Matcha Green Tea

Besides its unique flavour and bright colour, Ancient Purity Matcha Green Tea Powder also grew in popularity due to its range of health benefits. It contains even more antioxidants than green tea leaves! And because it’s in powdered form, it’s much easier to incorporate into dishes, such as Pumpkin Seed Pudding. A blend of the finest Ancient Purity Styrian Pumpkin Seeds, (plant) milk, and Ancient Purity Matcha Powder, this breakfast is hearty, yummy, nutritious, and energising. It’s the ultimate breakfast of champions!

Start your day with this Matcha Green Goodness Banana Smoothie for a nutrient-packed healthy breakfast. It is the perfect combination of sweet bananas with earthy Matcha as well as delicious greens that are rich in iron. Trust us. You will be alert and satisfied all morning long!

Matcha Green Tea Ceremony

A Japanese Matcha Tea ceremony stands in stark contrast to the quick-paced, burn-the-candle-at-both-ends lifestyle that we, Westerners, find so tempting. Is it maybe that tea ritual’s disparity that is especially charming to us?

The Japanese Matcha Tea ritual evolved over hundreds of years but it has always been closely interwoven with Zen philosophy. The first mention in Japan of tea itself dates back to the 8th century, when Emperor Shōmu introduced the ceremony as part of Buddhist customs. On tea’s role there isn’t much documentation up until the 12/13th century – this is the period of time when a refreshing infusion of Camellia sinensis leaves became favoured among Buddhist monks (as a help in spiritual practice during long meditation sessions), as well as during warrior classes.

Due to Matcha Tea being a luxurious beverage, the ceremony often became an opportunity to showcase the host’s social status and affluence in shoin style (A type of audience hall in Japanese architecture that was developed during the Muromachi period), in lofty reception spaces decorated with precious karamono (Cultural objects from China). Later on simplification of the process took place, in line with the wabi concept. Wabi’s meaning of is very difficult to explain using words as is often depicted in paintings – it symbolises a deep introspective experience, loneliness by choice, solitude in nature and quietude. It is the key to comprehend the Japanese tea ceremony’s essence.

In its most traditional performance, a Matcha Green Tea ceremony can last even five hours. A common thread connecting every step is a deep sense of reflection and intimacy – a small number of visitors gathers in the host’s home who symbolically commences the Tea Ceremony by lighting the hearth which later will be used to boil water. A 13-course kaiseki meal is shared by all guests. When the final dish is consumed, every guest is invited to leave the room and use the bathrooms while the host prepares for The Matcha Green Tea Ceremony, decorating and rearranging its space. The ritual starts with bowing and symbolic cleansing of brewing tools and hands. Every detail is highly important – participants are expected taking off their shoes, have their feet covered and sit in a kneeling position.

The host makes the bowls ready and boils water in chagama (The metal pot or kettle used in the Japanese tea ceremony); all guests are then presented with the Matcha Tea and invited to inspect the high-quality, finely ground powdered form of green tea. During the tea ceremony, sweets known as wagashi are served that counterbalance the tea’s astringency. Time for the ceremony’s turning point, brewing the Matcha Green Tea. The host starts by adding hot water and some spoons of powder to the bowls and whisking it energetically with a chasen (A tea whisk made from a single piece of bamboo, split into an array of delicate tines, used to whisk the Matcha Powder into a foamy usucha, or knead it into a thick paste as koicha). This ensures that the liquid’s texture will be thick and frothy. Once ready, the Matcha Green Tea is served to the first participant who turns the bowl by 180 degrees, takes a little sip, wipes the rim and passes the bowl on to the next guest.

The tea’s brewing and sharing process lasts about 20 minutes – often, these days, it is performed by itself, without a preceding meal. However, the 13-course kaiseki meal does still play a significant role in the ceremony, introducing an introspective mind set, reflection and serenity. Japanese Matcha Green Tea ceremony is highly ordered – each step involves its own set of rules and customs each guest is expected to follow. Although they may seem excessive at first, they serve a purpose. Injecting the ceremony with predictability sets a guest’s mind free from analysing and worrying about “what should I do?”, “how many sips should I take to express gratitude but not greediness?” and it allows participants embracing the present moment and be in the now.

True comprehension of the Matcha Green Tea ceremony will come solely to you when you experience it yourself. It is not necessary travelling to Japan. Get Ancient Purity Matcha Green Ceremonial Tea and begin your own ritual. Make sure your phone is switched off. Play relaxing music such as Eastern instruments or nature’s sounds. Brew Ancient Purity Matcha Tea, taking your time and savouring each step. Let this moment be a time of reflection, meditation over a hot cup of Matcha Tea, where, if just for a short moment, you’re free from worrying about the future or past. You’ll come to understand the reason why Japanese culture created a ritual out of a simple act of having a cup of tea and your Matcha experience will take a new meaning once you’re not in the rush.