BLOG - Page 21

For instance, there are specific styles for preparing Thin tea (Usucha), Thick tea (Koicha), tea offerings in tenmoku tea bowls, tea in tall cylindrical tea bowls, for including in a portable boxed tea set (Chabako), for outdoor tea - making, for New Year's, and for other special auspicious occasions.

Also, there are styles such as the "Rikyū-gata"  the style attributed to Sen Rikyū's son Dōan and referred to as the "Dōan-gonomi" style, and other such "favored"  (Konomi) styles of famous tea masters, so that the styles have continued to increase.

Generally, the kind used for whisking thin tea (Usucha) has 80, 100, or 120 fine tines.

In the Japanese tea ceremony, it is recommended to use a new Chasen on each occasion. However, for casual tea drinkers like ourselves, it is much moreeconomicalto reuse.

A small amount of Matcha is placed into the bowl, traditionally using abamboo scoop called a Chashaku, and then a modicum of hot (not boiling: 70–85 °C) water is added. The mixture is then whisked to a uniform consistency, using a bamboo whisk known as a "Chasen".

Taking care of whisk:

The first thing you will need is a Whisk keeper. Store your Chasen on this device. It will help the bambootines keep their shape, prolonging its lifespan.

Secondly, clean it after each use. Make sure it isn’t in contact with moisture for long periods of time. The bamboo can easily grow mold on it otherwise.

Finally, be sure to inspect your chasen before each use for broken tines. More for your own safety, remove any broken parts before whisking.

A brand new Chasen will have a core that is twisted around, and tines that curl up at the end. However, after a few uses, the tines will straighten out, and the core will bloom. This is to be expected. 

Perilla is an herb of the mint family, Lamiaceae. Though known to several cultures by different names, the disparate varieties are now classified under the single species Perilla Frutescens.

Perilla Frutescens the aromatic leafy herb called by its Korean name Jasoyup, its Japanese name Shiso, which in turn is a loan word from Chinese: Pinyin, Zĭsū, Wade - Giles: Tsu-su.

The plant occurs in red (purple - leaved) or green - leaved forms. It also has a less fashionable translated name "Beefsteak Plant", but starting around the 1980, with the rise of popularity of Japanese cuisine, it has become increasingly more chic for the mass media to refer to it as Shiso.

Suggested native origins are mountainous terrains of India and China, although some books say Southeast Asia.

Perilla oil is obtained from the seeds of herbs of the genus Perilla, usually from the species Perilla Frutescens. The seeds contain 35 to 45% oil which is obtained by pressing.

In parts of Asia, Perilla oil is used as an edible oil that is valued more for its medicinal benefit than its flavor. The Perilla was introduced into Japan around the 8th to 9th century.

Until around the Sengoku period (early 16th century) in Japan, Perilla oil was important for fueling oil lamps, until being was overtaken by Rapeseed oil.

Perilla oil also is important in the manufacture of printing inksand linoleum, and in more ancient times was a critical component in creating durable earthen floors.

Chemical structure:

Perilla oil is a very rich source of the omega - 3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid. About 50 to 60% of the oil consists of acid alpha - linolenic.

In terms of dietary compounds in the plant, the pronounced flavor and aroma of Shiso derives from Perillaldehyde, but this substance is lacking in the perilla variety.

Other aromatic essential oils present are limonene, caryophyllene, and farnesene.

Korean cuisine uses green leaves of the oilseed variety, which have a flavor different from Shiso. It also uses the Perilla seeds, known as "Wild Sesame", a source of Perilla oil rich inacid alpha-linolenicomega - 3 fatty acids.

The flowers, fruits, and seeds of Shiso are used as a condiment or spice in Japan.

In Korea, Perilla is mainly cultivated in Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, and Jeolla Province, so the locals there often consume Perilla oil.

In Korean cuisine, it is used for marinating namul (seasoned vegetable dish), coating grilled gim (Korean laver), or pan - Frying Jeon (Pancake-like dish), where it is called deul Gireum or Beopyu in Korean. In North Korea, it is called Deulkkae Gireum.

Perilla is called Zisu in Chinese and is traditionally used in Chinese medicine, and has been shown to stimulate interferon activity and thus, the body's immune system.

