Friday, February 19, 2010

Victoria Tea Festival: DoMatcha


One has seen this matcha around town but wrote it off as one of those mass produced, gimmicky, health store stocked varieties. Couldn't be more wrong... except for the 'health store stalked' part. Based out of Vancouver, DoMatcha seems to be a regular fixture at health stores on the island but is almost completely shutout of the tearooms here due to a local matcha company that one will post about soon.

When one approached the Domatcha booth at the 2010 Tea Festival, modesty and kindness prevailed from the calm minded exhibitor. She whisked up some of the Ceremonial Matcha and Master's Choice Matcha (these cheesy matcha names added to the feeling of 'gimmicy tea'). Quite surprisingly, both teas were quite respectable.

It turns out that the famous matcha companies Shohokuen and Marukyu-Koyamaen are responsible for their matcha. DoMatcha even has a rich tea history that included the support of teamaster Kinroku Handa.

Not bad tea at all.

Peace

11 comments:

Bret said...

Thats good to hear. I have always avoided buying these teas for the same reasons you mentioned (overpriced, mass produced, poor quality) etc. But now I may give them a try.

Matt said...

Brett,

Felt kinda close-minded for not giving them a chance. You need some kinda filter though.

Before running into the DoMatcha booth one visited another Vancouver matcha dealer that actually was that health store stocked, gimmicky, overpriced, mass produced, poor quality stuff.

Think this is a rare health food store find!

Peace

Matt said...

Edward,

One agrees with you. Tea is always the cheapest at the source.

There was a festival special price on the Master's Choice Matcha. It was 50% off so one picked a tin up and will post about it in a few days.

Apparently this tea is some sort of special production, different from Koyamaen's regular offerings. But it tasted quite a bit like MK's Kinrin.

Peace

Petr Novák said...

Hi Matt,

Please,
I have one question in macha topic and I would like to ask you, with your Korean experiences, to help me to find some answers…

Several years ago our county visited Korean tea master (I ma not sure about his name) and he demonstrated Korean tea ceremony in several tearooms around a country. I have seen his “demo” and drunk his amazing Nok-cha. And he also prepared Macha but he put to the Chawan not only macha but also one chesaku of powdered ginseng. He told us “this is how we Korean drink Macha” And it was really interesting taste.

So when I have visited Korea for a first time I was looking for this custom in there. But I have not found mention of it. I have asked people who prepared macha for me and than people who sell ginseng and still nothing. But may be I asked wrong way…When I visited Korea next time I met Japanese gay who was selling Japanese and Korean teas of Chassabal festival in Mungyeong and there I found a macha with 5% of ginseng inside – eureka! The Japanese gay told me that they are making this macha only for Korean market. It was great. I love it so I have bought may be ten cans of it for me and for my friends and all macha drinkers enjoyed this kind of variegation. I loved (it is drunk out now) it for its complexity and It feels more like potion for your body and mind than like mach us I know it…

So question is: Do you know something about this ginseng-macha combination? About tradition of it, if tea people you know or you met use macha like this?

Thank you
Be happy

Petr

Matt said...

Petr,

Adding a chesaku of powdered ginseng to the matcha is definitely a unique way that Koreans consume matcha. Don't know exactly when it started in Korea but some Koreans swear by it. If very old growth ginseng is used, the interaction of the qi of the ginseng with that of the chaqi is amazing.

From an energetic perspective the properties of green tea is bitter, sweet, cool, and has a sedative affect. Green tea comes from the wood. The properties of ginseng is bitter, sweet, warm, and has an excitive affect. Ginseng is a root. The combination of these properties compliment eachother brilliantly, mixed ginseng supports and compliments the green tea enhancing its total affect. The sum is greater than its parts. It is great for general health of the body and mind.

Some purist Koreans prefer not mixing their matcha and ginseng and have a tea bowl dedicated to just pure powered ginseng. Most Korean's mix a lower grade matcha with ginseng because it tends to overshadow its flavour. It is important that they use a different tea bowl because this very different taste (and qi) can permeate into the porous tea bowl.

Thanks for bring this interesting Korean tradition up Petr.

Peace

Brett said...

I had this same experience when I visited DoMatcha at world tea expo last year. It was delicious and I had a hard time deciding if I liked them or AOI more... I eventually decided on AOI's with DoMAtcha's a very very close second.

Matt said...

Brett,

IOA how is their matcha?

Peace

Matt said...

Brett,

... AOI?

Peace

Brett said...

AOI's matcha is fantastic in my opinion and it has been well received at the tea shop I manage here in Seattle.

I was looking for a new matcha option when I was down in Las Vegas for the world tea expo... and after I did some calculations I decided it was a bit easier and cheaper for me to go with AOI because they're in the USA (California) even though Vancouver is geographically much closer, importing matcha from Canada would certainly provide me w/ some additional fees and shipping hassles.

aaron said...

Hello, I was wondering what is the best way to get the health benefits of matcha: hot water or just putting it in cold water and mixing?


Matt said...

Aaron,

Hot or cold, you get the same benefits! Both cases you are imbibing the whole leaf so it isn't at all a matter of extraction that would be of concern with loose teas.

Peace