Playing with Matcha

8th Aug (Fri)

The girls WFH today, che-che's friends came over to hang out they also WFH but they work from my home 😂. I'm WIAH (work-is-at-home 😆) today and everyday

The matcha expert is here! One of che-che's friend is a matcha connoisseur is here 😄 , so l brought down whatever matcha powder we have and let them play. (ultimately only used the Uji matcha)

The girls all gathered in the small kitchen, che-che outside at dining area looking in. Now che-che's ‘playdate' is UPPed leveled - from the I can bluff kids to bake to this matcha noisy ceremony (no Zen, just noisy 😆)

Wah...师父！师父有功夫。

Coz someone broke my first bowl so I had to Taobao this. I saw a few nice designed bowls in Japan but no way am I going to spend so much $$ again to have it broken into pieces by careless family members. If this breaks again, I'll just use my plastic bowls to whisk my matcha.

师父 whisking got technique k, got strength. 

I have no strength 😂

And then they asked for milk. Haha! I totally forgot about the milk coz I normally drink my matcha plain 🤭

Nevermind, l used the Nepresso latte pods and dispense the latte into the cup. Coz I was only left with 2 latte pods, told JL if she needs more then we use the Japanese condensed milk I have. Haha!

Abit of mixing styles here and there. 🤣 nope didn’t use condensed milk at all, it will alter the taste.

Iced matcha latte

Second cup into this cup. Not nice presentation but who cares

This is from a packed matcha mix with gold flakes. Drink already can huat huat. But it’s sweet!! 甜甜发发！

What I have at home : (1) from Uji (2) from NGO (3) another one also from Uji but it’s already opened and not refrigerated so I didn’t bring out that powder. Brought out some other matcha dunno what from our cabinet, 反正买了就是要喝、let the girls try if they want. 

(1) Bought this in Uji. It comes with a small cute spoon and a container - supposedly for those trying to make matcha on the go without the use of chawan and chasen. 

Sentou no Mukashi by Masuda Chaho

This is not a bitter matcha so it’s really suitable for koicha and usucha (my preference for neat matcha). I had years ago mistakenly used the lousy matcha powder meant for cooking/baking to make usucha before and it was B.I.T.T.E.R.T.O.T.H.E.M.A.X. I’m not an expert in identifying what is good or not so good matcha powder, so I only rely on what my taste buds agree. And strangely I should have the exposure to matcha when I’m in my early 20s in SQ since I fly to Japan often right? But no…… aunty only wanted to chiong sights on first trip subsequent trips are shopping for rubbish snacks and cute things. I always spend more than the flight allowance🤭. I’m only paying attention to this in recent years only. 

ps. Wait! So is this Sentou no mukashi or Izumihigashi no mukashi? Coz 泉 is いずみ 🤔

Green tea appreciation talks about the umami. What exactly is umami? 

WHAT IS UMAMI? 

Someone described umami as seaweed, and remarked that the highest grades typically have the most umami. 

Umami is the 5th taste, derived from increased levels of L-theanine and other amino acids in the tea leaves, a result of the shading process that the tea bushes undergo before harvesting.

(2) Bought this in Dec 24 in NGO. Shop name : (有）嘉木園 Ocha no Kakien Amakoubou [https://amakoubou.com/]

Honestly I didn’t know this is a famous shop with many positive reviews, I was drawn into the shop coz the roasted tea made us walk into that direction 😂. Che-che wanted to buy ice-cream and uncle, the 3rd generation owner, wave to me into the shop. He spoke to me in relatively understandable English. 

They have different grades, I didn’t choose the most expensive coz I’m not an expert in matcha, will be wasting $$ for someone who can’t tell any tea apart 

50g for a 上別儀 (jobetsugi) which is good for making lattes and I suppose for my most preferred usucha. I dunno I didn’t really ask ojisan 

screenshot text from : https://teaologists.co.uk/

Had wanted to drop by to see my ojisan 🤣 during my June trip and bring Singapore cookies for him but I didn’t have time as my itinerary is packed. Maybe I should plan one more trip this year again. Keke! And then same time buy my matcha. Che-che’s going to Japan again in Sep, so I may ask her to get matcha for me. (Lucky gal! Second time or maybe third to Japan for her this year coz we were still in Japan in January 😂.)

***** STOP! I NEED SOME INFO *****

< Let’s talk about matcha first >

I just drink and never think about what and simi green tea, I just buy 😂. I used to think that only Uji produces good green tea until last year when I bought my (2) in Nagoya did I know there’s green tea in Aichi Prefecture, Nishio, as well. 

