27th December 2008
I read about Koicha (thick version of Matcha powder green tea) before I came to Kyoto, today we tried the authentic green tea the Japanese way at Ippodo 一保堂. Ippodo basically just selling all sorts of tea leaves grown in Uji area, but it also has a adjunct tearoom called Kaboku 嘉木.
I ordered Seiun koicha as recommended by the waitress. The waitress brought me the tea set with quite a lot of green tea powder. Making koicha is definitely an art to learn and a taste to acquire, water has to be at 60C so I have to pour the hot water to a small cup to monitor the temperature and the pour bit by bit to the green tea powder to form a paste.
Then the tea needs to be whipped with a special bamboo whisk to mix the powder and the water to create a very thick texture like green paint or green yogurt, then the koicha is ready to serve with a wagashi.
It tastes very bitter and a bit salty but I actually like it especially with the wagashi gives the sweetness that balance the bitter after taste.
This time I didn't got the chance to choose the wagashi but it is just being served as the tea set was brought to our table, but today I am actually more into the mood for tea than the wagashi.
This wagashi looks not bad either.
After I finished the creamy koicha, more water is added to the left over koicha, and whisked further until a layer of smooth frothy bubbles are formed. This becomes an ordinary matcha that usually serves in the tearooms in Kyoto
The koicha costs around 10 Euro but this is a very worthwhile cultural experience and I am loving it.
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