Are you wondering how Matcha is made? Do you want to know the process?
There’s a tea called matcha, aka Japanese green tea! A few years ago, Matcha started popping everywhere. It’s full of antioxidants and a caffeine boost.
Matcha is hard to miss. Whether in the vibrant glaze of a cake, spiking your afternoon smoothie, or on the menu at your local café, its earthy flavour, vibrant colour, and buzzy effects are unmistakable.
For people who want to switch up their caffeine habit, hone their taste buds, or just set aside a few minutes for a meditative practice, Matcha is a flavorful, timeless choice.
This article will explain the process of making Matcha in straightforward steps. Let’s get started.
What Is Matcha?
Matcha, often known as Japanese green tea, is a fine powder prepared from crushed green tea leaves from East Asia. It is drunk as part of traditional Japanese tea rituals and is deeply ingrained in Japan’s culture.
It has a somewhat bitter, vegetal flavour and a brilliant green appearance due to the high chlorophyll content in the leaves. While it has been a staple of traditional Japanese tea ceremonies for decades, it has only lately gained popularity in the United States due to its health advantages.
It is suitable for drinking as a cup of tea or a latte, such as a matcha latte or iced matcha latte.
Matcha is prepared by whisking the powder into hot water or milk. Consequently, when you drink tea, you swallow the whole leaf! It includes anti-oxidants that may help decrease blood pressure, cut your risk of heart disease, and even enhance your metabolism.
Matcha contains caffeine to a greater extent than traditional green tea but less than coffee. It does not provide the same buzz as coffee. It leaves you energised and concentrated yet still serene.
Matcha’s Health Benefits
Because Matcha is a kind of green tea, it shares most of the health advantages of green tea.
Due to Matcha’s higher anti-oxidant content, a single cup (237 mL) may be comparable to around three cups (711 mL) of regular green tea.
Although human research on Matcha is few, an earlier animal study shows that it may help prevent kidney and liver damage while decreasing blood sugar, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels.
The following are some of the health advantages of consuming Matcha green tea:
Full Of Anti-Oxidants
Anti-oxidants in the food neutralise free radicals in the body, protecting cells and tissues from harm. Matcha has a high concentration of antioxidants, mainly catechins. Epigallocatechin gallate is its most potent catechin (EGCG).
EGCG has been widely investigated in animals. It may assist your body fight inflammation, maintaining healthy arteries, and stimulating cell repair.
Reduce Your Risk Of Heart Disease
Worldwide, heart disease is the leading cause of mortality. Numerous variables have been identified as risk factors for heart disease.
Green tea consumption may improve risk variables, including total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood sugar levels.
According to studies, persons who drink green tea have a 31% reduced chance of developing heart disease than those who do not. This is primarily due to the anti-oxidants and plant components in green tea, amplified in Matcha.
Contributes To Weight Loss
Green tea has often been linked to weight reduction. Indeed, it is a frequently used element in weight-loss products.
Bear in mind. However, green tea is a relatively minor part of the weight reduction jigsaw – and not all studies agree that it aids in weight loss.
Green tea increases the total calories burnt by increasing the human metabolic rate. However, the data is inconsistent. According to a 2012 assessment, green tea’s weight-loss benefits are so minor that they are of no therapeutic significance.
Grades Of Matcha
Here’s an important thing to note about Matcha: there are three different grades! These grades have distinct differences in quality and flavour:
Ceremonial Grade Matcha:
Ceremonial Grade Matcha is much more bright and has a deeper shade of green because it is created from the youngest tea leaves with the highest chlorophyll content.
Grade Culinary Matcha is a more muted shade of green that retains its beauty because it is created from older tea leaves that have been exposed to more sunshine. Ceremonial grade matcha is the finest Matcha available.
It is often more delicate and nuanced in flavour than culinary-grade matcha and should be taken on its own rather than added to lattes and other confections.
Latte Grade Matcha:
Matcha Latte-Grade is milled from regular, first-harvest leaves. When prepared with hot water, Matcha of the latte grade may have a strong, somewhat bitter flavour. Due to its increased strength, it is ideal for mixing with milk or a milk replacement.
