Question re Black Matchas
Given it’s made from black tea, is it okay to put sweeteners in black matchas? I’m quite interested in trying it out. I use demerara sugar in black teas normally, but would not object to honey if it would work better.
Okay, yeah, it’s an excuse to get Japanese tea accessories.
I’ve never tried a black matcha. Sounds yummy!!
they also have puerh and oolong matcha. and jasmine matcha. and any flavor under the sun. and the free matcha promo. Red Leaf Tea wins.
neato!!
When I get through this batch of samples… I am so making a redleaf order!! (but then I always say that about online orders and never do haha)
I have white matcha, it’s pretty good!
i want to try this too. to get the sugar to melt should be easy. i imagine you will want to use water temps as you would any black tea.
WOW! Never knew there was anything but green! I have learned my something new for the day….now heading over to Red Leaf!
It’s ok to put sweetener in any tea you’d like to put it in… it’s about your personal preference. :)
I think Red Leaf might be playing a little loose with the term “matcha”… Is this Japanese black tea? Is it being processed at a Japanese factory that has experience making matcha?
There is another form of “black matcha” known by the more common term “tea dust”… It is made of the broken tea that is too small to even go into tea bags as fannings, and is usually sold in the producing countries as a budget item. I would want to make sure that it wasn’t ordinary tea dust being sold at $20.00 an ounce.
Seeing the reviews should put that thought to rest pretty quickly I think, http://steepster.com/teas/red-leaf-tea/19589-black-matcha-organic
These are pretty trusted members of the Steepster community, so I trust their tasting notes. (I’ve also ordered from the company – their matchas are very good quality, but also they aren’t the only company I’ve seen sell a high quality black matcha). If the term is being used loosely, I would say the product is a Black Tea Powder if that helps.
Also, I can’t imagine emptying fannings from a tea bag, whisking them around and having the taste be “creamy”, “robust” or “flavourful”. haha!
Not trying to argue or anything – just wanted to help the OP and give my own experience with Red Leaf tea.
Pure Matcha is another company that sells Black Matcha, Aunty Proton, if you’re looking. :)
Yeah, I agree with mbanu.
Calling this stuff “matcha” is (to be polite) a bit of a marketing gimmick. It is a stretch to call it matcha, as it is lacking some of the basic traits of matcha.
From what I have read, it should more accurately be termed “powered black tea”.
Best wishes,
sherubtse
Matcha really just translates to “ground tea” though admittedly traditional matcha is indeed powdered green tea cultivated in a very specific manner. I don’t think it’s inaccurate to call other ground teas matcha, though I believe it needs the “black” to indicate that it is not the traditional matcha.
If we use the term “matcha” to refer to ground / powdered tea, then its use becomes too broad to be of any real use, IMHO. It debases the use of the term as well as the “real” matcha.
Pure Matcha also sells black and red Matcha, in addition to traditional green Matcha: http://www.purematcha.com/
As for whether or not “black” matcha can really be called Matcha at all, I realize that the purists may scoff at the idea of it, but, I personally do not have an issue calling it Matcha. It isn’t dust or fannings… it is finely ground black tea, and it is prepared the same way traditional green tea Matcha is prepared.
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