Appropriated

Coffee is one of the many things our government once told us was harmful - along with eggs, milk, butter, marijuana, video games and wearing short skirts, not in any particular order of importance or seriousness. Now we know that coffee is full of antioxidants and is actually good for us, even possibly increasing our lifespan. Eggs, milk and butter are whole foods, far better for us than artificial foods. I tried smoking the devil's weed in college but that only lasted a short while because I simply did not appreciate the effects, especially the side effect of federal prison for possession, and worse. Long before the government discovered coffee was good for us, I gave up my daily habit for a serious Stash brand Chai Spice tea habit. Stash's recipe is not the traditional chai but has been Americanized to be bland and homogeneous, to appeal to the highest number of people with the least amount of expensive spices possible. Profit margin and all that. It is my favorite tea.

Tea is one of the oldest beverages known to man and is of such value to human beings that it has very long, mysterious history including food, drink, medicine, ritual and ceremony. Once you find a gateway tea, you are sure to become addicted and move to the more powerful and exotic forms. Green tea is apparently the most beneficial for humans. Being a Kansan - living Kansan, speaking Kansan, thinking Kansan my entire life, there has been little exposure to the highest quality tea, the connoisseur levels of tea consumption that I was always certain existed. A few moments of research on the internet revealed sources for the best quality teas, all of which were incredibly expensive. I never spent the money. I was content to simply visit the different sites and daydream. That is where I first learned of matcha green tea. It is used in the Japanese tea ceremony. I have come across mention of the Japanese tea ceremony many times in my decades of reading. It was always a simple cultural reference and never an in-depth explanation of its significance. Though it still intrigues me, it does not matter because elements of the Japanese tea ceremony have now been appropriated by the West, thanks to the proven health benefits of matcha tea.

To satisfy my curiosity, I recently ordered matcha with my last order of Chai from the Stash company. It came in a tiny little can - one gram - and cost $20. Wow. I have had a cup of matcha tea every morning since. It has made a difference in how I feel, taking the edge from all the inflammation and pain in my joints. I hope it has a cumulative effect and that my condition continues to improve. Amazingly, it took about a month to consume a gram of matcha. It is green, like algae, and is so finely ground that it wisps away like jade-green smoke if I am not careful.

To prepare, use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of matcha in a bowl or cup large enough to allow for vigorous whisking. Bring water just to boil, and then let stand for 3 minutes before pouring over the tea. Whisk until a consistent creamy froth covers the surface. It is not for sipping but to be consumed in about three swallows. If allowed to stand for any length of time, it settles to the bottom and that last drink is bitter and unpleasant.

I assumed that being Stash tea, my first matcha was of reasonable quality but surely not the top of the line quality, and I assumed correctly. I researched for the best quality and decided to order from the Encha company. I do not know how authentic their processes are but they certainly have the best marketing for Americans - at least for a Kansan. I can get organic ceremonial grade matcha on a subscription service, so that is what I did.

I started using the Encha tea this week and I am most pleasantly surprised. There is no bitter aftertaste in the Encha product. It is not sweet as one expert advised excellent matcha should be, but it is not bitter at all. I also indulged myself and purchased Encha's "authentic" Japanese tea ceremonial kit, which included a beautiful ceramic water bowl. It is lovely despite it being decorated as an interpretation of their company logo, I think. There is a little bamboo "spoon", which works a bit better than the plastic measuring spoon I was using. Best of all is the handmade bamboo whisk. I found a wonderful video showing how the bamboo whisks are made. It takes a couple of years to grow and collect the correct bamboo. Then it is aged and finally, it takes hours of hand labor! I used mine only once then put it up because the whisks are not long-lived. I keep it as a tiny, traditional work of art, I guess. I use a small wire whisk to prepare my tea each morning. It probably puts the incorrect type of chi into the tea, but this is Kansas after all. Chi is not one of our concerns (though perhaps it should be).

I assume the Japanese Tea Ceremony is a specific way to honor particular aspects of life. Even if I knew exactly how and why and when to perform the traditional ceremony, it likely would not translate into Kansan all that well. Some things are simply best left in the hands of those who created them.