CBL said

Well after typing what I wrote, I thought about it, and decided I didn't feel so strongly that way. I guess that life is just too short to really get to find everything you could enjoy.

Yeah, it kinda sucks that there is so much out there to experience, and that one person will never experience all of it. :/

Also, there are many different types of tea. Liquorice tea, is green for example, but very nice.

Oooh! Sounds good.

As much as I would love to be the recipient, I would imagine some dry leaves might cause suspicion entering in a small non-descript package hehehe, but thanks for the thought. :)

LOL (seriously, I loled at this, you are right sir.) ******************************************** Ennea said

What do they sell in a german store ? :D

German chocolates, German cheeses, German breads, and tons of other stuff where the packaging is written in German. I'll do a more complete check next time I'm there!

My original post wasn't very serious, so here is my real one. Matcha green tea is my favorite tea. Unfortunately, I haven't had any in a while, but I've been meaning to remedy that.

What is Matcha?

It is basically high quality stone-ground green tea leaves. It comes in a fine powder form. Matcha is most often used in Japanese tea ceremonies. When made correctly it has a very deep and beautiful green color with a bright green froth on the top. It tastes similar to what a freshly cut lawn smells like, but it doesn't taste like grass. It is hard to explain. It is a little sweet and has a very "pure" taste. Here is what it looks like when made correctly: The wooden thing on the right side is called a chasen. It is used to whisk the matcha in a small amount of warm water (usually around 4oz or less). A regular whisk isn't recommended, as it doesn't have enough tines to create the frothy layer.

What is Special about Matcha?

I generally drink matcha for the health benefits. It differs from regular green tea in that the actual plant material is ingested. Due to this, one serving of matcha is roughly equal to 10 servings of a regular high quality green tea such as sencha. Matcha increases metabolism and supposedly helps to burn calories up to four times faster than normal when coupled with exercise. It contains a bit more caffeine than regular green tea, and is more comparable to a cup of coffee. However, green tea has something (which I forget the name of) that slightly blocks the absorption of caffeine so that its effects are spread out over an amount of time. There isn't a caffeine crash with matcha, and energy boosts tend to last a quite a bit longer than coffee (although it is more subtle). Matcha contains a high amount of L-Theanine which can help with concentration. It helps me a lot with my ADD problems. I was prescribed an obscene amount of Adderall for this when I was younger, and matcha helps me in a semi-comparable way. It is very calming despite the caffeine, and is great for meditation type stuff. Matcha also contains EGCG, which is an anti-oxidant that has been shown to be beneficial in helping treat and prevent various cancers. All green teas contain high levels of EGCG. Matcha, however, contains up to 137 times more EGCG than other green teas in a single serving.

How is Matcha Made?

Here is a video example of how it can be made at home. This is not a tea ceremony, but just some dude making it: Alternatively, matcha can be made with a frother or in a blender. I don't recommend those, though. Matcha is fairly delicate and I've had the best success with hand whisking.

Where is Matcha Available for Purchase?

Most tea shops should have matcha. Alternatively, online vendors sell it. Domatcha is a popular brand in the US, but I've never tried it. Matcha can be very expensive. I generally get my matcha from www.nutsonline.com. It isn't the highest quality available, but the price is nice, and it is fresh.

Anything Else?

While I still drink the occasional herbal tea, Matcha really did ruin me for other teas... especially regular green tea. Matcha tastes amazing, and the thought of ruining its purity by adding something like honey, milk, or sugar doesn't sit well with me. It definitely helps me concentrate and calms me down while still giving me an energy boost. I also feel much healthier when I regularly drink it, but that may be placebo.

musenji said

Unintentional bump. Hey Ennea, I should note that one time, at the German store, I went up to the counter, and out of nowhere the lady asked how the guitar was coming along. I had never met this lady before. She had spotted my right hand nails and lack of left hand nails, and drew the correct conclusion. She won my real world internet.

Huehue, must be german eyesight! Well I was just wondering what is "typically german" so that it appears in a german store - since I have no idea what special products we do have here. Except Beck's, it's brewed in my hometown! Ontopic: This one's the best! But then again, I rarely drink tea. Either just water or lots of coffee. Does coffee cound as tea ? Then this is my favourite tea!