Matcha was also used by monks as a meditation aid: it was much easier to stay awake during meditation after a bowl of matcha. They prepared bowls of matcha, as both metaphors for mindfulness in preparation and body movements and to simply enjoy one another’s company over tea in the simplest environment imaginable: a tiny, unadorned hut made just for enjoying the simplicity of a cup of well-made tea. Monks in 12th-century (and onward) Japan did something very similar. He called it “matcha.” He was in retrospect using very inexpensive, very bitter matcha, but I couldn’t know that at the time, and it couldn’t have mattered less what mattered was sitting with him in a tiny room and absorbing his remarkable energy and knowledge about zen. One of the monks, an exceedingly kind New Zealander named John, would patiently put up with my incessant questioning over a bowl of very strange tea, a viscous and VERY bitter brew he whipped with a weird-looking bamboo whisk. I was deeply interested in the lives of the monks why did they elect to sit there for a few hours a day in zazen (sitting meditation), shave their heads, wear black robes, and cook the way they cooked? What led them there? (A dozen years later, Leonard Cohen began practicing zen there, which really put Mt. It was an extraordinary day on many levels, and it’s fair to say that it led to a life-long involvement and fascination with Japan, the Japanese language, Japanese food, and zen buddhism, including a 16-year stay in Japan. It was a simple lunch of brown rice, miso soup, and pickled vegetables, none of which I’d ever had before (I grew up in rural northeaster PA, and no one ever served brown rice, miso, or pickled vegetables). They were incredibly nice to me, and invited me to lunch. Inside were a bunch of bald people in black robes cooking. Baldy and spotted some sparse-looking small buildings, and decided to go check them out. Baldy Zen Center, a working zen monastery in the San Gabriel mountains, east of Los Angeles.
When I was 19 years old I stumbled, quite literally, into the Mt. I’ve talked about the origins of matcha and its deep connections with zen buddhism on this site before, but I thought I might share a personal story. Like now, when I'm seeing endless features about "stocking stuffers" with prices that start at $25. Or you can just buy the little tools, one or all three.įull disclosure: Gower comped me the tea and tools earlier this year but I held off on writing about them until it seemed less extravagant. Or you can spend more and get the ideal cups, too. The basic set comprises the tea and the bamboo scoop, strainer and aerator to produce a perfect cup, along with the bonus of matcha salt (which itself is a genius combination). The matcha by itself would be gift enough, since it's justifiably priced almost like drugs, at $45 to $105 for a 30-gram tin. And it's fun to make, like a little green cappuccino. But the brewed tea is smooth and almost nutty/rich tasting, with zero bitterness. Turns out my photos couldn't do it justice, but this deep green powder is exceptional I can eat it off my finger.
#BREAKAWAY MATCHA FULL#
If you know anyone worthy of spectacular green tea, Eric Gower of the very creative Breakaway Cook has exquisite gift sets for full matcha indulgence. Maybe I can get away with just giving advice for Christmas.
0 kommentar(er)
