Meet Your Matcha

This sent me scurrying to my cupboard where, several months ago, I’d placed (and then neglected), a ceremonial-grade four-piece tea set that I’d received as a present. I nearly re-gifted it twice but decided that the beautiful small glass bowl was worth holding onto. But what about that frilly little bamboo whisk, the tin of green powder, and the promises of a long life? Shelved…until now, when a matcha tea expert found me on the web.
In distinct bursts of enthusiastic persuasion, Catalin Zorzini (creator of matcha-tea.com) convinced me to try it. Was I the last person on earth to succumb? While matcha has become super-trendy among food blogs and restaurants over the past couple of years, its popularity has evolved over centuries. Zen monks drank it for de-stressing and increasing mindfulness, while others relied on it for enhancing energy levels, improving concentration, or optimizing overall health. These days I’m seeing matcha everywhere I turn — in delicate pastries and macarons, in seafood sauces, fettuccine, breakfast pancakes, and in creative drinks – one of which I tried this week (a “mocktail” made with coconut milk, matcha and mint), at the opening of a fabulous new NYC restaurant called “Beyond Sushi.” There even are matcha Oreos available in Japan.