Useful Properties And Rules For Making Matcha

Maryam Ayres Author: Maryam Ayres Time for reading: ~8 minutes Last Updated: October 30, 2022
Useful Properties And Rules For Making Matcha

If you come to a specialized tea shop, you can get lost among colorful boxes with a real miracle inside. Black with almond, vanilla, orange and spices. Green with the aroma of citrus, marzipan and caramel. White tea with the aroma of cherry blossoms. Sencha with almond, cardamom and jasmine. But the most special and still little known is Japanese tea

If you come to a specialized tea shop, you can get lost among colorful boxes with a real miracle inside. Black with almond, vanilla, orange and spices. Green with the aroma of citrus, marzipan and caramel. White tea with the aroma of cherry blossoms. Sencha with almond, cardamom and jasmine. But the most special and not yet known to many people is the Japanese matcha tea . It's a must-try, and here's why.

 

 

Unusual tea

Matcha (correctly pronounced "mattya" in Japanese) is a favorite tea of ​​medieval Buddhist monks, which spread all over the world not without their help.

At the end of summer - at the beginning of autumn, when the days become noticeably shorter and colorful leaves begin to fall smoothly to the ground, it is time to drink matcha . Many people often associate green tea with spring, and in Japan, the homeland of matcha , they say that green tea has the deepest taste in autumn, this is its season.

Matcha is born in semi-darkness. In early spring, a few weeks or months before harvest, the tea bushes are covered from direct sunlight with rice straw: this slows down the growth of the leaves, and they are enriched with amino acids, which give the future tea an incomparable depth and sweetness.

The leaves are collected and processed, and then sealed in a special container and removed underground - until autumn. In autumn, the container is pulled out, the seal is torn off and the leaves are ground into a powder of a charming bright pistachio color. It is brewed and drunk, celebrating the arrival of a wonderful autumn and the new tea season.

In the store, the seller will probably talk about the incredible benefits of the drink : what a joke, when matcha contains almost 100 times more antioxidants than high-quality green tea , and mainly catechins - these are the most powerful defenders of our immunity in the fight against cancer. In addition, matcha has useful properties for women, helps to speed up metabolism and has a positive effect on the condition of the skin. However, even such a wonderful drink has contraindications.

 

What are the benefits of matcha tea ?

Have you ever fought off hunger with a cup of coffee? If so, then it is high time, if not to get rid of this not very useful habit, then at least to find an alternative to an invigorating drink . 

An average cup of coffee contains approximately 90 mg of caffeine. After it enters the body, a person feels a rush of energy. At the same time, the formation of cortisol and adrenaline occurs, the heartbeat accelerates, and processes identical to those that are triggered in stressful situations take place in the body. The caffeine contained in matcha is absorbed gradually due to the combination with the amino acid L-Theanine. After a cup of Japanese green tea , the body receives a portion of sustainable energy and does not experience excessive excitement of the nervous system.

Matcha has important properties for weight loss. Maintaining a slim figure or even getting rid of a couple of extra pounds is helped by the drink 's ability to oxidize fats, thereby speeding up metabolism and reducing the level of so-called bad cholesterol.

The benefit of tea for women lies in the ability to stabilize the hormonal background. Matcha normalizes the level of androgen and testosterone - male hormones that lead, among other things, to the appearance of acne.

In the human body, the main role in the removal of toxins and assimilation of useful substances is played by the liver. Recent studies have shown that a green drink from Japan prevents problems with this organ. Matcha tea is also useful for strengthening memory and improving concentration. As we already know, this drink increases vitality and at the same time reduces stress.

Why is it better to drink matcha in the morning. And the tea left at the bottom of the cup can be applied to the area around the eyes and neck to moisturize the skin and soften wrinkles. In addition, matcha is a good antiseptic, as it can be used to rinse the throat and gums if they are bleeding.

 

Side effects

Matcha green tea is considered very useful and safe to consume, the only serious contraindication may be individual intolerance. However, because of the caffeine in the composition, if you drink excessively , such unpleasant symptoms as headache, sleep disturbances, stomach upset and irritability may occur.

