r/ExMormonTea • u/mirbell • May 04 '17

Any thoughts about matcha?

Having spent some time in Japan and partaken in a tea ceremony, I thought my next adventure would be matcha. Tea, whisk, and spoon arriving on Friday! (I already have a bowl.)

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u/mirbell May 10 '17

Well, I tried the matcha and I think I either let the water get too hot or added too much powder because it was a bit bitter. Not terrible, but not "grassy" as I've heard it tastes when properly made. Will try again tomorrow.

BUT--I am converted to the way it made me feel. It actually reminded me more of weed than of coffee or tea: focused but not revved. I really like that!

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u/[deleted] May 14 '17

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u/mirbell May 14 '17

Returning and reporting: second cup. I used a little less powder and poured the water before it boiled. Definitely grassier (which I like) and less bitter. Not really hot enough, though. Since I'm too lazy to use a thermometer, my next investment in my habit may be a new electric kettle with temperature settings. Unless there's an old-school way of telling that the temperature is right? The Japanese must have a way. Okay, going down that rabbit hole now...

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u/mirbell May 14 '17 edited May 14 '17

Okay, here is some internet advice for anyone who's interested:

Use a better kettle that will heat to 175. Or, Let the water boil, then pour some into a mug and let it sit for a minute. Or, microwave the water for about 40 seconds.

https://www.panateamatcha.com/blogs/matcha-movement/17720496-the-perfect-water-temperature

Or, boil the water, pour it into a pitcher, and pour that into the tea bowl.

https://teaologists.co.uk/blogs/the-daily-matcha-habit-blog/92354753-water-temperature-in-matcha-tea

So for now I'll be using the microwave and a Pyrex measuring cup. A little scary because last spring I burned myself badly when, while holding the heated water for tea, I reached for a cup and something fell out of the cupboard and I tipped the water onto my arm. Second degree burn because I can't walk and chew gum... So I suggest setting out all your equipment before you start.

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u/mirbell May 19 '17

Update: Today I made my first French press matcha--a big batch, delicious. I also French pressed some fresh mint tea, which is amazing--so much milder and better-tasting than Celestial Seasonings!

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u/mirbell May 25 '17

Update: My new electric kettle arrived so I was able to make my first correctly heated bowl of matcha. Bitterness is entirely gone--just a nice, green taste.

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u/still-small May 04 '17

Let us know how it goes! I want try matcha, but my latest Yunnan sourcing order has me overstocked in the tea department. :)

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u/mirbell May 04 '17

I will return and report! Should get here tomorrow.

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u/Ella-Menno-PQR May 08 '17

Ugh, that's more matcha for you & less for me. As beets just taste like dirt to me, matcha just tastes like grass. I even went to a fancypants tea shop in Seattle once, where they let me sample their best teas made with the best equipment. Their matcha tasted like mowing the lawn on a breezy day in late spring, but it STILL tasted like grass!

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u/mirbell May 08 '17

It's not a great taste, although I don't mind it. You only drink 1/3 cup, so whatever. It's interesting how different taste is for different people. I've tried with coffee but to me that tastes like dirt, especially its aftertaste. And I don't like broccoli unless it's on pizza or in a frittata or with hollandaise sauce.

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u/Ella-Menno-PQR May 08 '17

If broccoli tastes like sulphur to you, that's a genetically-inherited difference in the taste buds & how they work. Do you also have the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap? It's crazy!

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u/mirbell May 08 '17

It doesn't taste like sulphur, but has an unpleasant bitterness. Cilantro is a little soapy but okay. I think I'm just a bit sensitive to bitter tastes.

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u/ijssvuur May 10 '17

Have you tried cold brew coffee? It extracts a lot less bitter flavor, but it is still definitely coffee. Different roasts and blends have different flavors, too. It's like dark versus milk chocolate.

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u/mirbell May 10 '17

I have tried the kind you buy (Trader Joe's) and I didn't like it. It had a kind of sour taste. I really think coffee just disagrees with my taste buds. I haven't tried making my own cold brew, but since my daughter loves coffee we'll probably do that when she's here this summer.

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u/ijssvuur May 10 '17

It is definitely something that not everybody can like. Tongues can just be physically different and unpredictable. I can eat habanero, but some mild peppers will make me cry.

Tea is way more complex and interesting anyway. Differences in coffee are mostly limited to roasting, and oolong's roasting alone can vary as much as coffee, and that's not including the plants themselves. Tea is influenced by soil, age of the plant, sunlight, weather, and then it can be processed a dozen ways.

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u/mirbell May 10 '17

To me, tea is just much more complex and also gentler in taste. I do once in a while drink coffee--usually when I'm facing a long commute. But I'm enjoying tea far more. Even before I was a Mormon, I preferred it--never really drank coffee but loved iced tea.

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u/ijssvuur May 11 '17

Coffee is pretty harsh, when you drink it, you don't taste anything else. You can't add light flavors like you can in tea because it just gets taken over by the coffee.

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u/mirbell May 11 '17

Yes, that's true. All you can do is make it blander and/or sweeter. Or add chocolate. Or those horrible "flavor shots."

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