It is fried in oil with Garlic or Ginger in the wok, and eaten as a dish with meals. The Sū in its name (formed by addition of the herb radical to a homophone meaning "Revive") was the namesake for Mount Gusu, the peak which gave Suzhou its name. The Manchu people's festival of "Food Extermination Day"  calls for Perilla to be eaten by bannermen.

Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamon is the name for perhaps a dozen species of trees and the commercial spice products that some of them produce. All are members of the genus Cinnamomum in the family Lauraceae.

The English word Cinnamon, attested in English since the 15th century, derives from the Greek  Kinnámōmon (later Kínnamon), via Latin and medieval French intermediate forms. The Greek in turn was borrowed from a Phoenician word, which would have been akin to the related Hebrew Qinnamon.

Though its source was kept mysterious in the Mediterranean world for centuries by the middlemen who handled the spice trade, to protect their monopoly as suppliers, Cinnamon is native to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Malabar Coast of India, and Burma.

The old botanical synonym for the tree - Cinnamomum Zeylanicum - is derived from Sri Lanka's former name, Ceylon. Sri Lanka still produces 80 - 90% of the world's supply of Cinnamomum Verum, and it is also cultivated on a commercial scale in Seychelles and Madagascar.

Cinnamomum Verum (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum), called "True Cinnamon tree" or Ceylon Cinnamon tree is a small evergreen tree, native to Sri Lanka. Among other species, its inner bark is used to make Cinnamon.

Cinnamon was so highly prized among ancient nations that it was regarded as a gift fit for monarchs and even for a god.

Indonesian rafts transported cinnamon directly from the Moluccas to East Africa , where local traders then carried it north to Alexandria in Egypt. Venetian traders from Italy held a monopoly on the spice trade in Europe, distributing cinnamon from Alexandria. The disruption of this trade by the rise of other Mediterranean powers, such as the Mamluk sultans and the Ottoman Empire, was one of many factors that led Europeans to search more widely for other routes to Asia.

When Portuguese traders landed in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), they restructured the traditional production and management of cinnamon by the Sinhalese. They established a fort on the island in 1518 and protected Ceylon as their cinnamon monopoly for over a hundred years. Later, Sinhalese held the monopoly for Cinnamon in Ceylon.

Now  Sri Lanka produces 80 - 90% of the world's supply of Cinnamomum Verum, but that is the only species grown there. Cinnamomum verum is also cultivated on a commercial scale in Seychelles and Madagascar.

Sri Lanka Cinnamon has a very thin, smooth bark with a light - yellowish brown colour and a highly fragrant aroma.

CeylonCcinnamon, using only the thin inner bark, has a lighter brown colour, a finer, less dense and more crumbly texture, and is considered to be subtler and more aromatic in flavour than cassia (Cinnamomum  cassia), losing much of its flavour during cooking. Ceylon Cinnamon sticks (quills) have many thin layers and can easily be made into powder using a coffee or spice grinder, whereas Cassia sticks are much harder.

In the case of stick Cinnamon there are also certain features of the sticks you might want to look for in order to determine whether your Cinnamon is Ceylon Cinnamon or Cassia Cinnamon. One of those features involves the texture of the sticks when you look downward at a stick so that you can see the end.

When Cinnamon sticks are rolled from the thick bark of the Cassia plants, they look exactly as described - a one - piece, thick bark layer that does not show multiple layers of any kind. In the case of Ceylon Cinnamon sticks, since the plant bark is thinner, you may be able to see multiple layers of a thinner bark. That thinner layering of bark is one indication that your Cinnamon sticks are made from Ceylon Cinnamon.

Another feature is the typically darker and deeper reddish color shade of Ceylon Cinnamon sticks. Finally, the thicker and harder bark of Cassia - type cinnamon sticks often prevents them from having small pieces that have broken off, where Ceylon Cinnamon is more fragile and easily broken.

Ghee is a class of Clarified Butter that originated in ancient India and is commonly used in South Asian and Iranian cuisines, traditionalmedicine, and religious rituals.

Clarified Butter is milk fat rendered from Butter to separate the milk solids and water from the butterfat. Typically, it is produced by melting Butter and allowing the components to separate by density. The Water evaporates, some solids float to the surface and are skimmed off, and the remainder of the milk solids sink to the bottom and are left behind when the butter fat (which would then be on top) is poured off.

