Why traditional granite stone mills are so special
Modern mills grind with the highest precision and produce a high output per hour - and yet Japanese manufacturers of high-quality Matcha tea still rely on the traditional granite stone mill to this day. It is the secret of the popular green powder, which convinces with its unique taste. Compared to industrial mills with ceramic grinders, the granite stone mills are particularly characterized by their use special types of granite stone for the millstones and a particularly slow and gentle grinding out. The low speed ensures that the mill does not heat up above 35 ° C. Stay due to the low temperature Preserves taste and aroma.
This is how matcha powder is traditionally made
According to tradition, Matcha must be tea shaded for at least three weeks will. During this time the Tencha plants develop a fine aroma due to the withdrawal of sunlight. The ingredients also develop during this time. The shading gives the plants their deep green color - it is a sign of high quality tea. After the shading, the tea plants become harvested and sorted by hand. With the high-quality teas, only the tender upper leaves of the first harvest are processed. They will be short steamed and gently dried before being ground in a traditional granite stone mill. The fine matcha powder is created through the gentle grinding, in which the aromas and taste nuances of the tea are retained. In Japan, this type of production has been handed down for centuries and continues to this day. According to tradition, Matcha powder has been produced in this form since the 12th century. In the past, the Tencha leaves were ground on hand-operated mills, today this is done on electrically powered mills.
Low production for more quality
In the production with traditional granite stone mills you can Made around 30 grams of matcha per hour will. This small amount shows how complex the production is, and at the same time it is an indicator that high-quality Matcha powder has its price. The reason for that limited production quantity lies in the fact that faster grinding results in a higher temperature. The traditional granite stone mill allows grinding at a higher speed, but the heat would destroy a large part of the aromas. The taste of the tea would change from a sweet note to a bitter and slightly burnt taste. Therefore it is refrained from and the traditional production is a sign of high quality of the popular tea.
This is what makes a good granite stone mill
While high-quality Matcha tea is traditionally ground in a granite stone mill, less high-quality teas are used industrial ceramic mills for use. This increases the amount produced per hour. However, the friction creates enormous heat, which means Taste, aroma and ingredients are lost. In addition, the powder is not ground as finely as in classic production, in which the matcha powder is ground so finely that it can hardly be seen as a powder with the human eye. Incidentally, the size of the grinding surface is not decisive for the fineness. In a good mill, however, the diameter of the grinding stone and the speed of the motor are optimally matched to each other so that undesirable heat does not develop that could destroy the fine aromas of the tea leaves. A high-quality mill with granite stone is characterized by a long service life and exceptional resistance to breakage. The abrasion is exclusively natural, it takes place without artificial additives and is therefore also free from stone grit or the like.
Matcha teas that are on fast rotating industrial mills are easy to identify: light green to brownish matcha powder Usually comes from industrial mills, deep green Matcha powder with an intense tea smell and a fineness of powder usually comes from high-quality granite stone mills.
High quality has its price
If you have been wondering why high-quality Matcha powder is a little more expensive than tea from conventional production, the answer is now probably obvious. The elaborate production alone is the important reason why Japanese green tea has its price. You will probably quickly notice the difference between a powder from traditional production and a product from a commercial production after the first enjoyment. It is therefore worthwhile to choose a traditionally ground tea, which stands out from the crowd with its excellent taste. Matcha Magic offers exclusively Japanese organic Matcha teas made on traditional granite stone mills. When official branch of Matcha Magic Japan we import our organic matcha without intermediaries and are therefore able to offer high qualities up to 40% cheaper in direct comparison.
