Matcha - SHINCHA MATCHA
Matcha background information
Matcha in kanji means ground tea, but doesn’t specify exactly which tea leaves are used - the large majority of high grade matcha is ground from tencha, though occasionally gyokuro (the king of Japanese teas) may be used. Tencha and gyokuro are grown in relatively the same way; covered from the sun and grown in varying amounts of shade for the last 16-30 days prior to harvest. This covering blocks direct sunlight and interrupts photosynthesis, stressing the plant and changing the flavour of the tea as the amino acids inside the tea leaves are prevented from changing into catechins, resulting in a higher level of amino acids (which give umami flavour and sweetness) in shaded tea compared to unshaded tea. The difference between tencha and gyokuro is after being steamed and dried there is no need for tencha to be rolled as it is usually ground into matcha, whereas gyokuro leaves are rolled into thin needle shapes. It has been speculated that lower grade matcha that is more yellow in colour or particularly bitter could have been ground from later harvest tea, or sencha or bancha tea leaves which are not grown under any shade at all. Matcha can be made from blends of different cultivars or regions, or single cultivar (like coffee). Blends are created by tea masters who taste many teas and select a number of them to blend in order to create their desired final taste.
Notes for this particular tea
This blend of tencha cultivars was produced by Yamaguchi san, one of only around twenty seven Rank 10 Chashi (Tea Master) in all of Japan, and he still holds the record for being the youngest to achieve this prestigious title. This shincha blend is the only matcha we look forwards to enjoying in the shincha season, as most high quality tencha undergo the jukusei (ageing) process, being stored in a cold, oxygen free atmosphere until around November, when the flavours have mellowed and deepened. Yamaguchi san is based in a small village called Hoshinomura, in Yame, Fukuoka, which is famous for star gazing and for producing some of the highest quality teas in the country. We are honoured to work directly with Yamaguchi san and share the teas he produces with our guests on the other side of the world. Blending cultivars together allows tea producers to offer a tea with roughly the same flavour profile year on year, as each tea field’s harvest will change with the climate, among other factors. The flavour profile can be described as bright and fresh, with the signature deep toasty nutty character of Yamaguchi san’s matcha. Prepared as koicha, there will be a balance of intensely bright umami and a slightly sharp astringency, which makes for a particularly refreshing combination.
How to make matcha as usucha (thin tea):
Matcha: 2g
Water: 50-60ml @ 75°C
Pour hot water into your chawan (matcha bowl), and into a separate cup or bowl pour some freshly boiled water - this is the water we will use to make the matcha. Preheat your chasen (bamboo whisk) in the chawan’s hot water for about 10 seconds. Drain the water in the bowl dry. Sift your matcha into the bowl - this is very important! The water you poured into the separate cup will have cooled - pour about 50-60ml over the sifted matcha and then whisk vigorously to start, slowing down gradually to remove most of the big bubbles - don’t worry if there are still bubbles, it’s a matter of practice and preference.
This matcha can also be made as koicha (thick tea):
Matcha: 4g
Water: 25-30ml @ 80°C
As above preheat your chawan and koicha chasen, and sift the matcha into the chawan. Pour a small amount of water (~10ml) over the matcha and unlike the above vigorous whisking, slowly knead the matcha into a paste. Add small amounts of water and keep kneading until your desired texture has been achieved.
This matcha features on our Summer Tea Course as sparkling matcha:
Matcha: 2g
Water: 40ml @ ~5-20°C (iced or cold water)
Pour over 90ml of iced soda water. Whisking matcha with cold water requires more care as it is easier to wear/damage the chasen, so make sure to soak the chasen in hot water for 5-10 seconds directly before whisking. When the chasen is wet there is also less likelihood for matcha to stick to the tines, but whisking with cold water is much more likely to result in matcha on the chasen tines anyway so always rinse under the tap immediately after whisking, and use your fingers (skin, not nails) to gently clean any matcha stuck to the tines. This requires extra special care and attention.
Storage:
Store in a cold environment (6-10°C) and avoid exposure to light, air, heat, moisture and strong smells - these will degrade your tea. Best consumed within 2-4 weeks from when it is first opened.
About Matcha Freshness:
This tea’s producer suggests to enjoy quality matcha within 7 months from being stone ground. Other quality tea producers suggest 6 months, some suggest 8 months. In our opinion, any use by date longer than 9 months is a sign that the seller doesn’t care much about freshness of matcha - a non oxidised tea with particle sizes of 6-8 microns. As we push towards increasing the transparency from the origin of the tea all the way to the final consumer, we are adding the stone grind date to all matcha purchased from us along with a suggested use by date (unopened). We challenge everyone looking to buy matcha to enquire about the grind date for the matcha you are buying, and we challenge all matcha sellers to provide this date as it is the only date that matters concerning the freshness of the tea before it is opened.
Once opened, high quality matcha’s freshness is best enjoyed within 4 weeks. Again, some tea producers suggest less, and others are more lenient. We want the final consumer of the tea to have the essential information (stone grind date and open date) to be able to keep track of when the matcha was ground and when it was opened, to decide for themselves how strict/lenient to be. To encourage this, there will also be a small space on the matcha pack/can for you to write the date you open the matcha. We want you to see if you notice the flavour change over time, and come to your own conclusions about how important freshness is!
We know that while the tea is safe to consume for much longer than 6-8 months after grinding, it is a target to set that allows the bright vivid flavours to still be enjoyed. The longer the matcha sits unopened the more dull the flavours will become. Fridge storage will help to delay the flavour degradation, and for room temperature storage we would recommend to use within 3-6 months. We don’t have much experience with freezing matcha but if you would like to, it is a good idea to refrigerate for one day before freezing and again after removing from the freezer (and then place in room temperature for a few hours before opening) to slow the temperature changes.