What kind of green tea is this (in photo #1)? It’s actually green, and looks as though it might have some flavor. The green tea that I’ve tried is more clear than green – and is mostly tasteless.

https://mol.im/a/6597821

That is "matcha" (抹茶), powdered green tea. The leaves are dried and ground. Unlike leaved tea, it is prepared by mixing directly into hot water, producing a heavy suspension. This is the kind of tea used for the Japanese tea ceremony.

(BTW, if you've been disappointed by the taste of brewed green tea, you have been sampling lower quality teas. Decent, and more expensive, grades are anything but short on flavor.)

Thank you! I’m going to give matcha a try. Can you recommend a brand? Amazon has quite a few on offer.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
(BTW, if you've been disappointed by the taste of brewed green tea, you have been sampling lower quality teas. Decent, and more expensive, grades are anything but short on flavor.)

Completely agree - and would also note that, just like any other kind of tea, bad matcha will taste pretty bad. Bad matcha is maybe worse than bad other kinds of tea.

A lot of broad-market US matcha teas have sweetener in them. Avoid that, for sure.

Also, it's worth noting that matcha has a lot more caffeine than "normal" tea (but still less than coffee).

Also also, I imagine it is quite heretical in Japan, but iced matcha lattes are delightful.

Also also also, there is more technique in brewing matcha than most other kinds of teas, because it takes a LOT of whisking to get the powder fully suspended in the water. Traditionally, it's done by hand with a bamboo whisk, but you can cheat and using an inexpensive small electric whisk (often sold as a "latte frother" or "milk frothing wand").

I actually usually order directly from Kyoto. Ippodo

Thanks again. It appears that’s available on Amazon too. There are “balanced”, “light”, and “rich” options. Which do you like?

www.amazon.com/dp/B0775YD7HJ/r..._api_i_2O1pCbF9JFTEG

Also, from the article in my OP, the info about water type is interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
I actually usually order directly from Kyoto. Ippodo

Is that your usual source for other Japanese teas? I've been looking for a good place to order good Japanese teas. The stuff I can get locally is either not very good or very expensive.

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
I actually usually order directly from Kyoto. Ippodo

Is that your usual source for other Japanese teas? I've been looking for a good place to order good Japanese teas. The stuff I can get locally is either not very good or very expensive.

Yes, same frustration here. Local stuff is usually expensive and still not that good. I order from either Ippodo or Hibiki-an. Matcha, sencha, gyokuro....

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
Thanks again. It appears that’s available on Amazon too. There are “balanced”, “light”, and “rich” options. Which do you like?

www.amazon.com/dp/B0775YD7HJ/r..._api_i_2O1pCbF9JFTEG

Also, from the article in my OP, the info about water type is interesting.

I personally prefer a bit of bitterness, so I would choose "rich". But it's all personal preference. You may lean more toward smooth, so would choose "light". Or try balanced for a first outing and see where your taste buds take you. Gosh, green tea is so much fun.

+1 everything kkina said. He's knows a lot about tea.

One thing I would add is that for green tea (Japanese style) is that the amount of leaves and the exact temp (+/- 5 degrees) of water is very influential. Follow recommendations (ie - from Ippodo or similar companies) and go from there to tweak to your preferences.

I will also add there although black, pur erh, oolong, green tea all come from the same leaves, just like coffee, there are differences in the growing and quality of the leaves, the roasting of the leaves, the binning (ie - how much stem is included, whether the leaves are kept longer or shorter, etc). Finding your preference is similar to the hunt for your preferred cup of joe. Joyful and complex or just tedious.

ETA: good matcha is usually made from the powdering of gyokura green tea leaves (most expensive kind - grown in particular micro-climates undershade; only new, fresh leaves picked by hand, etc....)

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
I actually usually order directly from Kyoto. Ippodo

Is that your usual source for other Japanese teas? I've been looking for a good place to order good Japanese teas. The stuff I can get locally is either not very good or very expensive.

Yes, same frustration here. Local stuff is usually expensive and still not that good. I order from either Ippodo or Hibiki-an. Matcha, sencha, gyokuro....

Thank you!

I ordered this Ippodo matcha (“Rich” option) from Amazon on Wednesday, and received it today (Friday).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L..._api_i_l-HqCbM258YY8

And I found this preparation info:

https://matchasource.com/how-t...re-matcha-green-tea/

I don’t have a bamboo frother, so I used a little handheld battery powered mixer for frothing.

Wow! This stuff is good – and utterly unlike any drink I’ve had before. I savor every sip. Also, both the drink and the powered tea have such a pleasant and intriguing aroma. Thanks for steering me to this, kkina.

Dou itashimashite! (Y'are welcome)

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
Thanks again. It appears that’s available on Amazon too. There are “balanced”, “light”, and “rich” options. Which do you like?

www.amazon.com/dp/B0775YD7HJ/r..._api_i_2O1pCbF9JFTEG

Also, from the article in my OP, the info about water type is interesting.

I personally prefer a bit of bitterness, so I would choose "rich". But it's all personal preference. You may lean more toward smooth, so would choose "light". Or try balanced for a first outing and see where your taste buds take you. Gosh, green tea is so much fun.

There's a fourth option there "smooth". I chose that one and can't wait to try it. Thanks, kkina!