Matcha Meiju

Matcha:
In the 12th century, the Buddhist monk Eisai brought tea seeds back from a journey to China; these were planted in different regions of Japan. At the time, tea was prepared by grinding it to a fine powder, called Matcha, then beating it in a bowl. This tea remained the privilege of the nobility for a long time, before it gradually became popularised, and today it is the central pillar of the Japanese Zen philosophy and aesthetic, through the Cha No Yu ceremony.
Matcha is made using tencha leaves which, instead of being shaped into needles like Gyokuro, are ground to a fine powder that has a beautiful jade colour.

For the Cha No Yu, two types of Matcha are used:

• Usucha, the most widely used, made from leaves plucked from young tea plants, which produces a light tea.
• Koicha, made from leaves plucked from tea plants that are at least 30 years old, which produces a strong tea.

Very delicate and refined, this top quality matcha has a velvety, mellow texture and a sweet, smooth fragrance.
Plucked from tea plants that are more than 30 years old, it is processed specially for making Koicha (the thick tea drunk during the tea ceremony). The liquor has a very pleasant and intense aroma.

What is Koicha?
Koicha is prepared and consumed almost exclusively during the Japanese tea ceremony, the Cha No Yu. The ceremony starts with a light dish – Kaiseki – then after a short pause, continues with Goza Iri, the central part of the ceremony, during which a thick tea (Koicha) is served first, followed by a light tea (Usucha).

The difference between Koicha and Usucha:

• Koicha is much thicker than Usucha (light tea), and has a consistency similar to runny honey.
• It is smoother and sweeter than Usucha.
• Koicha is usually made using a more expensive Matcha (of a grade designated for tea ceremonies) than the one used to make Usucha.
• Two preparation methods are used, which differ in terms of the amount of tea, the quantity of water, and the whisking (see below).

Compared with Seijo no Shiro, which is ideal for making Usucha, Meiju is a thicker, more concentrated Matcha. It has a more complex structure and is less astringent in the mouth.