Green Tea

[sharpeslass]

I picked up some matcha powder at the asian grocery over the weekend but am having ratio issues. All the instructions are in an asian language which I do not read. Does anyone have tips on the water/powder ratio or tricks to proper mixing?

Comments

[jinxaire]

Good luck! I bought a little matcha kit last month and found it tasty with the little bit of tea they included, but when it ran out and I picked up a can from the Japanese grocery, the new can was clearly an inferior brand. It was much more bitter and and almost seaweedy.

I ended up buying a different brand online because I was spoiled from the tea they included in my starter kit.

[jinxaire]

From the DoMatcha site:

Using a traditional bamboo whisk:
Put ½-1 teaspoon of DōMatcha™ in a large cup or a drinking bowl and add a small amount of hot water. Whisk in a quick, light zig-zag motion until a layer of green froth appears on the surface. Add more water if desired. DōMatcha™ can be used for ‘thin’ or ‘thick’ Matcha.

Using a spoon:
Simply blend ½-1 teaspoon of DōMatcha™ and a small amount of hot water with a spoon to make a smooth paste. Add more water and sweetener as desired.

The ideal water temperature for DōMatcha™ is between 65 and 85 degrees Celsius.

***Most sites I visited said about 70-80 degrees C was best. Boiling water is too hot and will make your tea bitter.

If you have a tea sifter, use it to prevent clumps in your tea.

[sharpeslass]

Thanks. What I made wasn't at all bitter, it was just a bit too murky looking. I diluted it down a bunch and it did taste a lot like the tea at the restaurant I was talking about but with maybe a slightly more seaweedy smell...

[7veilsphaedra]

It's a different growing method. Green tea which is grown under special row covers which protect it from UV rays is not bitter. Green tea which grows out in the open is. I'm not sure what the different names are for these two distinct types of green tea.

[jinxaire]

Yep, I know what you're talking about but I don't remember the names, either.

I can't read the label of the grocery-store can since it's in Japanese but according to the Amazon pages, it looks like they're trying to pass the tea off as high end. However, it's not really good for drinking straight although it's fine to use for flavoring other foods or making lattes.

[sharpeslass]

I asked the waitress at one of the restaurants in China Town where they got their powder and they said at the grocery in china town, so I can't imagine they are buying that high-end stuff for the restaurant (when they sell it so cheaply). I'll have to find out exactly what brand they are using, because theirs is delicious!!

[jinxaire]

If you find out where/what it is, let me know. I'd love to find an affordable and tasty matcha, especially if I can get it locally.

[sharpeslass]

The one I bought is a bit seaweedy. It was sooooo much cheaper than the stuff I found on line though, so I suppose it is to be expected. I looked at matcha kits and found my current economic position makes such a purchase insupportable at this time.

[jinxaire]

I know, a lot of it's pricey. Too pricey for me to enjoy it every day. *sigh*