How to make Matcha Green Tea

Before we learn how to make the perfect cup of Matcha Tea we should take a moment to discuss what Match Tea is, the origins, benefits, side effects and the rituals..

What is Matcha Green Tea?

Matcha is a Japanese green tea which has its own distinct flavour described as an equal balance between sweet and bitter.

As this tea contains the whole leaf it is proposed there are a number of additional health benefits over other green tea, with claims it has more antioxidant properties than leaf green tea. I will discuss this further a little later on.

Matcha tea is made from the Camellia sinensis plant. This is the very same plant that other green tea, black tea, oolong tea and white tea are made from. However the leaf is not steeped and strained as it is with traditional green tea. It is instead ground down into a fine powder which is consumed while enjoying your brew.

The origins of Matcha Green Tea

Matcha Tea has become the buzz word on the streets of Hollywood, New York, London and pretty much everywhere else in the world. Celebrities are drinking it by the gallon and Matcha tea shops are springing up all over town. However Matcha Green tea is not a new drink! In fact it dates back over a thousand years when the Shogun clans ruled Japan and the dynasties were controlling China.

We can probably thank Eisai, a Japanese Buddhist Monk who dedicated his life to his religion, studied Buddhism in China and loved green tea. However in 1191, Eisai returned to Japan with tea seeds and the Zen Buddhists methodology of how to prepare green tea. Eisai’s Chinese tea was considered to be of the highest grade in all of Japan. He created his tea plantation on the grounds of the temple in Kyoto the home of the Kamakura Shogun.

Tencha – growing green tea plants under shaded conditions – was later developed by the Zen Buddhists, this new way of growing green tea plants would maximise the health benefits of Matcha. To this day the plants are grown in shaded plantations.

Tea ceremonies – The Ritual of Matcha

Murata Juko a student of Zen in the 1500’s conceived the current tea ceremony. He brought together what he considered to be the best parts of the existing ceremonies. He formalised a new ritual which included the cultivation, consumption and indeed the tea ceremony itself.

However it was Zen Master Sen-no-Rikyu who developed and popularised Juko’s ceremony which is called ‘Chado’ (The Way of Tea) into four principles.

  • Harmony (wa)
  • Respect (kei)
  • Purity (sei)
  • Tranquillity (jaku)

What are the health benefits?

So a little more detail on the proposed benefits. Many claim that the antioxidant properties of Matcha tea has many other wonderful benefits. To include its ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, enhance mood, increase energy and even promote weight loss. However although there has been some research such as: a small pilot study published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism in 2018. There is very little evidence to prove its health benefits.

Possible Side Effects

I can not discuss the benefits without balancing the argument with what some may consider side effects or negative benefits.

Lets be clear here though, Matcha is generally considered safe if used to make beverages and foods in small quantities. Matcha does contain caffeine which can cause a headache, insomnia, irritability, diarrhoea and heartburn if consumed in excess.

Green Tea may contain contaminates which have been absorbed by the plant from the surrounding soil. These could include fluoride, arsenic and lead. Matcha tea is more concentrated than green tea as the whole leaf is consumed. Therefore the government guidelines of no more than 5 cups of green tea a day should be reduced to 1 or 2 cups of Matcha.

How to make Matcha green tea

When considering how to make Matcha we need to understand that there are a number of different styles of Matcha tea. In this article we will focus on the two most common forms Koicha and Usucha.

Koicha: This is considered the formal version it is a stronger and thicker version of matcha – You must use a high quality matcha or you could end up with a bitter brew.

Equipment required

You can buy a Matcha starter kit from amazon by clicking here

Ingredients

Preparation

  • Heat the water: Pour water into either a stove top kettle or electric kettle and bring to the boil.
  • Prepare: While your water is boiling place your sieve over your Matcha bowl, measure out 1 scoop / 2g of Matcha using the Matcha scoop, lift the sieve a little and shake the Matcha powder into the Matcha bowl.
  • Wait: Once the water has boiled you should leave it to stand for 2 minuets, ideally the water should be 80c / 180F degrees.
  • Bring together: Pour the boiled water over the powder.
  • Whisk: The mix needs a really good whisk, not round and round but in a jerky up and down ‘Z’ pattern.
  • Making it perfect: This final step is down to your own desired taste either enjoy and drink or you might prefer to add a little more water.
  • Drink: pour into a cup and enjoy!

Usucha: This is the common form of Matcha and the one you will probably be served in coffee shops all around the world. It is thinner and weaker and you can use any Matcha powder. The frothier you can make it the better.

Equipment required

You can buy a Matcha starter kit from amazon by clicking here

Ingredients

Preparation

  • Heat the water: Pour water into either a stove top kettle or electric kettle and bring to the boil
  • Prepare: While your water is boiling place your sieve over your Matcha bowl, measure out 1 scoop / 2g of Matcha using the Matcha scoop, lift the sieve a little and shake the Matcha powder into the Matcha bowl.
  • Wait: Once the water has boiled you should leave it to stand for 2 minuets, ideally the water should be 80c / 180F degrees.
  • Bring together: Pour the boiled water over the powder
  • Whisk: This mixture requires a good whisk use the Bamboo Matcha Whisk until a thick foam floats on the top this step would usually take 20 – 30 seconds.
  • Drink: Pour into a cup and quickly consume this beverage before it begins to separate and settle.

In Summery

In my opinion Matcha can be used to make very tasty tea, smoothies, Matcha Lattes, and tasty foods however due to its concentration you should not drink too much.

I am sure that drinking green tea has the potential to enhance your health, however due to the lack of clinical trials surrounding Matcha you should take this with a pinch of salt.