Matcha grown in China can be characterized by a high concentration of lead. The plant absorbs it from the soil, retaining it in the leaves, which are then ground into a powder for making tea. That is why, when choosing a match , pay attention to the country of manufacture.

The US National Institutes of Health advise to consume no more than 5 cups of matcha per day and to completely refuse the drink to children, pregnant women and new mothers.

 

Where to buy matcha

Matcha is divided into varieties according to the quality of raw materials. There are 3 varieties in total: ceremonial, premium and culinary.

The youngest leaves of the bush are used to prepare ceremonial matcha , and the drink is drunk most often during tea ceremonies in Buddhist temples. The premium variety is made from the young leaves of the top of the bush. It is characterized by a fresh, delicate taste and is most often consumed in its pure form. The culinary grade of matcha is the cheapest and most astringent, made from the lower leaves of the tea bush. It is often used to prepare smoothies or confectionery.

Where can you buy matcha tea ? You can buy the powder on various sites with products for healthy eating and health, or in special tea shops. Pay attention to the color of the powder - it should be bright green . The tea must have the specified date and place of production. It is good if the package says that the matcha is organic. Do not forget that, as with any other quality tea, the price of a delicious matcha cannot be too low.

In addition to the unusual drink - pistachio-colored with delicate foam and a deep, clean, refreshing taste - many other products and cosmetics are made from matcha : from ice cream with tea pepper to fragrant soap.

Try adding matcha to baking - it will add an attractive bright green color to a pie, cheesecake or cupcake . In addition, it is useful to add matcha to smoothies, juice, sour milk cheese and yogurt, porridge, muesli, ice cream. You can also mix spices, flour and sea salt with the powder - they will turn out an interesting color (which children will especially like) and at the same time will get more antioxidants.

 

Which matcha is better

The most famous matcha in the world is of Japanese origin. But specialists claim that no less tasty green tea powder is produced in Korea. For hundreds of years, these countries perfected the art of production and brewing of this drink .

In contrast to Japan, where tea bushes are artificially shaded with rice straw, in Korea they prefer natural shading - mountains, a bamboo grove near a tea plantation, or humid ocean air that covers the leaves with fog. The Koreans do not fertilize the tea bushes with nitrogen, as the Japanese do, to enhance the depth of color and taste of the future tea. Korean matcha is usually organic.

When choosing tea, pay attention to the color of the powder and its aroma. A pale green color is an indication of not very high quality or the result of improper storage. And if the matcha is deep green , then this is a good sign. The aroma should be quite intense, with floral, berry or caramel shades.

 

How to brew and drink matcha tea

In order to properly prepare matcha at home, you will need special accessories - a ceramic bowl for Japanese tea drinking (tyawan), a measuring spoon (tyasaku) and a bamboo whisk (tyasen) designed for whisking tea. Then you should decide how you will brew matcha : in a light or more concentrated form. A strong drink in Japan is called "koitya", and a weak one - "usutya". In both cases, the temperature of the water is very important. In no case can you brew matcha with boiling water, the water must be hot at 70-80 degrees .

For one cup of "usutya" you will need 70 ml of water and 2 g of green powder , which is equal to 2 spoons of tsak or 1 tsp. without a hill Pour water into a bowl and beat it with a whisk so that the dish warms up and the dough softens. Then wipe the bowl dry and pass the powder through a sieve to remove lumps. Pour the brew into a teapot and add water, then beat with a whisk until the powder is completely dissolved and a thick foam is formed.

To prepare matcha using the " koitya " method, use 4 g of powder (4 spoons of tyasak or 1 tsp with a slide) and about 50 ml of hot water for 1 serving of tea. Repeat all the same actions as when preparing a weaker drink : heat the bowl with water, wipe it, soften the whisk. This time it is not necessary to beat the powder with intensive movements . Just stir the mixture with smooth movements and make sure that no foam is formed.

"Usutya" should taste soft, slightly tart and with a sweet-sour aftertaste. "Koytya" - thick and astringent, with a bright herbal aroma. It is customary to drink it with Japanese sweets, which can be easily replaced with healthy dried fruits or bitter chocolate.

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