Our blog series introducing our Japanese green teas goes into the second round: our Matcha N°1 shows its best side and we tell you everything you need to know about the preparation & enjoyment of a real Matcha. If you would like to have the preparation of Matcha explained in detail, take a look at our How To Matcha section.

Background

Matcha N°1 is a classic matcha green tea that comes from a single tea farmer from Hamakita, a small town in the famous Shizuoka prefecture. This prefecture produces 40% of all Japanese green tea production. Hasegawa-san does not use any pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. The matcha is a blend of the cultivars Saemidori & Yabukita. Hasegawa-san aims to achieve a balance between sweet-mild & strong-aromatic. Typically, Hasegawa-san shades the matcha 4 weeks before harvesting. This is how it achieves its deep green color and mild sweetness. Of course, this Matcha is ground exclusively on granite mills.

First impression

The matcha has a bright intense green color. It smells pleasantly sweet with a very light grassy note.

The tea is ground ultra fine. The lumps disintegrate at the touch and are a sign of how fine the matcha was ground. By the way: if you have lumps in your Matcha that do not disintegrate at the touch, this is a sign of inferior quality. Moisture or rough processing then lead to hard lumps.

Dosage & Preparation

For the infusion, we use a full matcha spoon (chashaku) for 100ml of water. If you do not have a Chashaku at hand: ¼-½ teaspoon for about 100-150ml of water is our recommendation here. For us, the Matcha tastes best at 70 ° C - 65 ° C or 60 ° C are also conceivable.
Regarding the right temperature: If you have a temperature indicator on your kettle, has an easy game here. Otherwise, half a liter of boiled water should have the right temperature after about 12-15 minutes of cooling with the lid open. Alternatively, you can also pour the water several times. For each transfer into a cold vessel, the water loses about 10°C.

After adding 100ml of water to the matcha in the bowl, we foam the matcha with the help of a matcha broom. This way we achieve a fine foam for a great look and a pleasant mouthfeel. If necessary, you can also use a milk frother or a small whisk.

The result

After preparation, the matcha keeps a little covered in the fragrance: Still finely sweet, but also strongly reminiscent of green tea. A beautiful, fine foam is created. Due to the fact that the matcha is very fine, the foam succeeds relatively easily.

On the tongue, the Matcha creates a full-bodied and especially strong creamy feeling. The slightly sweet smell is also slightly noticeable in the taste. Umami can be clearly tasted - one reason why the Matcha seems so full-bodied. Additionally, a somewhat fresh, subtle tart flavor comes through easily. A nice balance of these two flavors create a great taste experience.

Final remarks

When preparing your matcha, you can follow our recommendations or try what you like best. The dosage and the water temperature can make a big difference.
Want to try it yourself? Then just have a look at our store at Matcha No.1.

How do you prefer to prepare your matcha? What tips do you have in store? Let us know in the comments!