Hello everyone, Today I come with a glass of fresh green tea and Matcha Cake. Yup! Both are derived from Green tea. Matcha and green tea have similarities that come from the same plant, called: Camellia Sinensis, both of which are also processed as green tea. However, that's where the process of their similarity ends.
The main difference lies in the way the tea plant is cultivated and the way the leaves are processed. Both cause matcha to have a much higher nutritional content than other types of tea. It also produces a unique taste that doesn't appeal to everyone.
Between matcha and green tea lie in the way the tea is grown and processed, the way it is prepared for consumption, the nutritional benefits, and the price. The first difference between matcha and green tea lies in the source of the plant.
The production process is very different between matcha and green tea, from the planting stage to the manufacturing and packaging process. Matcha originates from Japan, where the plant goes through various stages before it is ready for consumption.
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The leaves are shaded from direct sunlight with a black tarp before the harvest phase in mid-May. This period can last up to 3 weeks, increasing the chlorophyll and antioxidant levels in the plant.
With less sunlight to convert into energy, plants produce more chlorophyll to make better use of the limited sunlight they get. The added chlorophyll gives it its iconic lush green hue, which is a much brighter color than tea leaves.
This lack of sunlight also causes a burst of nutrients, amino acids, and flavor in tea leaves. The leaves are harvested by hand, steamed to stop the fermentation process, dried, and then turned into a powder using a granite grinder.
Most green tea leaves are not grown in the shade. Once harvested, the leaves are steamed or roasted to stop the oxidation process, although they are allowed to oxidize slightly to give them a more delicious taste.
They can be infused with fruits, flowers, or spices for added zest, rolled up, and then completely dried before packaging. The leaves are packed in tea bags or boxes to keep them fresh longer. The leaves are soaked in hot water to extract their flavor and nutrients, but the leaves themselves are not consumed.
Meanwhile, matcha is further processed. Instead of being packaged whole, they are ground into a fine powder. This powder is dissolved in water to make tea.
In the terms of price, sometimes matcha will be more expensive than green tea. Even though they are both made from green tea, matcha cakes and green tea are the right combination.
Matcha Cakes are sprinkled with red beans, so when eaten occasionally they will bite into the sprinkles. The taste is quite right, because it is not too sweet, according to my taste which is currently reducing sweet foods. The texture is also dense, so filling.
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I bought the Matcha cakes at a nearby pastry shop near the market, where I work. For 1 box of cake, it costs NT$ 150 or the equivalent of US$ 5.5. I make this cake as a snack after breaking the fast.
That's all my story about "Matha Cakes and Fresh Green Tea". Thanks for stopping and reading. I am very happy to be able to share my experiences life as an Indonesian in Taiwan. See you in the next post. May we all always be given health and prosperity always.
About Author
Welcome to Etty's Small Corner Hive Blog. She is an Indonesian who currently working and studying in Taiwan. Writing is her passion and managed to carve the achievement. Her writings that won in Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants (TLAM) 2017 with the title “RED” adopted to Movie and displayed on Taiwan TV by 2020.
She won an essay competition race with the theme of education at the Indonesian economic trade office, Taipei in 2019. and won two awards and two trophies in TLAM 2020. The first champion of the Essai migrant workers of Taiwan by 2021. Her solo book was published in 2015. She is also a writer in an Indonesian language redaction in Taiwan.
Contak Person: E-mail: etimelati18@gmail.com II Discord: Etty Diallova#9230.