Matcha is ground green tea. The difference to leaf tea is not the infusion but the fact that the leaf itself is drunk. With leaf tea you pull aroma out of the leaf and throw the leaf away. With matcha the leaf is the drink.
Shading
In the weeks before harvest the bushes are covered, depending on the farm for two to four weeks. Under the cover far less light reaches the plant. The leaves grow more slowly, stay thinner and develop a different profile than unshaded tea: darker in colour, softer in taste, less astringent.
Shading is the most demanding part of production and the reason good matcha costs what it costs. A shaded field yields less than the same field without a cover.
From leaf to powder
After harvest the leaves are steamed to stop the enzymes, then dried. Stems and veins are removed. What remains is called tencha. Only ground tencha is matcha.
Traditionally it is ground in stone mills, slowly and in small quantities. The figure quoted across the industry is roughly 30 to 40 grams per hour and mill. Keep that order of magnitude in mind and it becomes clear why matcha is sold in 30 and 100 gram tins rather than by the kilo.
How it tastes
Dense and lightly creamy in the mouth. A natural sweetness up front, umami behind it. No hay note, no scratchy bitterness in the finish.
Bitterness is the most common reason people say they do not like matcha. In most cases it is not the taste of matcha but water that was too hot, too little powder, or a later harvest.
Preparation
Usucha: about 2 g to 70 ml of water at 80 °C. Sift first, then whisk briskly with the chasen until a fine layer of foam stands.
Latte: stir 2 g smooth with 30 ml of water, then pour in milk. With too little powder the result tastes like milk with colour.
The full method is in the post How to prepare matcha.
How quality shows
- Colour: a deep, clear green. Dull olive points to age or a later harvest.
- Texture: dust fine and silky, not grainy. Rubbed between the fingers matcha should feel like powder, not like flour.
- Taste: mild and lightly sweet. Pronounced bitterness argues against quality, not for it.
- Smell: fresh and green. A flat, hay like note points to storage in air or warmth.
Storage
Matcha loses colour and aroma to light, warmth, air and moisture, in that order. Keep it tightly closed, cool and dark. Use it within a few weeks of opening. Do not store the tin above the stove and do not go in with a wet spoon.
On the term ceremonial grade
The term is not legally protected. In western markets culinary grade is increasingly sold as ceremonial. If you want certainty, ask about harvest time, shading and region of origin, not about the wording on the tin.
Our matcha comes from Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Japan, first harvest only. It is filled, stored and checked in Austria. More on that in the post Where our matcha comes from.