Teas Me Please!

What's a-matcha with you? The new rising sensation as of late for health conscious people is the consumption of green tea. I've been on this green tea kick for a while now and I've tried many types and in different forms and variations. I've had the green tea mochi ice cream, green tea mints by Sencha, I've even replaced my coffee addiction with green tea. My latest favorite is the Jamba Juice Tahiti Green Tea smoothie with an extra matcha green tea powder boost. Although it sounds healthy, that puppy delivers a whopping 240-480 calories depending on what size you get. I wont even talk about the sugar....

Recently I've turned my interest onto the matcha green tea. What is it? Is it actually tea, or a derivative of green tea? Does it have caffeine? What is the nutritional value and most importantly, how accessible is it?

So I did a little research with the help of my little friend "Google" and found out this out:

What is matcha?

Matcha is powdered green tea from Japan which can be made as a tea or used as an ingredient. Premium grade matcha is described as either "thin" (usucha) or "thick" (koicha) and used in making matcha as a tea. Ingredient grade is used in cooking and drink making.

Premium matcha is made in limited amounts in Japan. It is the heart of the "way of tea" and its preparation is celebrated in the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Why is matcha so green?

Matcha is cultivated with great care. To naturally produce a tea so green, the farmers cover the tea plants with bamboo mats approximately 3 weeks prior to harvest. This step increases chlorophyll content, the production of amino acids and turns the leaves dark green resulting tea sweeter in taste. The process of tencha is when the harvested leaves are then steamed, dried, de-stined (stems are removed) and stone-ground into powder to make matcha. Regular green teas are rolled, steamed and dried in a process called gyokuro.

What does matcha taste like?

It depends on how you make it. Matcha made in the traditional Japanese style, whisked only with water, is a full flavored green tea that pulls your attention to the moment. The initial taste is vegetal and bitter, followed by a lingering sweetness. It's similar to one's first taste of dark chocolate. When added as an ingredient, the taste of matcha becomes more subtle. It adds the flavor and color of green tea to your creation, be it a smoothie, pastry, savory sauce, green tea ice cream etc.

Does matcha have caffeine?

Yes. When drinking matcha, whole tea leaves are consumed, providing 4 to 6 hours of mild, steady energy. It is both a stimulant and a relaxant, perfect for focusing on work, mediation, exercise or play.

How do I make it?

Matcha can be prepared in many different ways. The more traditional way is the use of a ceramic bowl, a sifter, a bamboo whisk called chasen, a bamboo scoop called chashaku and "thin" (usucha) or "thick" (koicha) matcha.

1.) Heat spring or filtered water (not tap)
2.) Place hot water into tea bowl and let sit for 2-3 minutes, empty and dry with cloth (this will heat your bowl)
3.) Rinse bamboo chasen.
4.) Sift matcha directly into bowl or scoop sifted matcha into bowl with the chashaku.
5.) Add 2-3 oz. of hot water (under boiling, 165F - 180F)
6.) Whisk quickly back & forth using a "W" action until lump free to create a slight froth at the top
7.) Matcha is ready to drink

How is matcha priced?

The pricing of matcha in Japan is directly related to its quality. Premium thin and thick grade matcha are made of stone-ground tencha tea leaves grown in the Uji, Kyoto region. These are prized matchas grown in Japan and made in limited quantity. Good quality grade will be more expensive than a lower quality grade.

How do I determine what is good quality?

Matcha tea must be stone ground from it's tencha form to it's powder form (matcha). The process of the stone grinding is an art itself. Without the right equipment (matcha outside Japan is often exploded, lowering quality) and technique, matcha can become "burnt" and suffer degradation in quality. Oxidation is also a factor when determining grade. Matcha exposed to oxygen can easily become compromised. Oxidation smells like hay and affects color and texture as well. The highest grades of matcha have more intense sweetness and deeper flavor than standard coarser grades of tea harvested later in the year. And like grapes when making wine, good grade can also be determined by the location of the tree. The very top would have developing leaves, that are soft and supple. This gives a finer texture to higher grades. More developed leaves are harder, giving lower grades and sandy texture. The better flavor is a result of the tree sending all it's nutrients to the growing leaves.

What does Thick and Thin mean?

Premium matcha is divided into two categories: Thin and Thick. It denotes grade and the style of tea it is used to make. Thin matcha is used to make thin tea. Thick matcha is more flexible and is used to make both thin and thick styles.

Thin Matcha, also called thin tea, is prepared with less tea to more water. The tea is wetter and sweeter prepared in this style.

Thick Matcha can be made as thin or thick tea. It is the highest grade of matcha, stone-ground from the youngest tea leaves. This delicateness gives you the chance to make it as thick as you like, as strong as you like, while still keeping the complexity of taste.

What is ingredient grade?

Ingredient grade is lower grade matcha ideal for cooking and making drinks with. It compliments both savory and sweet creations; it has the same health benefits as high-grade matcha.

Which size is best?

Matcha begins to lose its freshness when opened. You should choose the amount you plan to use within a month's time.
How do I store matcha? Keep matcha cool in the refrigerator to help maintain its freshness. When making tea, scoop out a serving of matcha and replace tin immediately back in the refrigerator. It is best if the matcha tin does not produce condensation.

I just bought my beginner's kit because it was recommended that you start out with the thin version and work your way up to the thick. If anyone wants to know how it goes, just message me.


