Il matcha tea is a traditional Japanese green tea. It is a very finely ground tea, prized and with a very high cost.
Here how to choose and how to prepare matcha tea.
Matcha tea, what it is and how to choose it
Il matcha tea is a traditional Japanese ground green tea. It is a precious and refined tea that has its roots in Zen philosophy.
He tè matcha - o Japanese green tea - it is obtained from tea leaves particularly rich in chlorophyll and poor in bitter substances, as they are harvested from trees placed in the shade.
After harvesting, the matcha tea leaves are dried and ground into one very fine powder.
From a nutritional point of view, matcha tea does not differ from green tea, in fact, matcha tea contains:
- caffeine;
- vitamins;
- minerals;
Matcha contains antioxidants like green tea leaves.
The fact that the both matcha tea and powder instead of in leaves, however, it makes the extraction of the active ingredients more effective when it is prepared in infusion.
There are different qualities of matcha tea on the market: the finest matcha tea it is what is called ceremonial matcha tea or ceremonial matcha tea.
All the qualities of matcha tea are characterized by a particular color, of a very intense light green, almost fluorescent, due to the high quantity of chlorophyll.
The best quality matcha tea comes at a high cost, typically above 100 euros per kilo. You can buy matcha tea in herbalist shops, in shops specializing in organic food or on specialized Internet sites.
Matcha tea, preparation
Il tea matcha involves a particular preparation technique which comes from tradition.
Necessary
for preparation of matcha tea you need a non-vitrified bowl on the inside, a teaspoon (or a bamboo spatula), a whisk, a small sieve and a ceramic tasting cup.
Preparation
After placing a teaspoon or two of sifted matcha tea powder in the bowl, bring a cup of water (about 120 milliliters) to the boil. The water is then allowed to cool down to around 75 ° C, then poured over the matcha tea powder in the bowl.
At this point the infusion should be vigorously shaken back and forth with a small whisk. When the foam forms, the infusion should only be stirred on the surface to allow the foam to incorporate even more air.
Finally, the infusion is poured into the ceramic cup and drunk.
Matcha tea is usually served with shortbread biscuits or unsalted, unsalted dried fruit.
In addition to infusion, the matcha tea powder it is also used for the preparation of desserts, such as biscuits and cakes.
