Matcha tea is a powdered form of green tea. It is made from tea leaves specially grown in the shade. The leaves are dried (again in the shade) and then ground to a fine powder. The special growing and drying in the shade is responsible for the lovely bright green colour of Matcha powder.
Matcha tea is a highly prized green tea. It is used in Japanese tea drinking ceremonies as well as Buddhist ceremonies.To make tea, you whisk the matcha powder in a bowl with hot water. This forms a bright green frothy tea which, traditionally, you consume on its own.
You can add milk, turning it into a matcha tea latte. You can also use the matcha powder to flavour cakes and other desserts. My first experience of matcha was in green tea ice cream in Seoul, South Korea.




What is the point of using powdered tea instead of just steeping the tea leaves, you may ask. The logic behind matcha powder is that this way you are using the dried leaves in their entirety. In the every day infusion or steeping method of making tea, the leaves are discarded so that you don’t get all of their benefits. This powdered tea has a slightly higher caffeine content than conventional green tea but it is also much higher in the good stuff (anti-oxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals).
It has a slight bitter taste but otherwise it lovely. I tried to make it at home but the blending is a bit tricky.
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It is an acquired taste.
The bitterness is probably because it is stronger than regular green tea.
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Yes you’re right.
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wow! I had never heard of this! but green tea icecream? is that good?
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Like I said before to Sadje, it is am acquired taste.
Like you, I had not heard of it either until a trip to the Far East in 2017.
But since then it has become a popular food fad and can be found in the gourmet or health food section in most supermarkets.
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Hmmm i’ll have to see if I can find it
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First had Matcha Green Tea ice cream in a Japanese restaurant and have been hooked every since.
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Great !
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If you buy the ceremonial or tea ceremony quality it will not be bitter the lower the grade of tea then it will be bitter the same as green tea if you leave the leaves in then it will be bitter …I also use my leaves as compost for plant pots they love it…Love matcha ice cream and desserts 🙂
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Thank you so much for the tips.
Bangkok is the place where I first saw matcha.
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I have just returned from Bangkok and we had a lovely tea making experience both my son and husband enjoyed it as well ..I also got to buy some lovely teas… 🙂
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That sounds so great !
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It was awesome I loved it…:)
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😀
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