuro leaves are rolled into thin needle shapes. It has been speculated that lower grade matcha that is more yellow in colour or particularly bitter could have been ground from later harvest tea, or sencha or bancha tea leaves which are not grown under any shade at all.

In Japan there are three main categories of matcha; matcha which can be made as usucha or koicha, matcha which is for making usucha only, and culinary grade matcha. This Taiyou is a blend of tencha cultivars from Shirakawa, Uji, Kyoto. It falls into the culinary grade category, albeit a very high grade of culinary matcha. It is stone ground in the traditional way (which is quite rare for culinary matcha) rather than the quicker machine grinding which can damage the taste due to increased friction heat. Stone grinding typically yields only 30g matcha per hour, and is done in rooms kept at very low temperatures. With culinary grade matcha it is usually not recommended to drink with water, rather it is more common to mix with milk or used to make matcha sweets, but this Mokuren can do all of that and also be enjoyed with water and poured over ice, giving a refreshing and nutty flavour known as our Iced Matcha in the teahouse.

In the teahouse we use one chasen for whisking matcha directly in milk. If you would prefer to use your chasen only with water or if you have a milk steamer/frother, you can use the iced matcha latte instructions to make a thick liquid and then pour the milk over the top and maybe practice latte art if you feel like it!

Hot matcha latte:
How we make it in the teahouse:
Matcha: 6g
Milk or milk alternative: 200ml @ 70°C
Sift the matcha into a preheated bowl and pour in the hot milk, or sift the matcha over the hot milk. Warm your chasen in hot water for 10 seconds and whisk vigorously, slowing down and raising the chasen into the foam towards the end to remove bigger bubbles, then serve. Rinse chasen straight away in warm water or under the tap.

If you have a milk steamer/frother at home:
Matcha: 6g
Water: 75ml @ ~80°C
Milk: 160ml
Sift the matcha into a preheated bowl and pour the hot water over the top. Soak your chasen in hot water for 10 seconds and whisk the matcha and water at a medium speed into a thick liquid (don’t whisk too vigorously when there is so little liquid as it may damage your chasen). Pour the matcha into a separate cup or flask if desired, and add steamed milk to finish. Rinse chasen asap.

Iced matcha latte:
Matcha: 6g
Water: 75ml @ ~70°C
Milk or milk alternative: 160ml iced
Sift the matcha into a bowl and pour in the hot water, then preheat your chasen and whisk quickly but gently - taking care not to damage the chasen by using too much force. Pour over iced milk. Rinse chasen asap.

Iced matcha:
Matcha: 4g
Water: 165ml @ ~70°C
Sift matcha into a bowl and pour hot water over, then preheat chasen in hot water for 10 seconds and whisk rapidly, slowing down towards the end to remove bigger bubbles. Pour over lots of ice. Rinse chasen asap.

Storage:
Store in a cold environment (6-10°C) and avoid exposure to light, air, heat, moisture and strong smells - these will degrade your tea. Once opened, best consumed within 6-8 weeks. Squeeze out excess air from bag before sealing.