Red Matcha: A new type of Japanese powdered tea years in the making

Soon you’ll be able to enjoy a very different type of Japanese tea ceremony.

These days, matcha sweets and chocolates can be found all around the world, but before the powdered green tea became so popular overseas, it had been widely enjoyed in Japan as part of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony for centuries.

One defining feature of powdered green tea is its ability to froth up, creating a light and airy drink that’s almost creamy in texture, with a delightfully fresh taste and aroma.

These characteristics set matcha apart from other types of green teas, and black teas as well, but now a Japanese company is stirring things up with the release of a brand new, never-before-seen variety called Aka Matcha, which translates to Red Powdered Green Tea.

Created by Kamada Tea Industry, which manufactures and sells Japanese tea, the Red Matcha gets its name from the fact that it’s made from black tea, known as “koucha” (literally “red tea“) in Japanese due to its deep red colour.

▼ Kamada Tea Industry describes the new product as matcha x koucha, as it contains all the rich, deep flavours of koucha, served up in powdered form.

The powdered tea is designed to be used in the same way as ordinary matcha, with hot water and a tea whisk helping to create light bubbles and an irresistible froth.

The resulting beverage is a smooth and airy black tea that’s flavourful and surprisingly creamy, despite not containing any milk.

That doesn’t mean the powder shouldn’t be used with milk, though, as the addition of dairy is said to bring out even creamier flavours, especially when used in lattes, which have the potential to become the frothiest creations you’ve ever seen!

▼ The Aka Matcha can be used to make desserts like cakes as well, for the perfect tea break.

According to Kamada Tea, the new product is more than just powdered black tea, as it’s been specially developed through years of research and experimentation. Using domestically sourced tea leaves, Kamada was eventually able to perfect a special manufacturing method to draw out the flavours and produce an ideal balance in taste.

This attention to detail and quality processing means the product isn’t cheap, with prices starting at 5,400 yen (US$49.40) for a 30-gram (one-ounce) tin, which includes a bamboo tea whisk and stand.

The Aka Matcha is currently being offered through a crowdfunding campaign, which has proven to be so popular it’s already exceeded its target goal of 200,000 yen (US$1,838), collecting over 1.17 million yen as of this writing.

With 46 days left in the campaign, it looks like the product will get a commercial release in the near future, which is great news for those of us wanting to make epic Red Matcha rice cooker pancakes!

Source: Makuake/nozomi-kamada via Japaaan 
Images: Makuake/nozomi-kamada
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