Traditionally, Ghee (Go-Ghṛta) is always made from the milk of cows, which are considered sacred, and it is a sacred requirement in Vedic Yajña and Homa (Fire Sacrifices), through the medium of Agni (Fire) to offer oblations to various deities.

The production of Ghee includes simmering the Butter along with the milk solids so that they caramelize, which makes it nutty - tasting and aromatic.

Ghee is prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from cream, and removing the liquid residue. Spices can be added for flavor. The texture, color, and taste of Ghee depend on the quality of the Butter, source of the milk used in the process and the duration of the boiling.

According to Ayurveda, Ghee is traditionally made in a way rather different than clarified butter. To make real ghee, one must obtain raw milk, then boil it, let it cool to 43 °C, and add Curd (Indian Yogurt) cultures. After letting it set, covered at room temperature for around 12 hours, the curd is then churned using ancient methods to obtain this specific type of cultured Butter. This Butter is finally used to simmer into Ghee.

Chemical structure:

Like any clarified butter, ghee is composed almost entirely of fat, 62% of which consists of saturated fats.

Fats and fatty acids per 100 g of ghee:

Total fat - 99,5 g
Saturated fat - 61,9 g
Monounsaturated fat - 28,7 g
Polyunsaturated fat - 3,7 g
Trans fats - 4 g
Omega-3 fatty acids - 1447 mg
Omega-6 fatty acids - 2247 mg

Non-fat nutrients  per 100 g of ghee:

Cholesterol - 256 mg (85%DV)
Vitamin A - 3069 IU (61% DV)
Vitamin E - 2,8 mg
Vitamin K - 8,6 µg 

Taraxacum Officinale, the Common Dandelion, is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant of the family Asteraceae. It can be found growing in temperate regions of the world, in lawns, on roadsides, on disturbed banks and shores of water ways, and other areas with moist soils. Taraxacum Officinale is considered a weed, especially in lawns and along roadsides.

Taraxacum Officinale is native to Eurasia and now is naturalized throughout North America, southern Africa, South America, New Zealand, Australia, and India.

Taraxacum Officinale grows from generally unbranched taproots and produces one to more than ten stems that are typically 5 - 40 cm tall, but sometimes up to 70 cm tall. Plants have milky latex and the leaves are all basal: each flowering stem lacks bracts and has one single flower head. The yellow flower heads lack receptacle bracts and all the flowers, which are called florets, are ligulate and bisexual. The fruits are mostly produced by apomixis.

The leaves are 5 - 45 cm long and 1 - 10 cm wide, and are oblanceolate, oblong, or obovate in shape, with the bases gradually narrowing to the petiole. The leaf margins are typically shallowly lobed to deeply lobed and often lacerate or toothed with sharp or dull teeth.

The calyculi (the cuplike bracts that hold the florets) are composed of 12 to 18 segments: each segment is reflexed and sometimes glaucous. The lanceolate shaped bractlets are in two series, with the apices acuminate in shape. The florets number 40 to over 100 per head, having corollas that are yellow or orange -y ellow in color.

The fruits, called cypselae, range in color from olive-green or olive - brown to straw - colored to grayish, they are oblanceoloid in shape and 2 - 3 mm long with slender beaks. The fruits have 4 to 12 ribs that have sharp edges. The silky pappi, which form the parachutes, are white to silver - white in color and around 6 mm wide.

The name of the genus, Taraxacum, is derived from the Greek Taraxos (Disorder), and Akos (Remedy), on account of the curative action of the plant. A possible alternative derivation of Taraxacum is suggested in The Treasury of Botany:

"The generic name is possibly derived from the Greek Taraxo ("I have excited" or "Caused") and Achos (Pain), in allusion to themedicinal effects of the plant".

A Lemon (Citrus Limon) is a small evergreen tree native to Asia.

The juice of the Lemon is about 5% to 6% citric acid, giving the fruit its distinctive, sour taste and making it a key ingredient in drinks and foods such as Lemonade and Lemon meringue pie.

The origin of the lemon is unknown, though lemons are thought to have first grown in Assam (a region in northeast India), northern Burma, and China.

Citrus Limon is the leading acid citrus fruit, because of its very appealing color, odor and flavor. The true lemon tree reaches 10 to 20 feet in height and usually has sharp thorns on the twigs. Leaves are reddish when young, and become dark green above, light green below.

