Matcha

Matcha is a Japanese-style green tea grown under shade before harvest, then steamed, dried and stone-ground into a fine powder. Instead of steeping and removing leaves, you whisk the powder directly into hot water, so you end up drinking the whole leaf rather than an extraction of it.

Shading the plants before picking raises chlorophyll and amino acid levels, which is part of why matcha looks bright green and tastes rounder and less bitter than a typical steeped green tea. Because the whole leaf is consumed, quality and freshness matter more with matcha than with most other teas.

When buying, ceremonial grade is meant to be whisked plain and prizes color, aroma and smoothness, while culinary grade is a fine choice for lattes or baking where other ingredients balance the flavor. A common mistake is using boiling water, which scorches the delicate powder and brings out bitterness, along with skipping the sifting step that prevents clumps.