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Video length: 4 min
Gastronomy: in Japan, matcha is cooked in all its forms
Gastronomy: in Japan, matcha is cooked in all its forms
(France 2)
Saturday, June 15, the series “Les petits petits dishes dans l’screen” takes us to Japan in the footsteps of matcha, a green tea reduced to powder which is enjoying phenomenal popularity in France. This green powder does not infuse, it can be whipped and it can even result in excellent pastries.
It’s an essential flavor in Japan: matcha. On the archipelago, only a handful of growers produce high quality matcha. Its color and its antioxidant properties have made it famous. In Nishio prefecture south of Tokyo, more than 80,000 tonnes are produced. “To cultivate this tea, we protect the leaves from the sun’s rays with black nets. (…) Thanks to this method, the bitterness disappears and the sugar content increases”, explains Yoichiro Okuya, manager of the Nishio tea association. Growing matcha requires constant attention.
Matcha is said to have arrived in the archipelago 1000 years ago. Initially medicinal, it was transformed into a drink. In Tokyo, you can find it in all its forms: drinks, ice cream, chocolate bars or cheesecakes. In a French patisserie in the capital, the chef has been cooking matcha for 30 years. In particular, he prepares tcha, a Franco-Japanese pastry.