Mildly fragrant flowers may be solitary, or there may be two or more. Buds are reddish. Opened flowers have 4 or 5 petals, white on upper surface, purplish beneath.

Fruit is oval with a nipple - like protuberance and is light - yellow. It is aromatic, and dotted with oil glands.

The first substantial cultivation of lemons in Europe began in Genoa in the middle of the 15th century. The Lemon was later introduced to the Americas in 1493 when Christopher Columbus brought Lemon seeds to Hispaniola on his voyages. Spanish conquest throughout the New World helped spread Lemon seeds.

Jews entered Europe near southern Italy no later than the first century AD, during the time of Ancient Rome. However, they were not widely cultivated. They were later introduced to Persia and then to Iraq and Egypt around 700 AD.

The Lemon was first recorded in literature in a 10th - century Arabic treatise on farming, and was also used as an ornamental plant in early Islamic gardens. It was distributed widely throughout the Arab world and the Mediterranean region between 1000 and 1150.

The first mention of the Dandelion as a medicine is in the works of the Arabian Physicians of the tenth and eleventh centuries, who speak of it as a sort of wild Endive, under the name of Taraxcacon. In this country, we find allusion to it in the Welsh medicines of the thirteenth century. Dandelion was much valued as a medicine in the times of gerard and parkinson, and is still extensively employed.

Dandelion roots have long been largely used on the Continent, and the plant is cultivated largely in India as a remedy for liver complaints.

Botanical Name: Citrus reticulata

Common Method of Extraction: Cold expression

Part Typically Used: Fruit fresh peel

Color: Yellow orange

Consistency: Thin

Perfumery Note: Top

Strength of Initial Aroma: Fresh, sweet, orange - like

Tangerine essential oil has the typical citrus scent - fresh, radiant, and tangy sweet. With only subtle differences, it smells a lot like the Mandarin, with some even considering them identical. In comparison to Sweet Orange, Tangerine can be seen as lighter with more candy like tones.

The Tangerine is a variety of the Mandarin Orange. You may sometimes see it on the market as Citrus x Tangerine. The oils have similar properties, but different aroma characteristics.

However, there is a slight difference. Mandarins are more yellow in color and come with pips, while Tangerines are more orange in color and come without pips. So, Mandarin essential oil is also called Tangerine essential oil. The botanical name of both of these plants is Citrus Reticulata, which shows that they are same.

As the name suggests, Mandarin plants are native to China. From there, they went to Europe and now Italy is one of the biggest producers of Mandarin oil.

The Mandarin Orange (Citrus Reticulata), also known as the Mandarin or Mandarine, is a small citrus tree with fruit resembling other oranges. Specifically reddish - orange Mandarin cultivars can be marketed as Tangerines, but this is not a botanical classification.

The tree is more drought - tolerant than the fruit. The Mandarin is tender and is damaged easily by cold. It can be grown in tropical and subtropical areas.

Mandarins are one of the four core ancestral Citrus taxa, and are thought to have evolved in Vietnam, southern China, and Japan.

Mandarins have a special place in Chinese culture as they were given as gifts to the Mandarins (the name given to Chinese officials under the king).

Mostly used in thefragrance industry. Tangerine oil doescontain limonene, which may suggest its use in household cleaners.

Chemical structure:

TheTangerine essential oil is extracted by cold compression of the fresh peels of these fruits and containsalpha thujone, alpha pinene, beta pinene, camphene, citral, citronellal, gamma terpinolene, geranial,geraniol, limonene, linalool, methyl methylanthranilate,myrcene, nerol, sabinene and terpineol.

A Green Tea Extract is a herbal derivative from Green Tea Leaves (Camellia Sinensis). Containing antioxidant ingredients - mainly Green Tea catechins (GTC). Green Tea and its derivatives are sometimes used as dietary supplements and in alternative medicine.

Camellia Sinensis plant is originally cultivated in East Asia, this plant grows as large as a shrub or tree. Today, Camellia Sinensis grows throughout Asia and parts of the Middle East and Africa.

Camellia Sinensis is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. It is of the genus Camellia of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. Common names include "Tea Plant", "Tea Shrub".

