I am sitting on a tatami mat. My legs start tingling but I barely notice it. My surroundings are so beautiful I can hardly perceive anything else. Outside the open screen windows there is a perfectly landscaped garden with stone lanterns and small stone bridges over a pond inhabited by black, orange and white koi. On the low table in front of me, a bowl of frothy matcha and a sweet rice treat. I am in Kyoto and I am never going to leave.

This was last year but I promised I will go back. Here you can find my Kyoto travel diary.

Matcha Kan-no-shiro, Ippodo Tea, Kyoto, Japan

Tea Name: Matcha Kan-no-shiro
Origin: Japan
Ingredients: powdered green tea
Water Temperature: 176 F / 80 C
Preparation Method: matcha tea bowl (matcha-chawan) and bamboo tea whisk (chasen)
Powder/Water Ratio: 2 grams, 2 oz / 60 ml filtered water (Brita)

EYE
powder: bright green, impalpable
liquor: bright forest green, thick persistent foam which has the color of the powder

NOSE
powder: sweet butter, cocoa butter, brioche bread
liquor: grassy, cocoa butter

PALATE
liquor: umami, grassy, smooth but slightly astringent in the aftertaste

MOUTHFEEL: smooth, long finish lingers in your mouth

FOOD PAIRING: matcha is very versatile and can be paired easily especially with desserts. Here I've paired it with fresh Mission figs and prosciutto di Parma, uncured ham from Italy. I love the way this matcha complemented the whole flavor palette; on the one hand, we have sweet, grassy figs, on the other hand, we have salty, slightly fatty prosciutto. This matcha, grassy and umami, helps cleaning the palate from fat and sweetness with its slight astringency. Stay tuned for another matcha pairing in the next post.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: its umami level almost reminded me of gyokuro. Very smooth. I am enchanted by its smell. Addictive. 

Dear fellow tea lovers, how do you store your matcha? Any thoughts on storing matcha in the fridge? I store my gyokuro in the fridge, but I am not sure about matcha. Please leave a comment down below. I am looking forward to reading it!

Disclaimer: I was not asked to review this product. This is my honest opinion. I am not affiliated with Ippodo nor with the manufacturer of this product.