Matcha

What is matcha tea?

Matcha tea is a shaded green tea ground into powder, meaning the tea plants are covered for a few weeks before harvest to deprive them of sunlight. It comes from Japan and reveals a particularly umami flavor. It can be enjoyed both as a drink and in pastries. Its emerald green color always makes a great impression!

How to prepare matcha tea?

Matcha tea is prepared differently depending on whether you enjoy it traditionally, as a latte, or iced. It requires a few essential tools to prepare it properly, such as a bamboo whisk (chasen), a spatula (chashaku), and a bowl (chawan).
Discover each method step by step by clicking on the recipe of your choice:

• Matcha for Cooking
• Iced Matcha
• Traditional Matcha

How should you store matcha?

To preserve the quality of this delicate tea, store it in the fridge once the tin has been opened and consume it within 45 days of opening.

How many times a day can you drink matcha?

Matcha is a very energizing tea, so it's important not to overdo it. The amount of matcha you drink per day should be adjusted according to your tolerance for caffeine-rich beverages and your overall coffee and tea consumption. It's possible to drink matcha every day; some even make it a morning ritual. However, it's not recommended for pregnant women or people who are very sensitive to caffeine to drink too much.

What are the benefits of matcha?

Sometimes considered a superfood, matcha is rich in caffeine and therefore has energizing properties. It is also very rich in theanine, which promotes relaxation and concentration. A bowl of matcha can contain up to three times more catechins (molecules with strong antioxidant properties) than any other green tea!

How to make a matcha latte?

The matcha latte is a very popular drink! To make it, simply mix matcha with a dairy beverage (dairy or plant-based milk). Find our recipe here.

Is matcha best enjoyed hot or cold?

Matcha can be enjoyed both hot and cold! Prepared hot using the traditional Japanese method, or with milk, matcha makes a comforting and smooth drink. Prepared cold, or even iced, matcha is a refreshing and delicious summer companion.

What is umami?

Umami is one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. This word is formed from umai, meaning "delicious," and mi, meaning "flavor, taste, essence" in Japanese. It literally refers to a savory flavor that adds richness to food and prolongs the taste in the mouth. Theorized by Kikunae Ikeda in the early 20th century, umami is found in foods rich in certain natural compounds (such as glutamate), like Parmesan cheese, ripe tomatoes, mushrooms, soy sauce, broth, or braised meats… and of course, matcha!

What is the difference between sencha green tea and matcha?

Sencha is a Japanese green tea made from loose-leaf leaves, grown on tea bushes that have not been shaded before harvesting. Sencha reveals vegetal and marine notes. Matcha is a shade-grown tea ground into a powder. Like sencha, it has very vegetal notes, but it is distinguished by its pronounced umami flavor, and of course by its preparation method: whisked rather than brewed.

How to use matcha in cooking?

Matcha is one of the most popular teas in cooking! With its beautiful emerald color and umami flavor, this powdered tea adds originality and depth to recipes. It blends perfectly into dairy-based preparations (tiramisu, panna cotta, whipped cream, etc.) as well as batters for waffles, crepes, cookies, or pancakes.