Camellia Sinensis is an evergreen shrub or small tree that is usually trimmed to below 2 m when cultivated for its leaves. It has a strong taproot. The flowers are yellow - white, 2,5 - 4 cm  in diameter, with 7 to 8 petals.

White Tea, Yellow Tea, Green Tea, Oolong, Pu-erh Tea and Black Tea are all harvested from one or the other, but are processed differently to attain varying levels of oxidation. Kukicha (Twig Tea) is also harvested from Camellia Sinensis, but uses twigs and stems rather than leaves.

The useful parts of green tea are the leaf bud, leaf, and stem. Green tea is not fermented and is produced by steaming fresh leaves at high temperatures. During this process, it is able to maintain important molecules called polyphenols, which seem to be responsible for many of the benefits of Green Tea.

The leaves are 4-15 cm long and 2 - 5 cm broad. Fresh leaves contain about 4% Caffeine. The young, light green leaves are preferably harvested for tea production: they have short white hairs on the underside. Older leaves are deeper green.

Different leaf ages produce differing tea qualities, since their chemical compositions are different. Usually, the tip (bud) and the first two to three leaves are harvested for processing. This hand picking is repeated every one to two weeks.

Chemical structure:

Green Tea Extract is a bioflavonoid rich, potent extract used primarily for fightingfree radicals. It contains a high content of polyphenols, which are a class of bioflavonoids. Green Tea Extract contains a potent antioxidant, EGCG, which is over 200 times more powerful than Vitamin E .

The cardinal antioxidative ingredient in the Green Tea Extract is Green Tea catechins (GTC), which comprise four major epicatechin derivatives: namely, epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Of which, EGCG accounts for more than 40% of the total content.

Other components include three kinds of flavonoids, known as kaempferol, quercetin, and myricetin. A remarkably higher content of myricetin is detected in tea and its extracts than in many other plants, and this high concentration of myricetin may have some implications with the bioactivity of Tea and its extracts.

The more the leaves are fermented, the lower the polyphenol content and the higher the caffeine content. Green Tea has the highest polyphenol content while black tea has roughly 2 - 3 times the caffeine content of Green Tea.

Caffeine may be excluded in Green Tea Extracts in order to avoid side - effects: caffeine - free Green Tea Extract supplements are now available.

Types of Green Tea Extracts:

Strong infusions: During the strong infusion Green Tea leaves are processed by soaking in the aqueous solution of Alcohol (the aspect content is about 2% w/w).

Soft Extracts: To obtain soft extracts, the solution made by strong infusion beforehand is further concentrated to 20–25% (the catechin content is about 20% w/w).

Dry Extracts: After the strong infusions have been concentrated to 40 - 50% solids (the catechin content is above 25% w/w), they are sprayed and then become dehydrated Extract and powder.

The leftovers - water content, which is less then 5% w/w, and the Extract - are usually processed as a powder containing inert processing aids to become suitable for a variety of uses ( tablets, capsules, dry mixes).

Matcha is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea. It's special in two aspects of farming and processing: The green tea plants for matcha are shade grown for about 3 weeks before harvest, and the stems and veins are removed in processing.

Matcha comes from the same plant that all true teas come from: camellia sinensis, the leaves of which can be made into green tea (unfermented tea: it’s simply steamed and dried). Matcha is a true green tea, but its growth style, harvest, and production style are markedly different from those of other green teas.

The highest  -grade matcha come almost invariably from one of three Japanese varietals (they’re called samidori, okumidori, and yabukita in Japanese).

The main area of matcha cultivation in Japan is a place called Uji, which sits on the southeast border of the city of Kyoto, the homeland of almost all traditional Japanese arts and aesthetic pursuits. Many matcha connoisseurs consider Uji to have the ultimate terroir for matcha cultivation, and many of Japan’s most distinguished (and most expensive) matcha come from Uji.

Truly superior matcha must have five key characteristics:

- brilliant color intensity
- superior umami
- excellent terroir (which by definition means a rare tea)
- dreamy frothability
- a long, smooth finish that contains crema to the very last drop.

The very best matcha, in contrast, gets harvested - always by hand - just once per year, typically in May. Roughly six weeks before harvest, that is to say sometime in late March or early April, the tea fields, which are surrounded by scaffolding of sorts, are covered from the top. Traditionally, straw was employed for this, but nowadays it’s typically black vinyl sheets. The idea is to slowly and gradually decrease the amount of sunlight, and hence photosynthesis, by covering up more and more of the light allowed to shine on the plants.