Took the following pics from Hester - Lemon. And it helps me coz I’m more of a pictorial learner. 

The matchas I buy since I knew about matchas is either culinary or ceremonial. Coz aunty can’t afford premium. 

Hmm…still don’t get about the umami. But when I asked che-che if she can taste the difference between the 2, she told me Nishio is sweeter (huh? or did I accidentally put in more sugar?) and can get more green tea 🍃taste. I can’t taste the difference 😂 I should go and pluck the leaves and eat. Do you know that longjing tea 龙井茶 is green tea? No wonder amongst all the Chinese tea, I always only liked longjing tea. 

More about different region teas.

The text below are extracted from :https://www.foratravel.com/the-journal/where-to-drink-matcha-in-japan-our-top-six-picks

KAGOSHIMA 

Kagoshima is fast becoming a powerhouse of matcha production. With its volcanic soil, warm climate, and wide-open tea fields, it’s ideal for large-scale, high-quality cultivation. While Kagoshima doesn’t have the centuries-old tea legacy of Uji, it’s now the second-largest tea-growing region in Japan—and a serious competito in the matcha game.

Kagoshima matcha is often a little more vegetal and less sweet than Uji’s, making it great for those who like a slightly more robust, grassy flavour. Many tea farms here are also pioneering organic and sustainable practices.

SHIZUOKA 

Shizuoka is Japan’s largest tea-producing region overall. While it’s more famous for sencha, a growing number of producers here are turning their attention to matcha—and doing it well.

Shizuoka matcha is often characterized by a light, clean profile with gentle sweetness and grassy notes. You’ll find everything from traditional tea experiences in the countryside to modern cafés in Shizuoka City that serve matcha lattes, soft-serve, and more.

Screenshot from the same web page

screenshot from : naokimatcha.com

Screenshot from papillon.skin Instagram who was giving a review of the different matchas

Tip from foratravel.com 

Taste differs between shincha and matcha

So while google searching for something , I’m led to discover new things 🫢. 

This is what I have 

When I was looking for a picture, I came across a similar bottle but the gold words is different. This bottle reads 初昔 (Hatsu mukashi), whereas mine read 泉東の昔(Sentou no mukashi)

WHAT IS MUKASHI 昔？

When you key in 昔 and you get the definition. And if you’re led to my Aunty lor-soh blog by accident - GOOD LUCK TO YOU and WELCOME 🤣. As what everybody has the same answer 88th night and 20th day, they all just copy and paste. So I also copy and paste the template. Haha! Still わかりません. I probably need to read the general thing about tea cultivation. 

“ In ancient Japan, the best day to harvest tea leaves for premium matcha was the 20th day of the third lunar month, roughly 20 days before the Hachijuhachiya (八十八夜), or the 88th night from the start of spring, considered the ideal time for tea picking in Kyoto (before climate change). A “20 day” period was written as 廿日 (hatsuka) in old Japanese, where the character 廿 represents “twenty” (a combination of two 十, meaning “ten”). Over time, Mukashi (昔) became a shorthand for this hatsuka harvest, symbolizing the pinnacle of matcha quality due to the tender, flavorful leaves picked during this period.

For example, Hatsu Mukashi (初昔) refers to matcha made from leaves harvested in the 20 days leading up to the 88th night, ensuring exceptional richness and depth suited for koicha. Leaves picked in the 20 days following this period might be called Ato Mukashi (後昔), though this term is less commonly used. Thus, Mukashi is a hallmark of matcha crafted with precision and care, reserved for the most refined tea ceremonies. “ 

🤨💭HOW MANY MUKASHI 昔　ARE THERE? What’s the difference? 

* please note that they are not ranked in any particular order. I only typed when I found out any new __の昔

1) Hatsu mukashi 初昔 

2) Sentou no mukashi 泉東の昔

3) Tsurube no Mukashi 釣瓶の昔

4) Unmon no mukashi 雲門お昔 - Chinese poet? Huh? click here

5) Hou ei no mukashi  豊栄の昔

6) Hakuju no mukashi　　栢樹の昔

7) Chino mukashi 千代昔

8) Yamashiro no mukashi 山城の昔

9) Bandai no mukashi 万代の昔

10) Shikibu no mukashi 式部の昔

11) Yutaka mukashi 豊昔

12)  Kohata no mukashi 許波多の昔

13) Ken to no mukashi 建都の昔 - is this the best? Highest quality in both colour and flavour as what is stated. And the brand I saw ¥9180 for 40g. Gasp! 

