Have you ever drank matcha tea? If not, of course you have heard of matcha tea, bright green tea powder from Japan. If you’ve heard the name, how about the taste? Do you know what matcha tastes like? The taste of matcha tea is rich, bright, vegetal, slightly bitter and has notes of sweetness and umami as well.
High-grade ceremonial matcha is a drink that is suitable for drinking alone. If you want to add it to smoothies, lattes and others, you can use culinary grade matcha. Matcha is a high-caffeine green tea, and this makes it a healthy, energizing and perfect tea to start your day with a bang.
A Little Note when Tasting Matcha
Maybe you’re curious about the taste of matcha, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Quite a lot of those who are new to this rich-flavored tea are curious about the taste. While many use it as an addition to lattes, or smoothies, others use it as a flavoring in baked goods. What is usually added is only culinary grade matcha, and most certainly don’t know what high quality (ceremonial grade) matcha tastes like. Is the taste too bitter, or strong.
Matcha with ceremonial quality is indeed rich in taste and has a different profile, bold taste and this makes many people surprised. Matcha drink is prepared as a traditional Japanese tea drink, it is prepared with great care, shared and enjoyed with friends using the ritual method provided.
If you have ever drank it, let’s take a moment to recall the experience of drinking matcha tea with an extraordinary taste. Let’s slowly see the rich taste.
What does matcha taste like
Vegetals
The taste that stands out in high-quality matcha is its grassy, plant-like taste. Matcha is made from green tea leaves that are harvested, then steamed, and ground into a fine powder.
The frequent steaming of green tea creates a strong vegetal flavor that is even stronger than Chinese green tea, which is roasted in a pot and the result is spicy and creamy.
Matcha is made from whole tea leaves, so it is often described as having a “green tea” flavor that is quite strong and thick.
Umami
The umami taste is something that is timeless from high-quality matcha, without this the quality of matcha tea can be doubted. This umami and savory taste is sometimes found in foods such as bone broth and miso soup. When you enjoy this umami taste, it is sometimes described as the ocean and it is similar to seaweed.
Green tea plants made into matcha are planted in the shade or manually protected by using semi-shaded or providing partial sunlight for the plants. A matcha shade like this brings out the umami taste of the matcha. This shading process is usually made when 3 weeks before harvest. It turns out that shade on matcha plants like this can increase leaf chlorophyll so that it produces a rich, savory taste. As well as being savory, this shade also boosts caffeine and l-theanine. Other examples of shade grown teas are Kabusecha and Gyokuro, both of which are Japanese shade grown loose leaf green teas.
Sweet
Then, what does matcha taste like, it has a tempting sweetness. This sweet taste is subtle but lasts a long time, but the sweetness is not as sweet as in a tea latte. The sweetness of this high-quality matcha is light, yet balances out the other strong flavors. In Japanese drinking ceremonies, matcha tea is often served with small candies, this will help bring out the natural sweetness in the matcha tea.
Bitters
Apart from being sweet, it turns out that in ceremonial grade matcha there is also a bitter impression. This bitter is so smooth and pleasant, it is a bitter taste that blends with other flavors. This is different from low-quality matcha, as it has a strong and unpleasant bitter taste.
Smooth
This refined taste or subtle characteristics is due to high quality matcha or ceremonial grade matcha. The taste of matcha is often described as smooth, rich, and somewhat buttery. If you prepare matcha in the traditional way, such as using a matcha whisk, using a matcha sieve, then you can be sure that your matcha is smooth, rich, frothy, not thin and not lumpy.
About Matcha
What is matcha, matcha is a finely ground tea with a bright emerald green color, and enriched with plant-based flavours. These leaves are specially planted under the shade, at least 3 weeks before harvest. Matcha is made from stone-ground tea leaves and is produced in Japan. When harvested, the tea leaves are stone ground and steamed, and packaged for sale.
First produced in China but then introduced to Japan in the 12th century. Then matcha became an important part of Japanese culture so that they enjoyed tea with their rituals. Matcha can be enjoyed on its own or added to lattes, baked goods and smoothies.
Ceremonial vs. Culinary Grade Matcha
In general there are types of matcha or two grades, there is high quality matcha which is called ceremonial matcha and there is also low quality matcha or what is called culinary grade matcha. Matcha grade ceremonila is designed to be drunk alone, not as an addition to various dishes. While culinary grade matcha is made to be used as an additional ingredient in smoothies, or in other concoctions and has a stronger taste. While ceremonial matcha has a subtle and pleasant taste.
Both types of matcha are delicious and the comparison between the two is win-win. Everything is good and nothing is better between the two, they have their own advantages
Matcha Tea Health Benefits
Matcha contains a lot of concentrated substances compared to regular green tea. Among the benefits of consuming matcha are as follows:
- Improves cognitive function
- High in EGCG
- Reduces stress
- Boosts energy
- Good for your metabolism
- Good for your teeth
- Good for your heart
- High in antioxidants
- Good for your skin
- Improves longevity
- Good for digestion
- Boosts your immune system
- Reduces inflammation
Check out more:
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- 12 Japanese Street Foods Worth To Try When Visiting Japan!
- Green Tea Shot Recipe
How to Prepare Matcha
Whether you can’t wait to drink matcha or make it or just brew matcha at home, then you definitely need to know how to prepare matcha properly.
If you want to prepare matcha at home, then do the following steps: Heat water, filtered water to approximately 175 degrees. Put matcha powder in a sieve using a matcha spoon, you can use two matcha spoons or one spoon for one matcha bowl. Sift the powder into the matcha bowl, add the hot water, use the matcha spice mix, beat the tea to a smooth paste, then add 6 ounces of water, and beat until frothy.
How, do you already understand how to prepare matcha. Below are some important questions about matcha, please look at the following questions to increase your knowledge about matcha.
FAQs
Does matcha taste like green tea?
Matcha in the picture looks like a green tea flavor which is intense and stronger, this is because you drink the whole tea leaf when consuming it.
Is matcha sweet?
High-quality or ceremonial grade matcha contains a delicate natural sweetness, not as sweet as sugar or candy, it is a subtle sweetness.
Does matcha taste like fish?
Surprisingly, the taste of matcha is a bit like the taste of the sea, there is an umami taste that reminds us of the sea, the taste is a bit like seaweed.
What is matcha made out of?
Matcha is made from emerald-like green tea leaves that grow in the shade and is processed in Japan. Tea is shaded for a few days before harvest. Steamed and crushed with stone until it becomes powder.
Does matcha have caffeine?
That’s right, matcha is high-caffeinated green tea, it could be as much caffeine in a cup of coffee. The shading process 3 weeks before harvest increases the caffeine and l-theanine content. Even though it is high in caffeine, matcha has a high energy effect and is more relaxing than drinking a cup of coffee.
