Caffeine has never been a friend of mine. I’m a decaffeinated guy – always have been. When regular coffee or tea enters my system, my hands start shaking, my heart starts palpitating, and it’s a big hot mess. Words start pouring out of my mouth in rapid-fire fashion and suddenly no one around me can handle it. I almost had to leave work for the afternoon because a stupid Starbucks barista once made my coffee with caffeine. It’s just not a good feeling, and in four and a half decades I’ve largely avoided the stimulant at all costs.
That said, I’m not naive to think that I can’t have any caffeine – it’s in far more places than some of us realize (hello chocolate) and even in the most decaffeinated products there is still some present. There have also been times when I’ve been given regular coffee or tea and managed to survive without extreme effects. So when I did some reading up on matcha, and how the caffeine is reportedly released slowly over time instead of in a massive jolt that one gets in coffee, I decided to give it a try.
Having been a fan of matcha-flavored items for a while, I did some research and it seemed that the ceremonial grade matcha was the best for drinking straight – something I wanted to do rather than dilute or modify it with milk or honey. I’d already had the chasen from some decaf matcha experiences, and I found a recommended brand of regular matcha from Ippodo Tea.
Following recommendations from various online sources, I sifted a small amount of matcha, then added a coupe of ounces of water that had been boiled and cold slightly. Using quick stirring motions in an ‘M’ or ‘Z’ pattern, I mixed in the matcha powder with the water until there were no discernible lumps (also why the sifting is an important part of the process).
From there, I added the rest of the water and stirred it well. The color was a deep, earthy green, matching the taste. It wasn’t bitter, and it wasn’t sweet. There was very much an umami thing going on – hints of the sea were more prevalent than anticipated – and the earthiness was palpable. I can see why many don’t take to it right away, but I loved it. Definitely part of the fall repertoire going forward.
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves–slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