Photos taken from : https://genmai-cha.jp/en/tea-classification-kinds-en/

If the 昔　confusion is not making me dizzy, I read there’s 白. Argh! I give up! Already no more brain cells left, I’m going to burn out my remaining brain cells 

What does 昔 and 白 mean? Click HERE

Other links : 

Why ceremonial grades is meaningless

***** END OF RESEARCH *****

15th Aug (Fri) 

My day, with both girls working from home, was even busier as I had to cook both lunch and dinner for them. Lunch was ramen  bought home from trip, but both had difference preference. Sigh…. Added with the fact that it was shitty day for me, lots of worries frustrations and thoughts running in my mind I NEEDED SOMETHING TO DISTRACT MYSELF. I needed a quiet moment.静かにしたいです。I brought out my tripod, then it reminded of my solo trip to Japan where I did the same thing and filmed myself eating twice or was it thrice (?) and did some filming of me walking here and there - maybe this warrants another solo trip 🤣. 

Left handed 😅

2nd cup for che-che

Took some time to edit a video. Can’t embed it so here’s the link. I’ve spent 40 mins just doing some lousy filming, re-checking, editing for what usually takes me lesser than that to make a cup of matcha. 

16th Aug (Sat)

I usually don't like to open a new packaging until l finish one. However my curiosity made me open a second pack today.

Both are from different regions. After sifting the powder, I notice the slight difference in colour. Slight difference in taste. I'm not an expert. Oh well... should I open the other packet 😜?

Don't think I will keep my chasen and bowl (so troublesome gotta take out few items to reach for the items), until we finish that huge tetrapak of fresh milk. My poor stomach. Wonder why I listened to che-che when I wanted a small pack but she said to buy a big pack. I only drink matcha plain.

Matcha #1 - from Uji

Matcha #2 - from Nagoya

17th Aug (Sun)

Made a cup for che-che

When you're desperately trying to finish that milk. 🤣

Does drinking these 3 days in a row make me to like latte? Nope. I still want to stick to my simple plain matcha.

Transferred my glass into this Totoro cup and plate just for that aesthetic look. I don’t do this all the time, thank goodness just coz I’m not a CLICK HERE

19th Aug (Tue)

@ 8.01pm - after dinner, after washing some crockeries, still haven’t washed Ms Thermie, kitchen is not that tidy but I feel so down… I’ve been feeling down for the past few days. So it’s matcha to the rescue again. Not the drinking part yet but the whisking, and I chose to whisk manually instead of using the electric frother just so by the whisking my mind is distracted, not having any wild thoughts for the time being. I read from somewhere that Zen Buddhists says there’s some calming effect of matcha as we need the concentration to whisk the tea properly, smell and dunno what else. Matcha whisking is not the same as la kopi or stir milo in a cup, it needs some kind of ??? I don’t know what’s the word to use. Certainly I still don’t have the skill to make a nice microfoam. Since I’ve been feeling shitty for the longest time, maybe I can consider to work in a matcha shop. Stand there and whisk whisk whisk and earn money 😂. 

Second cup for che-che. Hmm....foam still don't look nice. So it has nothing to do with my standing position for my first video. Lousy means lousy. I need to 拜师 che-che's friend 😂

I keep talking about the froth or the microfoam. So how important is it to have a good microform aka whisking? Read this. Despite the number of times I’ve been whisking, my skills is bleh. 

23rd Aug (Sat)

Che-che asked for matcha latte so made a cup for her. No pics coz they look the same. 

24th Aug (Sun) 

I had to finish the last bit of the milk so used up the last two Nepresso pods and added the milk (cup on the right) coz we used up the milk the day che-che’s friends came over. 

Che-che asked for matcha latte again. See the difference in colour. Hers is vibrant green while mine is a dull yellow green. 

Then I went on in this crazy matcha drinkathon by deciding to make my usucha few hours later. Lil’ one asked me to add a little sugar but I refused, matcha has to be consumed neat to enjoy the (umami?) taste.

Does this foam looks ok? 

She wanted to try. But guess what? She finished everything after the first sip. 😂 I didn’t get to drink it and I was tired of making matcha for the day. 

And with that, I shall conclude my lengthy post on matchas. I will continue whisking and perfect my skills. Till then, Have a Happy Matchalicious Day!