Matcha

Cultivated in Japan, matcha is a powder made from green tea leaves that are shaded during their growth. This increases the rate of theanine production (an amino acid also found in mushrooms), which gives matcha its characteristic umami taste and determines the quality grade of matcha—the more the plants are shaded, the higher the quality. We found that adding the matcha in two stages, once to make a paste and then the rest to whisk into a froth, resulted in a beverage that had less undissolved sediment. We used 1½ teaspoons of matcha per serving because we found it to have the most complex flavor without being overly bitter, and it resulted in a rich texture. The matcha was strong and produced a thick layer of foam after whisking. Inspired by our visit to Ogawa, we created a matcha latte variation using frothed milk instead of water for subtle sweetness that can turn matcha skeptics into matcha lovers.