In my further research, I have always wondered what the difference is between green tea, white tea, black tea and red tea. Here's a brief synopsis of what I found out:

Black Tea - 25-110 ml of caffeine per 5 oz. Picked at it's mature state & undergo withering, rolling, heat & an oxidative process known as full fermentation; fired, then dried. Said to reduce the risk of stroke, lower bad cholesterol & reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 50% over long periods of consumption. High in flavonoids-phytonutrients & antioxidants.

Green Tea - 8-30 ml of caffeine per 2.50 oz. Picked at it's mature state & undergo withering, steaming or pan-fired, then dried. Can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer. Lowers bad cholesterol levels while improving good cholesterol levels. Helps with cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infection & impaired immune function. Helps prevent tooth decay. Kills bacteria causing dental plaque.

White Tea - 6-25 ml of caffeine per 2 oz. The least processed tea. Harvested in it's young age & undergo a process of simple steaming & drying. Contains a higher proportion of buds, which are covered with fine 'silvery' hairs that impart a light white/grey color to the tea. Retains antioxidants in higher concentrations. More effective than green tea at inactivating bacterial viruses.

Red Tea - No caffeine. Properties are found in Rooibos bush grown in South Africa. Rich in antioxidants & polyphenols. Beneficial to treatment of high blood pressure, diabetes, mellitus, atherosclerosis, allergic disease, various dermatus diseases, liver disease & cataracts. Can reduce heart disease, fight negative effects of aging & promote elimination of dietary fats. Drinking it has a soothing effect on the central nervous system and can strongly be recommended for people suffering from irritability, stress, headaches, disturbed sleeping patterns, insomnia, nervous tension & mild depression or hypertension. Helps build strong bones because of it's calcium, manganese & fluoride content. Relieves stomach & digestive problems like nausea, vomiting, heartburn, stomach ulcers & constipation. Alpha hydroxy acids & zinc in it promotes healthy & smooth skin. Beneficial in management of allergies like hayfever or asthma.

Dad

In the past few months, my father and I have become a little closer. It started when my curiosity to find out about my family history and where our family originated from became my immediate goal. What started as a personal interest, has know turned into a quest to assure that my father passes on without any more regret. It surprisingly only took me a couple of weeks, but I did end up finding a lot of history about our family's origin. Cuba is where it started, and my grandfather came over here to the United States from what I believe was most likely an attempt to free himself and his family from the grasp of the Communist rule of Castro.

After doing extensive research through Ancestry.com in hopes to find my grandfather, grandmother and aunt; I have been successful at finding my grandfather so far. The quest continues. He passed away in Florida in 1997 at age 80. After seeing this information, I began to think of my dad and how it would make him feel. I knew that he would be filled with regret for not having mended their relationship that was broken when my father was 18 years old. After hearing that I found his late father, my dad was happy and grateful, but however was also sad about this for a couple of days in knowing that he never got to say goodbye.

My father has never been the perfect father and he knows this. He has made many mistakes that he cannot take back. Now that I'm an adult, I've realized what kind of people I want in my life and what kind of people I don't. I quickly forgive those who ask it of me and who know they've made a mistake and wish to correct and make amends.

After 12+ years of not speaking to my father, we slowly started talking about 4 or so years ago. I still felt uncomfortable attending family functions, which is why I never really went. My younger brother at age 17, due to some clash in personalities with the family rasing him decided to live with my father.

Now back to my point because I'm detouring from what I'm trying to say here. One of my brothers of whom I haven't spoken to since I was about 14 years old has accepted me into his home to meet his family for the first time. I was so nervous, scared and unsure of where it would lead. While there, I ate & fidgeted, which happens to be a nervous habit. The meeting went well and better than I had expected for a 10 year separation and still many questions unanswered.

Recently I've expressed a great deal of frustration and sadness to my dad. I've been frustrated at the fact that I've been trying to put this family back together, and for some reason I don't have people in my corner supporting my cause. In a phone conversation with my dad, he expressed to me how incredible grateful he is for finding his father and he fully supports my quest to mend a broken family.

I understand that it is way too early to ask my brother to meet my father. They haven't seen each other in over 15 years. For me there are so many unanswered questions as to why all this absence. But right now, I don't care. I want to form a relationship with my older brother and things have crossed the path, making it difficult to press forward.

It is my quest to put my family back together. It is further my quest to bring my older brother and my father back together after a 15 year absence. I understand that it could be a long shot, but it never hurts to try. I do this now because I don't want my father to have any more regret before he's gone. I further don't want my older brother to bear the same regret that my father bears. It's a deep rooted one and if I can help it, I want to assure that forgiveness is present. I want my brother's family to support this cause any way possible because I know my brother's girlfriend and son are his solid foundation! I do this more for my father because my older brother and I have more time to grow a relationship than my brother with my father. My father isn't deathly ill, but I also don't know how long he has left. I don't want to pressure nor make this an uncomfortable event for the both of them, which is why I'm gently pushing things along rather than throwing them together. I want them both to want it first. My father does, but I'm not going to pressure my brother in case he choose not to, and in turn gets upset at me for making such an attempt.

So at this time, I've decided that I would back away for now and if it's meant to be the course of events will unfold. This quest is not just for my personal gain. My father knows that I've done this for him mostly. I guess that's all that really matters. I love you dad.