Our IMO Matcha Ceremony Grade Stone-Ground Tea is 1500 mesh and of highest quality made from specially-selected fresh young tea leaves in early April from a shadow-covered tea field; ground in the traditional stone mill method, this matcha contains the highest ECGG and other nutrients. This ceremony matcha presents a very natural, light, high-quality Longjing aroma (fresh chestnut mixed with light vegetal), a smooth taste, and a thick lingering sweetness after drinking the tea.
Matcha is a finely-powdered green tea. Matcha originates from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in China and was the only tribute way of drinking tea in the Tang and Song Dynasties (960-1279). During that period, the preparation of matcha was more complicated and had more steps than the current Japanese matcha ceremony.
Subsequently, in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang banned the production of cake teas and encouraged the production of loose leaves tea (this was mostly connected to his humble origin). From then on, loose leaf tea has been the most popular in China to this day.
1,500 mesh is a powder diameter standard that means 1,500 tiny holes in the screen per square inch.
While matcha is usually thought of as a tea from Japan, this version is from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. The tea bushes are shadowed in mid-March for this ceremony grade matcha. The tea field is registered in China Inspection and Quarantine Bureau and meets the European minimum residue level.
Mesh: 1500 mesh
Certificate: IMO certificate
Origin: Zhejiang, China
Harvest time: Early April, 2014
Preparing Matcha is very simple, as shown here:
Step 1: wash the whisk and the bowl
Step 2: put one to two tablespoons (about 2g) of dry matcha into the chawan
Step 3: pour about 3cc warm water into the chawan, and whisk the matcha with the water
Step 4: pour an additional 60cc warm water into the chawan, and whisk the matcha in the shape of a W to get as many bubbles as possible
You can drink it straight or add some honey or other flavors, enjoying both the matcha and the additive flavor profiles. Enjoy the freshness of matcha.
In addition to drinking, matcha can also be used in baking, ice cream, yoghurt, a DIY matcha mask to smooth your skin, etc. [Disclaimer: This is not meant as health advice; please consult your doctor for details.]
For more information and recipes, click on the brochure image at right.
Learn more about tea on our site here and on our blog.