緑茶は、生のお茶の葉を発酵させずに製造した【不発酵茶】での総称で、緑茶の中に「煎茶」「抹茶」「玉露」「番茶」「ほうじ茶」などがあります。つまり「抹茶」は、数ある緑茶のうちの１つになります。
「抹茶」も「煎茶」も元は同じお茶の木（同じ抹茶や煎茶でも価格によって品種の違いはあります）ですが、栽培方法と製法が異なります。
「抹茶」は、お茶の葉を摘む前に黒いシートなどで数十日間被せて日光を遮る「覆下栽培」と呼ばれる栽培技術を用います。日光を遮ると渋みの元とされるカテキンの生成が抑えられ、旨み成分のテアニンが増えるのでまろやかな風味のお茶ができます。
このように栽培した茶葉のことを「てんちゃ」と呼ぶことがありますが、商品規格の表示上では、全て一般総称の緑茶で表示しております。
What is matcha tea?
Matcha is a type of green tea made by taking young tea leaves and grinding them into a bright green powder. The powder is then whisked with hot water. This is different from regular green tea, where the leaves are infused in water, then removed.
Matcha leaves are grown on green tea bushes kept under shade. The shade increases the amount of chlorophyll content in the leaves, which is what makes them bright green and full of nutrients. The leaves are picked by hand and the stems and veins are removed.
What are matcha tea benefits?
Matcha, like other green teas, contains a class of antioxidants called catechins. Matcha is high in a catechin called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which is believed to have cancer-fighting effects on the body. Studies have linked green tea to a variety of health benefits, like helping to prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer, and even encouraging weight loss
How do you make matcha tea?
Matcha powder and hot water should be whisked together. It’s recommended that you use a tea strainer to sift the matcha into a bowl to avoid clumps. Then, add warm water and whisk it. (Traditionally this is done with a called a bamboo whisk called a chasen.) The whisking creates a foamy tea that can be poured into your cup. Some people add the powder to other hot liquids, like milk, to make a bright green latte.
