History of Japanese tea, what is Matcha? Green tea?

Do you like tea? There are different varieties of tea in Japan. Today, I will be talking about one of them, that seems to be popular outside of Japan; it’s called Matcha (抹茶). Have you ever tried it before? It is seen as part of Japanese culture. By the way, do you know what it is exactly ?

At the beginning of the Heian era it is said that monks, such as the priests Saicho and Kukai, brought back tea leaves from China and conveyed the way of cultivating tea. That was the beginning of Japanese tea.

In 1191, Ei-zai, who is the guru of Rinzai-shu (religion), brought back the tea seeds from China. He conveyed the manner in which Matcha is made; this is to mix tea powder into hot water and stir it. This tea is called “Matcha”

People who began cultivating tea eventually chose Uji area (Kyoto) in search of a climate suitable for the growth of tea. Gradually, the fame of Uji tea has spread throughout Japan, and its manufacturing method is a model of Matcha recipe in Japan.

Green tea and Matcha are made with different tea leaves. Tea leaves called Sencha are used for green tea, and tea leaves called Tencha are used for Matcha. Green tea is the one in which we filter the tea leaves, while Matcha is one in which tea leaves are powdered and dissolved in hot water.