How to Prepare & Store Matcha | Matcha Direct

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How to prepare and store matcha

Learn how to prepare matcha green tea, including essential recipes and water temperature considerations. Get storage tips for maintaining freshness.

How to Prepare Matcha – Essential Recipes

Preparing delicious ceremonial-style matcha is easier than you may think. You just need to keep a few points in mind. There is no need to be particular about utensils, but it is ideal to at least have a Chasen (tea whisk).

• See our easy-to-follow matcha recipes
• Get yourself an authentic Japanese Chasen (tea whisk)

How to Make Usucha and Koicha Type Matcha

In the ceremonial style, in which you taste matcha directly, you can enjoy the completely different tastes of matcha from Usucha and Koicha. In Japanese, "Usucha" means "thin tea," and "Koicha" means "thick tea."

Generally speaking, usucha is the most common type of matcha. Drinking it as it is, you can enjoy its fresh aroma, rich flavor, and moderate bitterness with fine bubbles. Combined with milk, it is easy to make a matcha latte.

Koicha is truly a ceremonial drink. It uses an abundance of refined, high-quality matcha for entertaining important guests. Koicha is about three times thicker than Usucha. Its taste is unique, mild, and impressive because it is made from high-grade matcha with almost no bitterness and a rich, mellow umami taste.

What to prepare

Ideally, we recommend you have these items for the best results:

Matcha tea
Chasen (tea whisk)
Tea bowl (any bowl-shaped object will do)
Sieve
Measuring cup
Scale
Spoon

How to Make Koicha

Follow these five steps to prepare a cup of rich Koicha. You'll use 0.1 oz (4 g) of tea to make the ideal amount for one person (about 2.4 tbsp or 35 ml).

Sift the matcha tea powder.
Place 0.1 oz (4 g) of the matcha in a tea bowl.
Dissolve the matcha in a small amount (2 tsp or 10 ml) of water. Use the tea whisk to make sure there are no lumps. Pour 2-3 tsp (10 to 15 ml) of hot water (about 176°F or 80°C) into the pot.
Whisk the mixture well so the matcha is evenly mixed. Continue until the consistency becomes like a paste. The trick to whisking is to move it quickly back and forth with a snap of the wrist.
Continue whisking. You'll know it's ready when it reaches a consistency like melted soft serve ice cream.

Sift

Whisk

Done

How to Make Usucha

Follow these five steps to prepare a cup of light and refreshing Usucha. You'll use 0.07 oz (2 g) of tea to make the ideal amount for one person (about 4.1 tbsp or 60 ml).

Sift the matcha tea powder.
Put 0.1 oz (2 g) of the matcha in a tea bowl.
Pour 1-2 tsp (5 to 10 ml) of hot water from a pot (80℃) and whisk until there are no lumps. Rapidly move the whisk back and forth with your wrist.
Pour another 3.4 tbsp (50 ml) of hot water from the pot. Whisk the tea slowly at first, then faster until the tea is well brewed. When the surface is creamy and refined, it is ready to use.
To make a matcha latte, combine 4.1 tbsp (60 ml) of this thin tea with about 1/2 cup (140 ml) of milk.

Sift

Whisk

Done

Appropriate Water Temperature

If you pour hot water directly from the pot, the temperature of the water when mixed with a tea whisk will be about 80 ℃, which is ideal for making matcha. If the temperature is too low, the tea will not produce the creamy foam characteristic of matcha, and its aroma will be lacking.

Appropriate Water Hardness

If mineral water is used, it should generally have a hardness of 100 or less. If the hardness is higher, the calcium and magnesium ions in the water will combine with the catechins, resulting in an overall cloudy white color and a somewhat bland flavor. The pH of the water is not a concern (acidic beverages with a much lower pH will fade more).

The information above only describes how to make tea in the Japanese ceremonial style. There are many different ways to enjoy matcha, so there is no need to get too caught up in etiquette or the properties of water. We encourage you to experiment and find your own style.

How to Store Matcha

Because of its fine powder form and large surface area, unlike other leaf teas, matcha is more susceptible to damage from light, oxygen, temperature, humidity, and other factors.

For this reason, we developed our Matcha Direct service from the ground up to ensure you receive the very freshest matcha and save you from having to worry too much about storage. These include ground-to-order, selling directly to you, and small-volume packaging.

That said, it is still worthwhile to adhere to the following basics when it comes to storing your matcha.

When Used Within One Week

Suppose the matcha is to be used within a week after you receive it. In that case, storing it at room temperature before and after opening is safe. After opening the package, storing it in the refrigerator or freezer may seem preferable at first glance. However, after opening the packet, it is assumed that it will be opened and closed many times for use.

Suppose the package is opened immediately after taking it out of the refrigerator or freezer. In that case, the matcha will absorb moisture due to condensation, causing the quality to deteriorate.

To avoid this condensation, bringing the tea to room temperature before opening the package is best, but this is not a realistic option in a busy operation. The only practical solution is to use the tea as soon as possible. This is why matcha is sold in small quantities at Japanese tea shops.

For the same reason, we offer small 100 g (or 30 g cans) packages. Even if you order 1 kg, we will provide ten 100 g bags. The quality should not deteriorate noticeably within a few days after opening as long as it is properly zipped in its aluminum bag.

If Not Used Immediately

We offer free shipping for our matcha, so you can place orders as frequently as you like. This way, you receive the freshest matcha and can use it quickly.

From an economic standpoint, if you wish to order in bulk (many 3.5 oz or 100 g packages at once), you may need to store unopened matcha for over a week. In this case, we recommend putting it in a refrigerator or freezer. This will help it retain freshness.

When ready to use it, remove the matcha from the refrigerator or freezer and let it come to room temperature before opening the packet. This will avoid condensation.

After opening, it is best to store it at room temperature since you'll likely need access to it frequently.

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