This week, I went to a demonstration of a ceremonial koicha ("thick tea") preparation. Koicha is a preparation of matcha tea which results in a thick, shiny, almost honey-like concoction. It is usually only prepared in traditional tea ceremonies, but I was fortunate enough to be able to sample this unique drink in a more casual setting. The host, Noriko-san, who was formally trained in the Omotesenke school of tea ceremony, was very kind and patient in showing and describing to us the traditions surrounding Japanese tea ceremony as well as the method of preparing the tea.
Simply put, it's a type of green tea made by whisking the finely ground leaves of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) with hot water. Unlike most teas, which are drinks made by infusing the leaves with water and then removing the plant matter, the matcha leaf powder is suspended in the water when you whisk it, and so when you drink matcha you are actually consuming the leaves themselves.
Aside from the cultural and historical significance of the drink, green tea has been known to have various health benefits for many years now. It is confirmed to be high in antioxidants, which help to repair the cells in your body, thus slowing down the effects of aging. Some antioxidants are released from the leaf of the tea when it is brewed; however, because when you drink matcha you are also drinking the ground tea leaves, you will also be getting more antioxidants! In North America, matcha is currently gaining popularity, mostly in the form of a matcha latte, which is matcha with steamed milk. It is also popular, especially in South and East Asian countries, as a dessert flavour, and can be found in everything from cake to ice cream to candy.
Matcha powder is divided into different grades depending on the quality of the leaf. The highest grade of matcha is known as ceremonial matcha, and is only used in tea ceremonies. High quality matcha is a bright, grassy green colour. Surprisingly, it does not taste bitter, but rather, has a subtly sweet and refreshing flavour. However, it is very expensive to obtain.
In Starbucks or similar coffee shops, when you order a matcha drink, it will undoubtedly be made from low or cooking grade matcha, or worse, artificial matcha flavouring. Traditional matcha drink preparation only contains the matcha itself and water. If you used a low grade matcha for this, it would be very bitter without any milk or sugar, so that is why you will only find matcha lattes and such available in stores like these. The good news about low grade matcha is that it still contains all of the antioxidants you would find in higher grades, so you can still reap all the health benefits as long as you are willing to tolerate the bitterness!
This is the colour of high grade matcha, which was used in the demonstration. Lower grades of matcha tend to be more yellowish in colour.
In Japanese culture, a matcha tea ceremony is a traditional activity which carries spiritual and aesthetic meaning. As I am by no means an expert on this culture, I will only say as much as I can relate to my own personal experiences. For me, someone currently living in Canada, first and foremost, I feel grateful to be able to take a brief look into a cultural practice that I would otherwise have never been exposed to. It was a rare opportunity as well to be able to sample such a high quality matcha. I had previously never known that matcha could be prepared as koicha, so the whole demonstration was quite a surprise to me. Although I realize that it was a far cry from a true tea ceremony, I was able to share a wonderful and educational experience with my friends and coworkers.
My friend, seated next to me, about to take a drink from the shared matcha bowl, or chawan. Part of the tradition involves a precise ritual in passing the chawan from person to person. Not to worry, no one was sick that day!
All of the above photographs were taken by me during the demonstration. If you're interested in learning more about matcha, Wikipedia is always a good place to start! I will also be posting more content in the future about tea in general, so if you enjoyed reading this, feel free to follow me!
~ Mel.