Culinary Grade Matcha:
Culinary grade matcha is a grade of Matcha that is significantly less expensive than ceremonial grade matcha. It is often more affordable and is intended to be added to lattes, smoothies, baked goods, and other recipes.
Due to its bitterness, we do not advocate drinking Matcha from the culinary grade as tea. Culinary grade matcha is also made from later harvests, which results in a less brilliant colour than ceremonial grade matcha. Nonetheless, this does not imply that culinary grade matcha is “low quality.”
How To Make Matcha?
Now let’s get started with making matcha. The process is easy to follow;
Tools You Are Going To Need
To make matcha, the essential tools you will need are listed below.
Tea Sifter
This is the first step in declumping your matcha. Matcha powder can clump when it sits together, so it’s critical to break it up first. If you do not have a tea sifter, you may also use the bamboo whisk to dry whisk your matcha to help eliminate clumps.
Matcha Whisk Made Of Bamboo
This utensil is necessary for effectively whisking off clumps in matcha and adding foam to your beverage. A whisk with a more significant number of blades will be more efficient.
Stand For Whisks
This is a tool that is well worth the investment. If not dried correctly, bamboo whisks may mould and eventually break or dry out of shape. To care for your whisk properly, rinse and clean it after each use, and then place it on a stand to maintain its form while it dries.
Measure The Amount Of Matcha
Measure your green tea powder accurately with a stainless steel spoon to create a perfect cup every time. Simply scoop 2-3 Perfect Matcha Spoons (about 1 teaspoon) of regular Matcha into a matcha bowl or 5-6 Perfect Matcha Spoons (approximately 2.5 teaspoons) of flavoured Matcha.
Combine With Warm Water To Produce A Paste
With your matcha powder prepared, it’s time to fill your matcha bowl halfway with 2 oz of boiling water from a kettle and whisk your Matcha into a smooth, clump-free paste using a traditional bamboo whisk.
Water temperature is critical in steeping a cup of Matcha that is dependably bright and pleasant.
Maintain a warm temperature of 75-85°C (170-185°F) to avoid burning your matcha powder and imparting a bitter flavour. A cooler water temperature also ensures that your Matcha froths up to an eye-catching emerald hue. Cooler temperatures of 75°C for conventional Matcha and (85°C) for flavoured Matcha are recommended.
Allow 7-10 minutes for your boiling kettle to cool before using.
Are You Mixing The Water And Matcha?
To get a thick matcha shot, combine the Matcha and water first. You may either do this in the cup that will hold your latte or separate the ingredients and add them afterwards.
If you want your matcha latte to have a layered appearance, add sweetness to the bottom layer (usually the milk layer). When you pour the milk in, the sugar will help keep it apart from the matcha layer.
What you’re trying to do is break up matcha clumps. The majority of establishments suggest sifting the Matcha first. While this method works, we prefer to use a different bamboo whisk.
If you do not have a bamboo whisk, a battery-operated milk frother can be used to combine the Matcha and water. While it may be tempting to use a fork, this adds to the confusion.
If you create a matcha latte in a higher glass, you may want to invest in a longer-handled bamboo whisk. These are smaller, and the longer handle enables effective whisking of Matcha and water in a glass.
Pour Into A Cup And Enjoy.
Fill your favourite 16 oz cup halfway with frothed Matcha green tea and the rest with warm 75-85°C (170-185°F) water from the kettle before consuming.
The water temperature aids in the dissolution of the Matcha in the green tea.
FAQs
Is It Possible To Convert Green Tea To Matcha?
Stone-crushing premium green tea leaves make matcha powder a fine, vivid green powder. After that, the powder is used to produce matcha tea. Because the tea leaves are swallowed when drinking matcha tea, they must be cultivated and harvested according to high standards.
Is It Possible To Create Matcha Without A Whisk?
When you don’t have a whisk, the most frequent method of making Matcha is in a mason jar or bottle. Combine the ingredients in the container or jar and shut the lid. Then shake vigorously until foam forms on top. All required is a jar, Matcha, water or milk, and a little muscle.
Conclusion
The steps mentioned in the article are the simplest you can follow to make a perfect Matcha. The thickness will depend on preference. The bitterness and sweetness will follow the same.
Please do let us know how your Matcha was tested and if you have found this guide helpful or not.