Japanese powder tea

Mattery tea or match – Japanese, powder, green tea. It is this tea that is traditionally used in a classic Japanese tea ceremony. Nowadays, the match is also widely used as a nutritional supplement to various Japanese desserts of Vagashi, ice cream with green tea, as well as to the noodle.

History of the match

In the time of the Chinese dynasty Tang (618-907.) For storage and trading, tea leaves were treated with steam and compressed into tea briquettes. The tea was prepared by roasting and rubbing in powder of tea leaves and brewing the resulting powder tea in hot water, adding salt, mint. During the next Sun dynasty (960-1279.) becomes popular powder tea, prepared from ferry treated, dried leaves. The drink was prepared by boiling water tea powder in a cup and, after insistence, whipped the wedge to the formation of foam. Cooking and consumption of powder tea has turned into a ritual at Zen Buddist.

Zen-Buddhism himself, and with him and powder tea, were delivered to Japan in 1191 by Monk Eysham. In China, powder tea has been gradually forgotten, but in Japan, he continued to remain an important part of Zen Monasteries, and then began to spread widely among other layers of society during the XIV to the XVI century. At this time, the owners of tea plantations in UDI improved the technique of the production of higher grade tea – match.

Match production

The match is made from tea leaves, which are shaded before collecting, as well as Gökuro tea, unlike other types of powder seas, such as Cell Powder Tea.

Preparation of the match of the match begins a few weeks before harvest when tea bushes are closed from direct sunlight. It slows down the growth, makes the leaves of a latter shade of green and enriches a tea sheet of amino acids that make tea wealth.

After harvesting, if the leaves twist and dried, then Gökuro tea will get (pearl dew). And if the leaves are dried straight, grind, it turns out Tence tea (Yap. ??). If the stems and streaks are removed from tea, and then grind in high-quality, bright green, talcoid powder, then the match of the match is obtained. It may take up to one hour to grind 30 grams of tea match.

It should be noted that only a tint can be the basis for the match, and other powder teas are known as Konage (Yap. . letters. "Powder tea").

The taste of the match of the match is determined by the presence of amino acids. The top varieties of the match of the match have a more intense, sweet taste and deep fragrance than standard or low varieties of tea collected in the same year later.

The most famous areas of production of the match are UDI in Kyoto Prefecture, Nicio in Ayto Prefecture, Sizouuce and Northern Kyushu.

Varieties of match

The match is mostly more expensive than others, although its price depends on its quality. Match variety is determined by many factors.

Location on a tea bush. It has important, in which part of the tea bush are going to leaves for Tea Tens.

At the very top there are developing leaves that are bending and soft. They give up the highest grades a thinner structure. More developed leaves of hard, they give the varieties of low quality sandy structure. The best taste has growing leaves to which the plant sends all its nutrients.

Drying. Tencha leaves are traditionally dried out of rooms in the shade and never under the right rays of the sun. However, in our days, the drying is mainly transferred to the room. As a result of such treatment, the variety of the match has a live green color.

Pomol. Pomol tea is art by itself. Without the right equipment and machinery, the match can be the taste of "burnt" and lose as.

Oxidation. Oxidation (or fermentation) is also a factor determining the variety. The match in contact with oxygen can easily worsen its qualities. Oxidized (fermented) match has a characteristic smell of hay and brownish-green.

Traditional cooking match

There are two main ways to prepare a match: strong (koytya) and weak (mouth).

Before use, the match tea is often skipped through a sieve to remove lumps. There are specifically for this designed stainless steel sieves, in which a fine-tier wire sieve and temporary storage container are connected. For pushing tea through the sieve, a special wooden blade is used or a small smooth stone and the device shake slightly shake.

If the sinking match is served during the Japanese tea ceremony, it is placed in a small tank for tea called. In other cases, it can be covered directly from the sieve in.

A small amount of match falls asleep into a cup, traditionally use a bamboo spoon for it, then not much hot water is added (not boiling, about 80 ° C). This mixture is then scrambled to a homogeneous consistency with a bamboo whisk of Tyasan. There should be no lumps and tea powder in the edges of the cup. Since the tea tea can be bitterly served with small sweets of Vagashi (consumed before tea) and without adding milk or sugar. It is usually considered that 40 grams of the match of the match are needed for the preparation of 20 cups of grooves or 10 cups of cauit.

Usucea or weak tea is prepared approximately of 2 grams (which is equal to two spoons of crawts or about half a teaspoon, that is, without a board) of the match and approximately 70 ml of hot water per cup. Usiva can be hit to form foam or drink without foam optional (or in accordance with the tradition of a certain school of a tea path). The tea is lighter and slightly more bitter to taste.

Coyage or strong tea is prepared from much more match (usually you need two times more powder and half of water): Approximately 4 grams (which is 4 spoons of crawts or one full teaspoon that is, with a flood) of the match and about 50 ml of hot water On a cup, which is six teaspoons of tea on 3/4 cups with water. Since the resulting mixture is much thicker (by consistency almost like honey), it is necessary to mix it with slow, rotational movements that do not create foam. Koja usually make from a more expensive match with older tea trees (which over 30 years) and thus get softer and sweet tea than the mouth. It is served almost exclusively during the Japanese tea ceremony.

Another use of the match

Match in our time is the usual component of sweets. It is used in Qasutreh (or Castell), Manju and Monk, they sprinkle kakigori, mixed with milk and sugar, and also mixed with salt and add to the tampur for taste in the form of a special sauce. It is also used as an additive in many chocolates, candies and desserts, such as cakes and baking (including rolls and cheesecakes), cookies, puddings, mousses and ice cream with green tea. Even Japanese wands of the rest are with the taste of the match. Match tea can also be mixed with other teas. For example, it is added to the Gammatic to get the so-called Match-Iry Gemmyaka (roasted brown rice tea with the addition of maize tea).

The use of the match of the match in modern drinks is also common in Cafe North America, where, as well as in Japan, it is added to coffee latte, in drinks with ice and in dairy and fruit cocktails. There in many cafes add a match powder in latte and ice drinks. It is even added to alcoholic beverages, such as liqueurs.

The benefits of green tea and the tea match for health also caused considerable interest in North America. Thus, this tea can now be found in numerous products of healthy food ranging from various cereals from cereals to energetic bars. In 2003, researchers of the University of Colorado found that the concentration of EGCG antioxidant contained in the match was 137 times higher than in other green teas available.