Meet your matcha
A centuries-old tradition rooted in mindfulness, art and ceremony has become a modern ritual. The popular green drink is a multi-billion dollar phenomenon; matcha is now a must on a café menu. But matcha lovers, have you thought about making it at home?
Matcha has been at the heart of traditional Japanese tea ceremonies for centuries (known as chanoyu; which can take years to perfect and last several hours), where a host prepares and serves matcha. The practice focuses on four core principles: harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.
Today, matcha has found its way into daily rituals and ‘café culture’ worldwide. But with specialty drinks inching into the double digits (my last one was $11.50), the make-your-own-at-home trend complete with tea sets and cute ceramics is a welcome way of enjoying matcha.
Make your own matcha
All you need is a matcha bowl (chawan), matcha whisk (chasen), bamboo scoop (chashaku) and (ideally ceremonial-grade) matcha. Place one scoop of matcha into the bowl (sift it first) and add 150ml of water at 80 degrees (boiling water can burn the matcha powder; simply combine boiling water with a splash of cold first). Whisk in an ‘m’ shape until a light green froth emerges on top.
Enjoy as is, or pour matcha over a glass of milk and ice.
