Japan - Maccha Powder

It was in the 12th century, while studying in China, that Zen monks from Japan first encountered Tea. They greatly appreciated its intense taste but also its stimulating effect on the mind, which helped them in their long hours of meditation. It is for these qualities that they brought it back to Japan, where the originally Chinese way of drinking ground tea powder has been refined ever since.

In Japanese, Maccha means ground tea powder and nowadays it is a defining element of the Japanese tea ceremony. In this ceremony esthetics and elegance are combined with continuous improvement of oneself. Simultaneously, preparing tea is a highly refined ritual for the encounter between host and guests.

The spirit of tea is a spirit of peace and the culture of tea is a culture of hospitality. - Sen Sôhitsu XV, founder of the Urasenke Tea-school in Kyoto - In the recent past, Maccha has found many uses in the drinking of tea in today's Japan. It is drunk chilled in summer or with milk and has become a common ingredient in cooking and baking.