 What do you know about matcha? Here's a simple explanation Meet Emma. She's tasting matcha flavored ice cream for the first time and loves it But what is matcha? Emma knows it's a kind of tea, but what makes it different than regular black tea? Hiddle is a tea expert Matcha is a Japanese tea Freshly plucked leaves are steamed and then carefully dried. The dried leaves are then ground into a very fine powder Hand-ground with stone mills for best quality matcha. To drink matcha add hot water to the powdered tea and whisk well The leaves come from the same tea plant Camellia sinensis as Western black teas, but the way they are processed and the final flavor are completely different Matcha is a way of drinking tea that came from China to Japan in the 13th century and Then evolved into a uniquely Japanese style The appeal of matcha is the way it offers all the nutritional benefits found in tea As well as a host of amino acids vitamins and minerals matcha is also loaded with catechin an Antioxidant said to have many health and beauty benefits Many people drink matcha because it helps them relax This is due to the presence of large amounts of the amino acid theonite Hearing that matcha contributes to beauty Emma's interest deepens Matcha is very aromatic and slightly bitter Making it a perfect complement to anything sweet, but there's more to matcha's appeal than flavor and nutrition In the 16th century a tea master named Rikyu took Japan's tea culture to another level by developing the tea ceremony Into what we now call Sado or way of tea Sado is about far more than just serving good tea It covers everything from architecture to design and selection of utensils to formal rules for entertaining guests Let's watch a modern tea master making matcha in the tea ceremony First she places the matcha into a tea bowl Then she adds boiling water and uses a bamboo whisk called a chasen to mix in the tea powder When the liquid becomes a creamy froth, the tea is ready Both the person making the tea and the person drinking it have set roles to play and rules to follow This glimpse of the way of tea deepens Emma's interest but making matcha at home that seems too difficult Don't worry says Hiddle matcha is easy to get many stores sell it or you can buy online And you don't need special bowls or implements drink it from a mug mix the tea with a kitchen whisk or even a spoon It's all okay Emma has bought her first packet of matcha. She makes matcha au lait With a cookie to eat matcha very aromatic and slightly bitter sets off the sweetness of the cookie creating a taste sensation Unlike anything Emma's experienced Emma soon takes it to the next level holding a tea ceremony for her family The world of matcha is deep and rewarding. Why not explore it for yourself?