▪ To obtain matcha, young shoots picked from tea plants which are deprived of light for several weeks. ▪ These then go through processing stages for green tea before the leaves are ground into a fine powder in stone grinders. ▪ The powder is then diluted in hot water by whisking energetically with bamboo utensil. ▪ When drunk, the tea leaves are directly absorbed, producing the distinctive taste of matcha and the numerous benefits absorbed by the body.

▪ Matcha was introduced by Japanese monks in the 12th century ▪ Matcha is prepared by crushing the leaves to a powder as fine as flour, then whisking into hot water in a bowl. ▪ Very stimulating due to its high theine content, matcha was the perfect accom paniment to meditation, to remain alert and focused for hours on end. ▪ Perhaps hence, Samurai warriors began drinking Matcha in 13th century

▪ The practice of whisking tea remained firmly rooted in Japanese society ▪ It became one of the pillars of the Cha No Yu, the tea ceremony. ▪ This ceremony formalises the connec tions between tea, Buddhism and the different tea schools. ▪ This led Matcha to gain a new symbolic and mystical significance, and the tea gradually became a national treasure.