May 2018 be a good year for you all!
Matcha bowls, or chawan, are beautifully decorated bowls that are used to make matcha.
Four seasons play a big role in Japanese culture and matcha bowls are no exception. In summer, you should choose a chawan that looks cool and in winter, a warm looking one.
If the bowl has a flower pattern on it, you should be careful when to use it. You should not use a bowl with a flower that is out of season. For example, a bowl with cherry blossoms should not be used in summer or a bowl with fall foliage in spring. Also, you should avoid using it right in the full bloom season. Japanese believe that the flower pattern on the bowl cannot compete the beauty of the real flower. It is always a good idea to use chawan with flowers that are just a bit ahead of season. The same applies to patterns of kimono.
There are lots of written/unwritten rules like this in Japanese culture. It can be too much or unreasonable sometimes, but trying to enjoy and understand them is valuable. The rules like these are what make Japanese culture rich, complex and interesting.
Matcha Fuji no Haru–Ceremonial Grade
Matcha Mochiko Cake
Mochiko is sweet rice flour. The cake made with mochiko has a unique mochi-like texture. Great fit for gluten intolerant folks. Find the mochiko and red bean paste at Asian grocers.
Ingredients
- ½ lb mochi flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon matcha
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ lb red bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven for 350°F. In a bowl, mix the mochi flour, baking powder and matcha powder
- In another bowl, beat the eggs with electric mixer for about two minutes
- To the eggs, add the milk and vegetable oil and mix well. Add the sugar and the flour mixture and mix until smooth, using the electric mixer
- Pour the batter into an about 8" x 10"cake pan. Drop the red bean paste here and there. The batter should cover the red bean paste
- Bake for 50 minutes
In Japanese, each month has an ancient name and December is called “shiwasu＝師走.” The first letter 師 means “monk, teacher and master” and the second letter 走 means “to run.”
In ancient Japan, the monks and teachers were highly ranked and admired by regular people. Usually, they would be wise, calm and serene.
But toward the end of the year, everybody becomes busy. The monks and teachers are no exceptions. So the anciant people in Japan named the last month of the year “shiwasu,” that means even the masters would run.
Now we are near the end of shiwasu. Everyone must be busy, running around! Take a moment to make some tea and relax!
December 15th is International Tea Day!
Did you know that 3,000,000,000 tons of tea is produced worldwide each year? And 1,520,000 pounds of tea is consumed in the U.S. every day. (source: Statistic Brain).
Let’s have a cup to celebrate the special day!
Matcha Mousse
Ingredients
- 1 packet (7g) gelatin
- 1½ Tablespoons water
- 1Tablespoon matcha
- 2 Tablespoons boiling water
- ½ cup milk
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 1 egg white
- ½ Tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- ) Dissolve the gelatin powder in 1½ Tbsp of water and set it aside.
- ) Dissolve matcha in 2 Tbsp boiling water and set aside.
- ) Heat the milk in a pan and dissolve the 2 Tbsp sugar.
- ) Dissolve the gelatin in the milk. Add the dissolved matcha to the milk and mix well.
- ) Whip the heavy cream and set aside.
- ) Add ½ Tbsp of sugar to the egg white and beat well until stiff peaks form when the beaters are lifted.
- ) Add the whipped heavy cream and the egg whites to the milk mixture and mix well.
- ) Pour the mixture into cups or glasses and chill them for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
- *Decorate with whipped cream and matcha powder (both extra).
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- matcha mousse
Making cream puffs is time consuming, but not too difficult if you stick to the recipe. Baking is almost like a science experiment, so try not to change the amount of ingredients and just religiously follow the instructions.
You will be rewarded with nice puffs filled with matcha custard cream!
Matcha Cream Puffs
Ingredients
- for 20 puffs
- ½ cup water
- ⅔ stick butter
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup flour, sifted
- 3 eggs, beaten
- for matcha custard cream filling
- 3 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon matcha powder
- 1 cup milk
- Confectioner’s sugar and matcha to dust
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. First, make the puffs. In a medium saucepan, heat the water, butter and vegetable oil to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously.
- Stir until the mixture smooths out and follows the spoon around the pan.
- Add ⅓ of the beaten eggs and stir. When the mixture smooths out add another ⅓. Repeat one more time.
- Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the batter onto a lined baking sheet, in 2-inch diameter rounds.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes until puffs are a medium golden brown. Don't open the oven door while the puffs are baking.
- Make matcha custard cream. In a medium sized microwavable bowl, put the egg yolks and the sugar and mix well.
- Sift in the flour, corn starch and matcha and mix well.
- Heat the milk in the microwave for about 2 and half minutes and slowly add to the egg mixture. Mix well.
- Heat the custard in the microwave for 1 minute. Take the bowl out and mix well with a whisk. Repeat two more times. Do not overcook. Let it cool.
- Cut the cooled puffs in two horizontally and fill the bottom halves of the puffs with the custard cream. Replace their tops and dust with confectioners' sugar and matcha and serve!
- *Add stiffly whipped cream if you like.
-
- matcha cream puffs
Matcha Chocolate
Ingredients
・1/2 cup heavy cream
・2 Tablespoons butter
・14oz baking white chocolate chips
・2 1/2 Tablespoons matcha powder
・extra matcha powder to dust
Instructions
1.) In a medium sauce pan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat. (Don’t overheat.)
2.) When the cream is almost boiling, remove from heat. Melt the butter and then add the chocolate chips. Mix really well, until the mixture becomes smooth.
3.) Sift in the matcha powder and mix well.
4.) Pour the mixture into a 7″x 9″ lined cake pan. Cool the chocolate for 3 hours in the refrigerator.
5.) With a sharp knife, cut the chocolate into 1 inch square pieces and dust them with the extra matcha powder.
*This recipe is adapted from green tea chocolate recipe from Just One Cookbook. Thank you!
Just One Cookbook
Organic Matcha–culinary grade, unsweetened
Jugetsudo is participating in the Portland Holiday Food & Gift show!
Come and taste our authentic Japanese tea!
Friday 11/10, 10am – 6pm
Saturday 11/11, 10am – 6pm
Sunday 11/12, 10am – 5pm
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97232
Admission:
$10 – Adults
$9 – Seniors/Youth (13-17)
Free – Children 12 & Under
See you there!
Japanese Teabags Giveaway for orders over $30!
Did you know that October 31st is Japanese Tea Day? On October 31st in 1191, a Japanese Buddhist priest, Eisai brought green tea seeds from China. He was said to have planted them in the garden of the Ishigamibo at Seburiyama in Hizen (in Kyushu area).
To celebrate the long history of Japanese tea, Jugetsudo is giving away a set of 3 tea bags (sencha, genmaicha, hojicha—one each) for orders over $30 now through 10/31! (While supplies last. The offer ends 11:59:59 PM Pacific Time on 10/31/2017.)
If your order is over $50, you can enjoy free shipping as well!
It is a great opportunity to try different kinds of Jugetsudo tea, if you haven’t tried them all. Tell your tea-loving friends!
503-292-1466
