Attracting Attention Worldwide: The World of Matcha

Matcha is a fine powder made by steaming and drying tea leaves and then grinding them with a pestle and mortar. Matcha powder is stirred into hot water to create a drink that has been enjoyed in Japan since the 13th century. Now matcha isn't just confined to Japan, with matcha lattes and confectionery such as cakes, macarons, chocolates and other desserts made using matcha enjoyed all over the world.

"Sado" (Tea Ceremony): An Art Form That Epitomizes Japanese Culture and Spirituality

In Japan, matcha is not just a drink. The tradition of sado, in which matcha is served as part of a traditional and entertaining ceremony, has been passed down for generations. The master of the tea ceremony uses a whisk-like utensil made from bamboo called a "chasen" to stir the matcha and hot water together in a small bowl called a "chawan," and serves it to the guests. But it's not just about the rich flavor of the tea. It's the fusion of lots of different elements, including a beautifully maintained garden and tea room, the tea utensils, the dishes and traditional Japanese sweets served with the tea, the flowing hand movements and etiquette, and the element of hospitality, that elevates sado into the realms of art. It's an art form that is filled with Japanese culture, tradition and heart.

Sado: Sado–The Way of Tea

Overseas visitors to Japan have shown a great deal of interest in sado.

Matcha Is Incomplete Without These Seasonal Sweets

The exquisite Japanese sweets known as "jonama-gashi" are part of the fun of matcha. These Japanese sweets are top-class confectionery made with great skill using traditional techniques, and served in the tea room.
Japan has four distinct seasons and as these seasons change, so do the colors, plants and animals found in the surrounding natural landscape. In Japanese culture, the changing of the seasons is an idea that is cherished. The jonama-gashi reflect the subtle changes of the passing year, and are a feast of the eyes.

A sweet white bean paste called "shiro-an" is required to make jonama-gashi. Shiro-an is made up of boiled and crushed navy beans mixed with sugar. This is then mixed with flour or mochi flour, heated, and kneaded with sugar to create a dough called "konashi" or "nerikiri" that can be used in a similar way to marzipan in the West. This dough can be used to make lots of colorful shapes associated with nature, like flowers and birds. When coloring the dough, a mold known as "benikoji" is used to make red, beets are used to make pink, gardenia is used to make yellow, and bamboo charcoal is used to make black. Matcha can also be used to make beautiful and delicious, green jonama-gashi. In the tea ceremony, the crisp, bitter flavor of the matcha enhances the soft texture and sweet taste of the jonama-gashi.

Shiro-an can be made without special tools, as long as you have navy beans and sugar. The shiro-an is mixed with flour or mochi flour and steamed, then kneaded with sugar to create the dough for the jonama-gashi.

In the Kanto region of Japan, nerikiri dough is made with "anko" bean paste, Japanese yam and mochi rice flour, and in the Kansai region, they use konashi dough made by combining anko bean paste with flour and steaming it.

The konashi dough is easy to press and shape.

Dough in the shape of a Japanese nightingale. The shapes used in jonama-gashi differ between the east and west regions of Japan. In Kanto (the east), these shapes are distinct and it's easy to understand what they are supposed to be. In Kansai (the west), these shapes are much more abstract. The finer techniques used to make the sweets, and the texture of the sweets, are also slightly different.

Matcha Drinks and Sweets Are Popular All over the World

Today, matcha has completely permeated the day-to-day lives of Japanese people, and is now something that can be freely enjoyed in the form of drinks and sweets. It can be made into a syrup and poured over "kakigori" shaved ice, or mixed with fresh cream to make ice cream. Its mellow, deep richness, slight bitterness, and refreshing aroma is unique. It's also very good for health and beauty, as it is full of vitamins, catechin and theanine, not to mention its beautiful color. People in countries all over the world are fascinated by this amazing ingredient. The matcha latte, made by mixing matcha and milk, has become a staple of trendy cafes the world over. World-famous patissiers have also enchanted people with a variety of green tea treats. And this matcha boom will surely only keep on growing across the globe.

A matcha drink can be made at home by mixing it with a spoon or using a sealed shaker.

Kakigori shaved ice served with matcha syrup is often topped with anko or "shiratama dango", soft and chewy rice dumplings.

Matcha ice cream melts gently in your mouth, releasing its refreshing aroma and its slight and pleasant bitterness.

We think it's best to chill these easy matcha drinks before drinking them. Milk can be substituted with soy milk or any other plant-based milk.

shiratama dango: Using Tofu in Desserts

Matcha Drink Recipe

• Ingredients (1 drink)

180 ml milk
3 g matcha powder
6 g granulated sugar

• Method

1. Mix the Dry Ingredients

Add the powdered matcha and granulated sugar to a glass and mix with a spoon.

2. Mix in the Milk

Put a small amount of the mixture from step 1 into a cup (or a matcha tea cup if you have one) and pour in the milk, warmed. Adding the matcha powder first and the liquid later makes it harder for lumps to form.

Sprinkle over the mixture from step 1 leftover from step 2 to taste.

Recipe by Tsukuda Sachiko from Wagashi Kunpu