We've met our Matcha

High on our list of places to visit is Japan. With all the amazing designs and just the culture you see online, the allure of Japan is undeniable. We already love Japanese food so we need no convincing to hop on the next plane out of Singapore and head over. Fortunately for us, we have contributors and friends who are generous enough to share bits of their journey with us! Recently, Adinda from Wolves Table headed to Japan and here is a little slice of her trip.

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It's been two weeks since I came back from a 3 week trip to Japan. And Japan still has its powers over me. During my stay in Japan I ate and drank a lot of matcha and other tea related snacks, drinks and meals. I've always been a huge tea fan but my trip to Japan really thought me a lot about different kinds and flavors of tea and I experienced my first Japanese matcha tea ceremony. 

During my stay, I bought myself a chasen (a handmade bamboo whisk) and a lot's of pretty matcha-chawan's (Japanese tea bowls). Because: one can never have enough tea bowls, or anything Japanese and ceramic related (duh).

More Matcha this way..

Making matcha is really easy and I enjoy drinking it so much. It's really healthy for you too: it's high in antioxidants, it relaxes your body and mind and it boosts memory and concentration. So if you, like me, can't wait to make your own bowl of matcha tea, here's how to do it:

Step 1: Firstly, collect your matcha accessories: the bamboo whisk, a tea bowl, a tea cup, a measuring handle, a tea strainer and of course, the matcha powder.

Step 2: To brew 1 cup or matcha tea, scoop 2 grams or 1 1/2 teaspoons of matcha powder into your tea strainer.

Step 3: Sift the matcha powder into a tea bowl, make sure there are no clumps so your tea will be smooth.

Step 4: Pour about 2 ounces of boiling water into an empty teacup to let the water cool down and let it sit for 1 minute.

Step 5: Now pour the hot water into the tea bowl with the matcha powder.

Step 6: Use your chasen to whisk the tea and the water together: relax your wrist, then whisk in a gentle circular motion for thin, smooth tea, and in a brisk "M" or "W"-shaped motion for foamy tea. Whisk for about 10–15 seconds until the tea is bright green.

Step 7: Carefully pour your matcha into a teacup.

Step 8: Make sure to drink it right after you've prepared it—the powder will settle at the bottom after a while.

For more gorgeous shots from Adinda's trip to Japan, here's her post about her time in Nara. Thank you for sharing this quick recipe with us. We're craving some matcha too!

.. Wolves Table