Matcha Matcha Matcha!
I fully realize I’m in the minority here, but I’m a big believer in getting superthick, supercreamy crema for my matcha, and the best tool for that is the aerolatte handheld milk frother. IKEA sells a knockoff for a few dollars.
And in full disclosure, I also source and sell matcha, and train the staffs of lots of Michelin-starred restaurants (including the French Laundry and Meadowood, California’s only three-starred places) in how to create what is really a combination of thick and think matcha — it’s kind of right in the middle. Here’s a video of how I do it (traditionalists take note: this is probably not for you). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyjNapQEYFU&feature=plcp
Very nice video! I watched it AFTER I posted my comment below, so I just want to point out to the OP that if he goes this route, I have a frother like the one you’re using there that I got for ~$15. So that’s another option that can be had pretty cheaply.
Also, while I guess I am maybe more a “traditionalist” as you say (I like putting elbow grease into my matcha, I feel more connected to it or something – I wouldn’t dream of using a milk frother now!), what I DO use my frother for is for frothing hot milk for homemade lattes! So it will have a secondary use as well if the OP does not end up liking matcha.
Good point about the shape and size of the vessel you are frothing the matcha in. I tried that once in a wide bowl with my hand frother – the first thing I tried using it on, in fact, so I didn’t know the strength of it – and I had matcha EVERYWHERE.
I enjoyed your videos! Shared them with my daughter who is fairly new to tea and really new to matcha. She doesn’t have a whisk so I told her little sister that an aerolatte would be a good birthday gift for her…and that was before we saw the video. She has already used it and loves it.
I like matcha in smoothies for a little extra kick in the morning.
Here are some other recipes:
http://www.domatcha.com/recipes/
http://zenmatchatea.com/matcha/tea/recipes
http://cookandbemerry.com/chocolate-sandwich-cookies-with-matcha-filling (these sound good…now to make them gluten free)
I prefer the non flavored matcha. (But I am tempted by the pumpkin pie flavor) I agree you pinterest) I’ll post it.getting a higher grade of regular matcha is a good way to go.
I am the second dissenter here – I always strongly recommend to people getting a good whisk. If you are uncertain you will like it, is there not a tea store near you that will sell you a cup? I suppose if you’ve never even had a single cup of it you might want to hold off on the whisk. But if you try it and even like it enough to drink it semi-regularly – MY GOD, get a whisk!
When I first bought matcha, I thought that seemed like a silly investment until I was sure as well. Two days of frustration later, I went and bought a proper bamboo whisk. Mostly I just wasted my own time holding off on it.
I consider the whisk essential. I personally like the bamboo; you might end up deciding you like something else better, but a plain wire whisk is probably unlikely to work well, unless maybe if it has a lot of…wires, I dunno what to call them, LOL. Nothing else is essential (except the matcha, of course!). A nice bowl and matcha stand and whatnot would be awesome, but I haven’t got them yet. I got my whisk from Teavana. (Full disclosure here, I work there, but I do believe Teavana gets a good price on the whisks, $12.95. Cnd. I certainly haven’t seen a better price from our brick-and-mortar competitors in my city – one store sells them for $19.95, two others for $24.95! If you don’t like Teavana, Red Leaf also sells them for $15.99, which isn’t too bad either.)
KeenTeaThyme, you must have been reading my mind because I have been wanting to get into matcha as well. What a great thread!
I do have a question, what is this sifting business I keep on hearing about? And what do one use to sift the matcha?
I just use a small strainer/sieve I had in my kitchen tools. It helps to avoid matcha clumps so it aerates better, as I understand it. It’s much like sifting flour : )
Yes, Uniquity is correct … or at least, from what I understand about Matcha it is correct. I also use a small strainer that I found in the grocery store in the utensil aisle for about 2 dollars. A very basic kitchen tool. You can also use a tea strainer if you have one – I’ve used these too and they work well. Basically, you’re simply aerating the tea, and it improves the overall quality of the finished product … the overall taste of the product. Needing to sift a Matcha is not indicative of a lack of quality. In Japanese Ceremony, from what I’ve understood based upon observation (it’s been years though, so I’m drawing from memory of those observations), they actually sift the Matcha well ahead of time and put the sifted Matcha in a special canister like this: http://www.amazon.com/Matcha-powder-shifter-in-canister/dp/B006FT4I3U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350766256&sr=8-1&keywords=Matcha+canister The canister comes with a sieve in it, so you sift the Matcha, the canister catches the Matcha and then store the sifted Matcha in the canister.
Care maybe we could try some at moms house for Christmas so i can try it ?? I have always wanted too but its expensive already and having to buy something i dont like seams like a waist Guess i could see if anyone is willing to sample some though lol. BTW do you want to meet up Tuesday Night for a Swap and get your containers ?
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