The highest grade matcha is grown in near - darkness by the time harvest rolls around.

As a result of this decreased light, the tea leaves begin to crank out increasing amounts of both chlorophyll and amino acids: the newest growth is very, very delicate, with ever - softer and ever - thinner buds. This increased amino acid content serves to concentrate specific molecules, most of which are glutamates, which give the match its intense umami flavor profile. Great matcha is sweet and mouth - watery, with no traces of bitterness, because of this high amino acid content.

Only the smallest, youngest / greenest parts of the plant - the two leaves at the tip of each new shoot - are picked. They are then steamed to preserve the color and nutrients, and to stop the enzymatic action within the leaves, then thoroughly dried in large cages equipped with heated blowers.

Once dry, they are sorted for grade (with the youngest, greenest, most tender leaves earning the highest marks). Then the laborious and immensely time  -consuming task of destemming and deveining happens. The leaves that make it through this rigorous process are called tencha, and, of course, the quality of tenchavaries widely. Tencha is then kept refrigerated until it’s ready to be ground, using large granite wheels that rotate very slowly and gently to avoid scorching,  into a very fine powder known as matcha. It takes more than an hour to grind 30 grams, which is one of the reasons hand - milled matcha costs so much (labor costs are quite high in Japan). It is this grinding process from which matcha, literally, “ground tea” derives its name.

In the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), the method of making powdered tea from steam - prepared dried tea leaves, and preparing the beverage by whipping the tea powder and hot water together in a bowl became popular. Preparation and consumption of powdered tea was formed into a ritual by Chan or Zen Buddhists. The earliest extant Chan monastic code, entitled Chanyuan Qinggui, describes in detail the etiquette for tea ceremonies.

Zen Buddhism and the Chinese methods of preparing powdered tea were brought to Japan in 1191 by the monk Eisai. Although powdered tea has not been popular in China for some time, there is now a global resurgence in Matcha tea including in China. In Japan it continued to be an important item at Zen monasteries, and became highly appreciated by others in the upper echelons of society during the 14th through 16th centuries.

Prior to use, the matcha is often forced through a sieve in order to break up clumps. There are special sieves available for this purpose. A special wooden spatula is used to force the tea through the sieve, or a small, smooth stone may be placed on top of the sieve and the device shaken gently.

If the sieved matcha is to be served at a Japanese tea< served at a Japanese tea ceremony, it will then be placed into a small tea caddy known as a chaki.

A small amount of matcha is placed into the bowl, traditionally using a bamboo scoop called a chashaku, and then a modicum of hot (not boiling: 70 - 85 °C ) water is added. The mixture is then whisked to a uniform consistency, using a bamboo whisk known as a chasen. There must be no lumps left in the liquid, and no ground tea should remain on the sides of the bowl.

There are two main ways of preparing matcha: thick  (koicha) and thin (usucha).

It is usually considered that 40 g of matcha will provide for 20 bowls of usucha or 10 bowls of koicha.

Usucha, or thin tea, is prepared with approximately 1,75 grams (about half a teaspoon) of matcha and approximately 75 ml of hot water per serving.

Koicha, or thick tea, requires significantly more matcha (usually about doubling the powder and halving the water): approximately 3,75 grams (about one teaspoon) of matcha and approximately 40 ml of hot water per serving. Because the resulting mixture is significantly thicker (about like liquid honey), blending it requires a slower, stirring motion that does not produce foam. Koicha is normally made with more expensive matcha from older tea trees (exceeding thirty years) and, thus, produces a milder and sweeter tea than usucha.

Chemical structure:

Matcha is basically a form of whole green tea leaves with extra theanine and chlorophyll. Shaded growth produces more theanine and chlorophyll. That's why matcha is supposedly more effective for improving mental focus with its higher theanine content, looks very green with more chlorophyll and tastes softer without stems and veins.

The antioxidant catechins, especially EGCG in green tea leaves, is one of the main reasons that many health - conscious people consume green tea leaves or matcha specifically.

In addition to providing small amounts of vitamins and minerals, matcha is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols.