[Matcha Green Tea]
Matcha has been gaining attention overseas for its health benefits and has gone from being a boom to becoming a standard item. There are cafes and stands specializing in matcha in New York, Hawaii, and other tourist destinations. In Paris, France, there is even a museum where visitors can experience a full-scale tea ceremony. Powdered matcha is rich in catechins, a type of polyphenol that is an antioxidant. It is said to help prevent chronic diseases by reducing cell damage. Matcha is also rich in vitamin K and lutein, both of which are known to improve cognitive functions such as alertness and memory, and may also play an active role in preventing infectious diseases and other benefits.
It's been about the past 10 days, but recently I've been waking up a bit earlier and having a cup of matcha before getting ready in the morning. I boil water in an iron kettle, warm the matcha bowl, whisk the matcha with a tea whisk, and drink it. It's just this, the deep green color and aroma of the matcha, the finely foamed surface, the texture of the matcha bowl, and the sound of whisking the matcha with the tea whisk - all of these pleasantly stimulate the senses. It's as if the senses that were asleep just a moment ago are slowly awakening and blossoming. Through this sequence of events, I realized that what's most pleasant of all is being able to experience my two favorite sensations, "relaxation and concentration," simultaneously.
There are many ways to enjoy matcha, but how about making a matcha latte at home, like you would find in a café, for example, during an active day? In Hirota Glass's Sori Yanagi Wine Glass L, add milk and ice with condensed milk or gum syrup dissolved in it. Gently pour in the matcha tea that has been brewed in a Koizumi Glass's Flat Bottom Evaporating Dish 120mm. Mix lightly with a muddler before drinking.
Kyoto, where Shokunin.com is headquartered, is home to many long-established matcha shops. Ippodo Tea, founded in 1717 and located in Teramachi Nijo, is one of them. They offer a wide selection of matcha teas, from individually wrapped matcha sticks to authentic matcha teas. Ippodo Tea is a 12-minute walk from the Sanjo Showroom. The matcha purchased during a trip has a special flavor that revives the memories of the journey in Kyoto. You can find the matcha of your choice, and the style of matcha you prefer.
Matcha Latte
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon matcha tea (about 2 to 3 g) *Adjust matcha thickness to taste
150ml milk
50ml hot water
Condensed milk or gum syrup to taste
Ice to taste
Instructions:
1. Pour milk into a glass, dissolve the desired amount of condensed milk or gum syrup, and add ice.
2. Add 1 teaspoon (approximately 2 to 3 g) of matcha to 50 ml of hot water cooled to about 70 to 80 degrees Celsius, and stir using a tea whisk. Alternatively, put matcha and hot water in a shaker or water bottle and shake to foam the matcha.
3. Pour 2 slowly into 1 glass.
Hirota Glass's Sori Yanagi Wine Glass L
https://www.shokunin.com/en/hirota/wine.html
Koizumi Glass's Flat Bottom Evaporating Dish 120mm
https://www.shokunin.com/en/koizumi/johatsu.html
Chobundo's Tetsubin
https://www.shokunin.com/en/chobundo/
Azmaya's Yuzamashi
https://www.shokunin.com/en/azmaya/kyusu.html
Ippodo Tea
https://www.ippodo-tea.co.jp/
Sanjo Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/sanjo.html
References
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/jp/food/a43870870/matcha-powder-benefits-230519-hns/
https://kumikomatcha.fr/blogs/univers-du-the/the-matcha-paris
https://www.kurashiru.com/recipe_cards/550cf6d0-65de-4ead-aeba-0fdecd384af2
https://www.ohhowcivilized.com/iced-matcha-green-tea-latte/
