Matcha Magic

A new outlet in Beijing's Sanlitun area is reviving an ancient Chinese tradition. Li Yingxue reports.

As Japanese-style matcha desserts or drinks can be easily found in Beijing's cafes, and Japanese matcha shops are even spreading throughout the capital, many may wonder if the powder is an imported item from Japan.

But the fact is that matcha was introduced from China to Japan in the ninth century.

And, now, matcha chocolate truffle, matcha cookies, matcha pudding, matcha cheese tarts, vanilla matcha lattes and matcha ice creamall made with matcha powder produced in China - are available at Matcha Village in Beijing's Sanlitun area.

"We want to gather people who are in love with Chinese matcha," says Wang Zhibin, general manager of Matcha Village and president of the American-Chinese Catering Industry Association.

"Matcha has more than 1,000 years of history in China, and we want to revive it."

Matcha is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed tea leaves.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), people steamed and formed tea leaves into bricks for storage and trade. Then in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the method of making powdered tea was invented by whipping the tea powdered from steam-dried tea leaves and hot water in a bowl.

This skill of powdered tea and matcha making then reached Japan, where it was included as an important item at Zen monasteries and mixed with other foods, drinks and cosmetics.

However, during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), powdered tea was no longer popular, as brewing tea leaves became the norm.

"Now, we want to bring the matcha culture back to China," says Wang. "And we want to take Chinese matcha to the world."

Meanwhile, Matcha Village plans to open two branches in the United States and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Matcha Village's logo is a phoenix and four green leaves.

The shop, which opened in June 2016, updates its desserts, drinks and ice creams regularly.

The matcha thousand-layer cake is one of its signature desserts, besides its matcha cheese cake, which combines matcha with French cream cheese and Thai coconut milk.

Another must-try is the matcha tiramisu, with its coffee, nuts and matcha filling.

The matcha powder used by Matcha Village is from the area that is the best place to plant the tea for matcha at a latitude of about 36 degrees north in China.

"When you powder it on your skin, it can be absorbed by your pores," says Wang.

Chinese ingredients are highlights of the matcha products, including black sesame, roses and gold foil.

"We keep developing new matcha products," says Wang.

Edible gold foil painted on sticky cake with matcha and kidney bean fillings is another type of Chinese dessert on offer.

"We are not only making matcha desserts but also expanding Chinese matcha culture," says Wang.

Contact the writer at liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn