matcha fever

Chip over at TeaChat sent me a serving of Organic Yame Matcha to try, and I used this as a thin excuse to do something I've wanted to do for a while, buy a set of matcha prep tools (which are really just plain cool).

Chip's reaction to this?

LOL, free 2 grams of matcha cost you a bundle.

As I'd window-shopped for matcha ware before, I knew I wanted an O-Cha Matcha Starter Kit, in which I bundled a tea bowl, whisk, whisk holder, bamboo spoon, and tin of Kiri-no-Mori. I use a tea ball to strain any clumps out of the matcha powder.

From Fight Club

A number of other reputable vendors offer similar starter kits and/or the components, such as (links to the actual kits or components) Den's Tea, Yuuki-Cha, and IPPODO.

Several days later (yeah, I know, shipping) I found myself at the office making a bowl of the Yame. Ooohhhhh it was sooo goood. Seriously, matcha so far is just delicious.

So I cracked open the Kiri, which was good in a totally different way! I feel I've been employing considerable restraint by making only two or three bowls per day since then.

I made a YouTube vid of the basic process I use when making matcha at the office. It's really not tricky at all, and I honestly find it far more suited to getting my tea/caffeine fix on the go at work than other methods. I whip it up and slurp it down.



Just as tea provides a different caffeine buzz than that of coffee, matcha gives me a different high entirely. And unlike a good sencha session, late-day matcha doesn't interfere with my sleep. It just makes me feel GREAT for a few hours and then mellows back down to normal in a gradual, easy way.

Curious to read more?
Another Tea Blog: Matcha, Part 1
Another Tea Blog: Matcha, Part 2
Another Tea Blog: Matcha, Part 3

Tea Nerd: Matcha Madness, Part I
Tea Nerd: Matcha Madness, Part II
Tea Nerd: Matcha Madness, Part III

Cheap matcha tips from Matcha Man Savage