Japanese Tea
June 18, 2010 | 
Author Why would you want to drink your tea by stirring a powder into hot water rather than brewing whole tea leaves?
One reason is that you’re actually consuming the tea leaves, not just steeping them and then throwing them away. When you consume the entire plant you’re getting all the health and nutritional benefit that plant has to offer, not just some of it.
Convenience is another reason. Tea powder dissolves in hot water instantly with no need for a tea bag or other method of infusion.
And then there’s the Japanese tea ceremony which actually requires powdered tea and which proves that using powdered tea can actually be very elegant.
Powdered tea is also an ingredient in many edibles, including green tea ice cream, sweets, and spice blends.
Most of the powdered tea I’ve come across is green, like matcha and the organic powdered green tea produced in Shizuoka by Jiro Suzuki, but at the store I carry two spice blends where the major ingredient is powdered black tea.
My interest in powdered tea was piqued recently when I came across a site about the above Mr Suzuki and his organic tea farm in Shizuoka, Japan. If you’d like to know more, contact me and I’ll get back to you.
Roland Petrov
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In the 1990s, I lived in Shizuoka prefecture in Japan for four years. During this time I went hiking a number of times in the tea gardens. These are actually tea plantations, but in Japan they really do look like gardens due to mechanized picking which leaves the tea bushes looking professionally pruned.
The beauty of these gardens and their location is stunning, with Mt Fuji towering in the background and the Pacific Ocean below. Like drinking a fine tea, walking in the tea gardens of Shizuoka is a tranquil experience that’s good for the soul.
Tea has been produced in Shizuoka since the Kamakura Period, 1185-1333. It does so well in Shizuoka because of the mineral rich volcanic soil (half of Mt Fuji is in this prefecture) and the mild winter climate.
Shizuoka is translated as “tranquil hills”, and I find this to be especially apt in the tea gardens.
Roland Petrov
Due to its popularity in sushi bars, many people know what mochi ice cream is.
The best selling snack at my tea store is green tea mochi. It looks just like the ice cream, and tastes pretty similar too, but it contains no dairy; the green tea flavored filling is potato and bean based.
I really get a kick out of it when customers come into the store and marvel that my green tea mochi is on the shelf instead of in a freezer.
Although some mochi ice creams may pair well with the flavor of brewed green tea, the hot cold contrast may be a little much for most dentures to tolerate. The potato based version is a traditional sweet in Japan specifically for pairing with brewed green tea.
The Taiwanese also enjoy mochi; in fact, the version I sell at the store is made in Taiwan.
Roland Petrov
Chlorophyll is responsible for a plant’s green color, so Matcha, Japanese powdered ceremonial tea, must contain more of this substance than other teas, and indeed it does.
Matcha starts out as Gyokuro. The tea gardens from which Gyokuro is produced are covered for a few weeks in spring by black, bamboo, or straw curtains or shades. This is done in order to increase chlorophyll in the tea plants. When Gyokuro is finely powdered it becomes Matcha.
Although most people may think of frothy green tea in a bowl, Matcha is actually the most versatile tea I can think of, lending its unique flavor and color to noodles, ice cream, and even scrambled eggs if you like.
The fragrance and color of Matcha are also appreciated in such products as soap and lotion.
Roland Petrov
Chazuke is a delightful snack I came across while living in Japan. It is composed of ingredients very dear to Japanese culture: rice and green tea.
Simply pour a cup of green tea over a bowl of cooked rice and season to taste with chazuke rice seasoning, available at oriental grocery stores. The one I stock here at the store contains only seaweed, rice balls, sugar and salt.
It’s made in China, but then so is everything else.
If you’re a fan of green tea, do try chazuke sometime; it’s simple, healthy, and tasty.
Roland Petrov