Matcha - Matsukaze (Yamamasa Koyamaen, Uji) 30g

General

Yamamasa Koyamaen, located in Uji, Kyoto, is one of Japan's traditional tea houses. It was founded in 1861 and is still a family business. Matcha, a powdered tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony, is Yamamasa Koyamaen's most important product. The producer's teas offer the classic taste of Uji.

Matcha tea is finely ground green tea. The tea is produced from the same leaf material as the Japanese brewed green tea gyokuro. The tea bushes are partially shaded with transparent cloth for about 20 days before the leaves are picked. This causes the leaves to darken in color and increase their amino acid content. The leaves are quickly steamed to prevent oxidation. The leaves used to produce Matcha are not rolled as in the case of gyokuro or sencha, but are allowed to dry without rolling. The branches and leaf stalks are removed from the dried leaves, resulting in a leaf material called tencha. The tencha can now be ground in a stone mill into ready-made matcha tea.

Matcha tea grades are typically divided into two groups depending on whether the tea is intended for making so-called thin tea, or usucha, or thick tea, or koicha. A relatively larger amount of matcha is used to make thick tea, resulting in a thicker and fuller-tasting tea.

Japanese tea art focuses on making, serving and enjoying matcha.

This tea

Matsukaze is the cheapest grade in Yamamasa Koyamaen's matcha range. The name Matsukaze means Pine Wind. This refers to the soft rustling sound that is heard when the wind blows through the pine tree tops. Although it is the producer's entry-level matcha grade, the tea is quite soft and umami, which is typical of slightly more expensive matcha grades. However, it is mainly suitable for making usucha, or thin tea. All matcha is frozen in our warehouse and stores, so you can be sure that the freshness is first-class!

Taste

The aroma of whisking is bass-dominant - lightly woody and creamy vegetal. The taste is rich and rustic. The aftertaste reveals peas and grass.

Preparation

The traditional tools for preparing Matcha tea include a tea bowl - chawan, a tea whisk - chasen and a teaspoon - chashaku. About 1.5-2g of Matcha tea is whisked in about 1dl of 80-degree water with a quick whisking motion so that the tea becomes frothy and foam forms on the surface. The tea powder can also be mixed with water in other ways, e.g. with a whisk-type milk frother or it can be shaken in a bottle with a mixing strainer inside.

Matcha can be added, for example, to ice cream or smoothies. The pastries made from it are very popular in Asia.