Japanese Green Teas, Pt. 3: Matcha

Matcha is perhaps one of the better-known Japanese green teas due to its frequent association with "superfoods" such as acai berries, goji, and so on. Like these, matcha is touted for its putative health benefits, which are indeed considerable. But those who view matcha as a mere health food product are missing the basic enjoyment of this quintessential Japanese tea.

Matcha is powdered green Japanese tea. It is produced from a variety of shade-grown green tea called Gyokuro, which is quite popular on its own, and unquestionably one of the best Japanese greens (the first spring harvests of Gyokuro fetch very high prices and are hard to come by due to demand). As most teas today are made either in bags or from the whole leaf, the appearance and preparation of matcha stand apart. Typically, the deep green matcha powder is produced from a container and placed in a bowl, where it is mixed with hot water and whipped with a bamboo whisk until it foams and froths. When it has reached the correct consistency, it is then decanted into a vessel for consumption by the drinker. It is difficult to prepare correctly and water temperature is very important. The whole procedure and atmosphere surrounding matcha is so singular that it is worth noting its origin. Where did this powdered tea, for which there seems to be no contemporary analogue, come from? The answer demonstrates the immense historical importance of tea as well as the interconnectedness and fluidity of culture.

Tea culture originated in China. Although tea had been around for a long time before, it was during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) that tea drinking really became firmly entrenched in Chinese society, with teahouses becoming popular and the drink being widely consumed. At that time, the preferred method of preparation was to compress dried tea leaves into bricks for easy transportation and trade, and the dried leaves would be ground into powder and decocted (essentially boiled) to produce the drink. (A remnant of this tradition remains in the production of Pu Erh tea). Interestingly, it was typical for drinkers of the time to add salt to the liquor. By the Song Dynasty (960-1279) tea culture had evolved into an elaborate ceremony involving ornate methods of preparation. It was during this period that the use of "fine china" became commonplace, and--significantly--the method of preparation involving beating the wet powder into a froth with a bamboo whisk was introduced. This method and the elaborate ceremony surrounding it assumed spiritual and religious overtones in addition to the cultural significance and popularity it already had. It was only with the advent of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) that the now-traditional method of steeping the whole leaf became the preferred method. But by that time, Japanese tea culture had already inherited an elaborate ceremonialism that essentially dated back to the Song Dynasty. How did this occur?

It is generally thought that Buddhist monks from China (traditionally the monk Eisai is credited) brought the pageantry of Song dynasty tea preparation with them along with Zen Buddhism, which was introduced near the end of the twelfth century. The Japanese tea ceremony, which embodies typical Zen principles of simplicity, reverence for the mundane and oneness with one's environment and self, is called Cha No Yu and, in many respects, maintains a high level of fidelity to the traditions imported from Song-era China.

Thus, matcha has a long and interesting history. The reverence the tea is held in does not stop at its preparation--the same level of care extends to the husbandry used to produce it. The fact that the leaves used to make matcha are grown in shade is extremely significant; the resulting leaves are protected from the sun's rays, causing a high concentration of amino acids in the harvested leaf. While green teas in general tend to be high in amino acids due to their low level of oxidation (and their method of preparation), keeping the plant in the shade as it grows helps it retain more of these amino acids and slows its growth, enhancing the natural flavors inherent to the plant. The resulting brew is noticeably sweeter than most teas, with a strong vegetal flavor. Because of its thick consistency, matcha is great on its own, but also makes for interesting modern concoctions such as green tea lattes, matcha milkshakes, etc. Matcha is also quite commonly used as a cooking ingredient in Japan in such dishes as ice creams, cakes, Jell-O and the like. (It is delicious, by the way).

A quick note on the oft-repeated health benefits of matcha--matcha contains extremely high levels of an antioxidant called epigallecatechin gallate, more commonly referred to as EGCG, which has been implicated in all kinds of salutary health effects, from cancer prevention to prevention of heart disease to strengthening the immune system. While EGCG is present in all green teas to some extent, matcha contains, by some estimates, up to 137 times as much. If you find that matcha is to your liking, at least you'll never have to feel guilty about overconsuming it!