The origin of matcha dates back many centuries, from the time of the Chinese Tang dynasty. In China, its consumption was very common, at first they pressed the tea leaves into cubes and then infused them. Later, the Chinese Zen monks ground these cubes into a fine powder that today is known as matcha tea.
In the 12th century a Japanese monk named Eisai Myoan, traveled to China and learned about this novel infusion and its health benefits. He then took some seeds to Japan where he promoted their consumption. Myoan wanted to improve the health and prolong the life of the people of China.
In addition to consuming matcha tea in his own Buddhist practices, the monk wrote a book entitled "Kissa Yōjōki", which translates to "Drinking tea for health" in which he explains the various health benefits of this concoction. Over time, matcha tea became popular in Japan among samurai warriors and its use in the Japanese tea ceremony was formalized in the early 16th century.
The tea ceremony in Japan is a protocol for preparing matcha tea, which comes from the influence of Zen Buddhism and the importance given to contemplation, reflection and awareness. The goal is to forget the material and mundane to purify the soul, using matcha tea for spiritual balance in harmony with the Universe.
There is confusion between matcha and green tea, although they come from the same plant, their taste and properties are very different. On the one hand, the harvest is different, if what you are looking for is matcha, you need to collect the shoots and leaves days before they are ripe. Then those leaves and shoots finish maturing in the shade. The leaves, not receiving the sun's rays, raise their chlorophyll level, generating a change in their color and flavor. This is why the matcha tea concoction is always a more vibrant green color than a cup of green tea.
While matcha tea has a foamy and creamy consistency, green tea is completely liquid and even crystalline. In addition, matcha tea has many more amino acids, theine and antioxidants than green tea, being considered a superfood for its therapeutic characteristics and high level of nutrients and antioxidants. Matcha can not only be consumed as a drink, it can also be used to make desserts, ice creams and smoothies. In fact, in Japanese culture, multiple pastry recipes are made with this ingredient.
For that reason, matcha is part of the Brota Superfoods catalog because it is in accordance with our objective of making food available with the highest nutritional and therapeutic concentration. We want to reach all corners of the world by encouraging the population to incorporate superfoods into their daily lives in order to improve their well-being and quality of life.