What to Do with Matcha Powder?

[pnwradar]

I have not baked with matcha powder, only drunk it as a tea. The prices for both the matcha powders you have found are very low, indicating food grade matcha...not something you would want to drink. High quality matcha runs about $24 per 20 grams plus shipping from Japan. Good quality drinking matcha runs about $15 for the same amount.

Has anyone baked with both food grade and drinking matcha? Can you tell any difference in the results?

Not baking, but ice cream. The low-priced ingredient matcha was preferred over good drinking matcha and really expensive ritual matcha. The recipe calls for 4tsp matcha for a quart of ice cream, which was suitable strong. As hot tea, the cheap matcha was unpalatable.

-jon-

[KKLL00b]

Make matcha-mallows ! ! !

Green Tea Marshmallows

Edited July 17, 2009 by KKLL00b (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

I have not baked with matcha powder, only drunk it as a tea. The prices for both the matcha powders you have found are very low, indicating food grade matcha...not something you would want to drink. High quality matcha runs about $24 per 20 grams plus shipping from Japan. Good quality drinking matcha runs about $15 for the same amount.

Has anyone baked with both food grade and drinking matcha? Can you tell any difference in the results?

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Food grade vs drinking grade matcha...in my experience there is some difference in the fineness of the powder, but the food grade matcha will likely have better color (though the drinking matcha may have better flavor, the finer points will probably be lost during baking or in combination with other ingredients anyway).

If you can find matcha specifically for baking, it may contain chlorella (which has a high chlorophyll content and therefore a strong green color) in addition to tea.

I keep matcha powder in the freezer and don't attempt to "save it up" - use it while it is fresh, as both color and aroma fade.

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Not baking, but ice cream.  The low-priced ingredient matcha was preferred over good drinking matcha and really expensive ritual matcha.  The recipe calls for 4tsp matcha for a quart of ice cream, which was suitable strong.  As hot tea, the cheap matcha was unpalatable.

-jon-

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Thanks, Helen and jon. That's very helpful - and dollar saving - info.

[ravenshadow13]

I'm sure something delicious has already been made, but my suggestion would have been Matcha Mochi.

http://cococooks.blogspot.com/2008/03/matcha-mochi.html

Very traditional and my favorite way to enjoy matcha flavor.

Also: Matcha Meringues

http://www.hungrycravings.com/2009/08/varietea.html

Edited August 26, 2009 by ravenshadow13 (log)