Matcha Green Tea Powder from Culinary Teas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Culinary Teas

Tea Description:

Our Matcha is a thin Matcha called Usucha and best for the everyday Matcha drinker.  It is the perfect quality for enjoying the genuine taste of Matcha. Our Matcha is a light creamy liquid with a very sweet and mild flavor.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I’ve tried quite a few different Matcha teas over the years.  And while I must admit that the best Matcha teas are those that come from companies that specialize in offering only the very best Japanese teas, I’ve quite enjoyed Matcha teas from other sources as well.  Like this Matcha from Culinary Teas.

To prepare this Matcha, I used my chashaku to scoop out three scoops of Matcha powder into my sifter (I just use a basic wire mesh sieve that I picked up in the grocery store in the kitchen utensil aisle for a couple of bucks.  It’s small enough to fit in my tea bowl and it’s got a couple of “feet” on it that hook onto the edge of the bowl, a plastic handle and a wire mesh “bowl”.)  I then sifted the powder.

Now, I don’t consider myself a Matcha expert by any stretch of the imagination, so I’ll just offer my opinion as to why Matcha is sifted.  I think that it not only eliminates clumps (clumps will turn into lumps of dry powder in the finished product and that doesn’t sound very yummy) but I believe it also aerates the powder a little bit – lightens it?  So that the proper flavor and texture is achieved in the final product.  That’s my opinion and not necessarily fact but I do know that I find that I prefer the Matcha when I sift it.

After I’ve sifted the powder, then I add hot water (160°F) and here’s where I become less useful to the beginner/novice Matcha drinker, because I don’t measure out the water.  I eyeball it.  Yeah, I told you that it wouldn’t be helpful, didn’t I?  I pour in about what I think is the right amount, aiming for “less” than “more” than the right amount, if you get what I’m saying, because you can always add a little more water but you can’t really take it away once it’s been poured into the bowl (chawan).

Then I whisk away.  I whisk with my chasen vigorously in a “W” motion until I’m confident that all the powder has been incorporated.  Then I give it a taste and see if it needs more water.  Usually, I need a little bit more because as I said, I tend to aim for “less” than I need than more than I need.  And I did today.  Now that I’ve added a final splash of water to the Matcha, I whisk again and then I enjoy!

The color of this Matcha is not quite as bright and vibrant as some of the pricier Matcha teas that I’ve tried.  But it does whisk up well and the powder stays incorporated until I’ve finished the last sip.  The tea froths up nicely with lots of bubbles.  It’s more of a bubbly, dry froth than it is a silky froth.  If you’ve consumed many different types of Matcha, you understand what I mean by that.  Some Matcha has a very fluffy, bubbly kind of froth, and some of it is a very silky froth with very fine bubbles.

The froth stays around for a little while and eventually disappears.  The flavor of this Matcha is nice.  It’s got a smooth, buttery flavor and a creamy smooth texture.  I notice notes of raw cacao, which I like Matcha to have.  Its sweet with some bittersweet notes.

Overall, I found this Matcha to be quite enjoyable and the price of this Matcha is extraordinarily affordable!  If you’re one who wants to drink Matcha everyday but find the prices of some Matcha offerings to be to excessive, you should give this Matcha a try!  You’ll get more Matcha bang for your buck!