A new way to Matcha

March 1, 2011 at 9:27 am (Uncategorized)

I am a huge fan of people making and appreciating tea in different ways, and aside from promoting my beloved beverage, this blog is about informing people about the different teas out there, and the many different ways one can go about preparing them.

Many tea aficionados love spending hours telling me why I should use a specific teapot to make a specific tea, how to brew the perfect cup and why my easy going nature towards making tea is a horrific notion to them. I’ll be perfectly honest: yes I know there is a right way and a wrong way to make the perfect pot of tea, and most of the time I follow these rules, but at 6 o’clock in the morning, even I could not care less about the “right” and “wrong” way.

That’s why my recent trip to Japan (the most formal and rigid of tea making countries), was such a refreshing eye opener. As tea sales are slightly declining, so has people’s interest in making a “proper” cup of tea. Although this saddens me to no end, this has more to do with modern and hectic lifestyles than mere interest. In order to accommodate the modern tea drinker’s needs, there has been an evolution in the way that people prepare tea in the home.

Matcha is a perfect example of this change. Matcha, having long been Japan’s premium and most recognized tea, has not changed much in the past few hundred years when it was first introduced by Buddhist monks: very bright green in colour, this tea can only be found in a fine powder form. Once green tea has been dried, it is ground up into a fine powder with the aid of a large machine. Not only does this make the tea more compact for shipping, but it also changes the basic texture of the tea. To make matcha, one needs a matcha whisk, a matcha bowl, and the patience to whip the tea up into the smooth, frothy concoction that people have loved for years. It is a beautiful tea with a silky texture that invites contemplation of the highest order and is the perfect accompaniment to sweets and treats.

But let’s face it: special whisk? Special bowl? Only the most ardent of tea fans have the patience for that kind of stuff, and why should we be the only ones to enjoy it?

Well, while rummaging around one of the many tea shops I had a chance to discover in Kyoto, I found a matcha shaker. Yes, you read correctly. A shaker almost exactly like those used to make cocktails, just a little smaller. Although the matcha made in a shaker is not as frothy as the one whisked by hand, I can assure you that it gives one a much pleasure when consumed.

I can already hear the cries of: “How dare you!! Matcha has a history and a technique that should, nay, must be respected you heathen!” To this I respond: “So what?” The times they are a changing, and although the old traditions should never be lost, we have to evolve and adapt to the changes of our lifestyles. Anything that remains stagnant dies, and would it be better that one can only get matcha at St*****ks? Think about that for a minute!

So if you love trying new teas, but don’t have the right pot, ladle, cup, whisk or whatever else may be suggested to you, don’t worry. If the Japanese have adapted their culture to fit the 21rst century, then so can you, and don’t let anyone else tell you any different:)

 

Drink on tea lovers!