Being a fan of The Republic of Tea Double Green Matcha, which is a mix of green tea leaves and a small amount of matcha powder, I decided to try The Republic of Tea Matcha, which is 100% stone ground Japanese tencha leaf tea. If you are looking for a readily available matcha tea, this one is available online and in many grocery stores so it should be fairly easy to obtain and add to your collection.
On first taste of this tea you may agree it has a very striking and savory vegetal component with only a slight creaminess and a mildly discernible sweetness (noticeable ONLY if you pay close attention!). This tea requires careful attention to water temperature, as with most green tea. Although the label instructs us to heat the water to “just before boiling” (which is slightly vague), if you go anywhere near 212F you will end up with a fairly bitter cup of tea. Water too hot for delicate green tea extracts more of the bitter components (tannins) naturally present in tea leaves.
When I first made a cup of this tea, I used a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of matcha with 185F water, and it was WAY too bitter. After reducing the matcha powder to an even 1/2 teaspoon for 6-7 oz of water, and reducing the water temperature to around 170F, the cup was much more enjoyable to drink. Having said that, this matcha would best be used in smoothies, green tea lattes, and green tea recipes.
Overall, The Republic of Tea Matcha is a very straightforward, basic, savory and vegetal matcha which is good, but possibly best as a base of your smoothie or other green tea recipe.
If you are looking for a super creamy earthy matcha with more sweetness, consider one of my favorites- DoMatcha Organic Ceremonial Matcha .
Relative amounts of caffeine in various beverages
- Decaf Black Tea
- Coffee
- Decaf Coffee
- Green Tea*
- Black Tea
- Matcha Green Tea*
*worth noting is that theanine (an amino acid) in green tea antagonizes the effect of its caffeine which results in a slow, steady energy boost rather than the “caffeine jitters” experienced by some when consuming caffeine from coffee or other beverages. Read more about the differences between green tea and black tea.
How to make matcha green tea
If you are new to preparing and drinking matcha tea, here is a link where you can read about how to make matcha tea at home.
A quick recap for Republic of Tea Matcha:
Quantity
Most likely you may find anything greater than 1/2 teaspoon per cup of this matcha tea powder too overwhelming for this particular tea when consumed as a prepared cup of tea rather than as a ingredient in another food or drink (smoothies, etc.). The ideal quantity is around an even 1/2 teaspoon per 6-7 oz of 170F water.
Temperature
The recommended brewing temperature on the package is “just below boiling” but heating water anywhere close to 212 F (boiling) will produce a cup too bitter for the average person! To prepare a cup of this matcha, use water around 170 degrees Fahrenheit for best results.
Other uses
This is a great matcha for almost any green tea recipe that uses either matcha powder or a cup of prepared green tea as an ingredient. You can try it in smoothies, green tea ice cream, and green tea lattes.