Matcha has a long history which dates back nearly a thousand years to the Tang Dynasty in China. The Tang Dynasty spanned the 7th – 10th centuries. During this time tea leaves were steamed and formed into some sort of tea bricks for storage and trade. The tea bricks were prepared by roasting and pulverizing the leaves and boiling the powdered form in hot water and adding salt. During the Song Dynasty preparing the beverage by whipping tea powder and hot water together in a bowl became popular. In 1191, the form of Zen Buddhism and the Chinese methods of preparing tea in powdered form, were brought to Japan by a monk named Eisai – who spend four years in China where he studied. Thanks to social media matcha seems everywhere these days and you can find it in almost any kind of food. The range for use is widely spread in the United States and ranges from tea and smoothies to drinks, cocktails and dishes including matcha powder. But what exactly is Matcha?