What matcha means
Matcha is a finely ground powdered green tea from Japan. It is made from tea plants that are shaded from direct sunlight for several weeks before harvest, which slows their growth, deepens their green colour and increases their sweet, savoury flavour. The leaves, known as tencha, are steamed, dried, and stripped of stems and veins, then slowly ground between stone mills into an extremely fine, vivid green powder. Unlike ordinary tea, where leaves are steeped and removed, matcha is whisked directly into hot water, so the whole leaf is consumed.
This gives a rich, creamy, slightly sweet and grassy flavour with a pleasant bitterness and a frothy texture. Matcha is central to the Japanese tea ceremony, where it is prepared with a bamboo whisk, called a chasen, in a wide bowl. It is graded by quality, with ceremonial grade used for drinking and culinary grade for cooking. It is now widely used in lattes, smoothies, ice cream, cakes, biscuits, macarons, chocolate, mochi and other Japanese sweets, where it adds both colour and flavour.
Sifting the powder before use prevents lumps, and water that is very hot but not boiling gives the best flavour. You will see matcha in Japanese recipes, café menus and modern baking.