Pure Matcha powder from white leaves,White Powder.

White Matcha tea is high in nutrients and perfect for any occasion. It's beautiful bright beige color and wonderful taste make it great for every day of the week. Drinking it so often can make it somewhat boring after a while. To keep your White Matcha tea exciting and always something you look forward to, let's explore some ways to prepare it.

Traditional:

As a hot tea, White Matcha's penetrating smell and amazing flavor really come to life. To enjoy White Matcha as a hot tea:

1. Bring your White Matcha powder to room temperature [18°C (64°F) to 23°C (73°F)], and sift through a strainer.
2. Scoop 1 ½ to 2 rounded teaspoons of sifted White Matcha into a tea bowl or cup
3. Add ¼ to 1/3 cup of hot, simmering water (this may be more or less diluted based on your preference).
4. Briskly whisk your White Matcha. As the Matcha begins to dissolve, move the whisk briskly back and forth as fast as you can in the middle of the bowl or cup. The whisk should be vertical and barely touching the bottom of the bowl or cup. Once your Matcha has developed a soft, light foam, slowly lift the whisk from the center of the bowl or cup.
5. Enjoy your frothy, healthy cup of hot White Matcha Gree tea!

Traditional with a chill:

1. White Matcha is excellent as a chilled or iced tea, perfect for hot summer days and when you're on the run. To prepare chilled or iced White Matcha-
2. Get a 16 oz water bottle or glass that accomodates 16 oz.
3. Measure ¼ teaspoon (or more if you like) into the bottle or cup with 16 oz of cold water. If you've opened a new bottle, be sure to sip a little so you don't overfill it!
4. Shake or stir vigorously to dissolve the White Matcha powder.
5. Drink immediately, pour over ice or refrigerate.
6. If desired, add a sugar substitute or honey to sweeten it to y our liking.

I have a bit of a soft spot for Red Leaf Tea. When I first started my stint with Teaviews three years ago, their wares were among the first I tried. Blue Moon was the first black tea blend I ever truly loved. Before that, I didn't even know I could like black tea. It was a game changer for me. A little less than a year ago, I also had a chance to sample their rather extensive Earl Grey line - most of which met with approval, pinkies up. Never thought I'd try a "pu-Earl" and like it.

Now I had a chance to dip into their entries in the ever-competitive matcha market, and I must say...they have yet again outdone themselves in terms of variety. Where most vendors only offer one or two types - usually kitchen or ceremonial grade - Red Leaf has twenty-seven (and counting) to choose from. In true form for me, the first I went for out of the sipping gate was the White Matcha.

This marks the second white matcha that has graced my miso soup bowl. The first was an offering from Kenya. For the most part, I liked it, but it tasted nothing like white tea. It was robust and nutty, like someone stone-ground barley and served it. However, I was still happy with it; I didn't even think white matcha existed anywhere else. Maybe it was the Tea Gods shining on me, but now there were two.

Red Leaf's White Matcha differed from the African variety by a fair margin. The color was the same - khaki beige-to-brown - but the aroma was far different. Whereas the other reminded me of a sweeter slippery elm powder, Red Leaf's smelled like...well...white tea - mildly nutty but floral. Even regular matcha differs a bit from regular green tea in scent. There was no mention on Red Leaf's exhaustive product description as to where this was made. As such, it was difficult to judge regional differences accurately.

With my matcha sample, Red Leaf also sent an adorable wooden spoon. In my early days of matcha-makin', I would've been glad for its presence. However, I had since moved on to using an actual chashaku (Japanese bamboo tea scoop) for a standard prep. Chasen, chashaku; I was almost preparing matcha traditionally. Almost. I still had yet to get the much-lauded ceramic bowl. A cheap, plastic miso soup bowl did me just fine.

I decided to prepare this in a koicha (thick tea) style, using 4 chashaku-scoops worth of white tea powder to a little less than 4oz of 165F water. Before pouring in the hot water, though, I trickled some cold into the bowl and pre-sifted the powder to remove unwanted clumps. After a vigorous, forty-five-second whisking, the light-brown liquor frothed up magnificently. The sign of a quality product.

As for flavor, there really isn't much to say beyond a simple word, "Awesome." It tasted exactly as one'd expect a white matcha to taste, like white tea but thicker. I imagined a Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) latte for some reason. The thicker consistency played up the slighter melon aspects a bit more on the front, but the floral notes maintained dominion over the rest of the body. And the best part, it was smooth from the start, never presenting a vegetal kick-back like some regular matchas do. If there was one minor gripe, it was a bit dry on the finish. However, compared to the rest of the experience, I'll deal with it.

Geoff
Teaviews.com Reviewer

Red Leaf Tea products are not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or medical condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Please consult your doctor before starting ANY exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.

Furthermore, none of the statements in this web site should be construed as dispensing medical advice, making claims regarding the cure of diseases.

You should consult a licensed health care professional before starting any supplement, dietary program, especially if you are pregnant or have any preexisting injuries or medical conditions.