Konacha tea is a favorite at sushi restaurants.More commonly, Konacha tea is referred to as Agari. Basically, Konacha is very distinct from other types of tea. This tea stands out for the uniqueness of its flavor especially for its uncommon astringency as well as its savory bitterness. Morealso, Konacha tea has a very strong color and more attractively, Konacha tea is impressively affordable. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Konacha tea offers lesser quality when compared with honorable likes of matcha and sencha tea as well as other elite variants of green tea. Having established this introduction, let us look at Konacha tea in depth. (^▽^)
Table of Contents
What is Konacha?
What is konacha made from?
Ideally, Konacha tea is produced from tiny leaves of Sencha tea leaves. Also, Konacha tea can be made from specks of Gyokuro. As we earlier pointed out, when it comes to affordability, konacha tea comes at a lesser cost than most conventional tea leaves. Just like Karigane, Konacha is notably a byproduct (naturally occurring) realized from the traditional processing of tea. Admirably when compared to other tea leaves in its cost category, Konacha largely wins by a good distance in terms of flavor.
Literally, Konacha denotes powder tea which is quite similar to matcha – but still with a tangible difference. Konacha conventionally is the leftover (or small dusting) that is collected from the process of producing other green tea. Most times, this espoused Konacha tea is collected from the processing of matcha tea as well as Gyokuro tea.
The idea behind recovering the leftovers
The idea here is that rather wastefully dispose of the small particles coming from the processing of the sencha tea or the matcha, the Konacha is ingeniously made from such small particles. Actually, the grade of the Konacha directly measures the grade or quality of the Sencha or matcha it was made from. Thus if you are processing konacha tea from the leftovers of low-grade matcha, what you would be eventually expecting is low-grade konacha. On the other hand equivalently, high-quality leftovers translate into high-quality konacha tea.
However, high-quality Konacha is a voraciously craved in Japan. Understandably, for such high demand, it is not common as tea connoisseurs are energetically scouring for high grade Konacha.
Benefits of Konacha
Konacha tea has amazing health benefits. Let us look at some of these (^▽^):
🍀Konacha tea is rich in Antioxidants
Konacha tea is massively rich in some of the most vital natural antioxidants that the body needs. This makes this tea a sweetheart beverage. These antioxidants play a tremendous role in disposing of the free radicals naturally occurring in the body. Such free radicals are damaging to other body cells even sponsoring the formation of cancerous cells. That is why we would be infinitely grateful to Konacha tea for ridding our body of such free radicals.
Konacha tea has a high content of catechins which are very helpful in fighting diabetes and other heart diseases. The catechin composition of Konacha tea is larger than that of Sencha tea. This can be mainly attributed to its infusion process.
🍀Konacha tea helps to boost your memory and keep you calm
Konacha tea is immaculate in boosting your mental capacity in terms of memory levels. This memory upgrading capacity can be traced down to the significant content of L-Theanine in Konacha tea. Konacha tea is also great at improving your level of concentration, keeping you focused and mentally energized. This is also due to the amino acid L-Theanine contained in the leaves. Delightfully, konacha would impressively improve your mood helping to you to nourishing calm.
🍀Konacha tea helps you lose weight
Konacha tea is a big addition in the terms that it helps you avoid unattractive weight gains. This is because this tea increases the rate of your metabolism helping you to burn more unneeded fats.
How to Steep Konacha
Before we go into the steeping procedures of the Konacha tea proper, let us take some time to point some very helpful tips that would help us realize the best konacha tea from the steeping process.
First is the quality of the water you are using. This must be top quality water and it must be compulsorily clean. It is best to brew your konacha at an elevated temperature, preferably close to boiling point. Here it would be vital to point out the common abomination of brewing your konacha tea with non-reactive kettle say ceramic or glass. Desist from this as this could negatively distort the flavor of your konacha. So let us go into the brewing process peculiarly.
☞Follow these steps ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)
- Step 1: Add your konacha tea to your teapot
One cup should go with one teaspoonful. Depending on your taste, you could choose anywhere between 2 grams and 3 grams for every 120ml. - Step 2: Add the water to your temperature and brew
Remember we earlier espoused that the water should be close to boiling point. 2 cups of water would adequately go with 2 cups of tea. Watch out against excess water. Now close your teapot’s lid. Allow your konacha tea to brew for no more than 2 minutes – even a minute is sufficient. NOTE: DO NOT STIR YOUR KONACHA TEA, SHAKE OR STIR IT WHILE BREWING. - Step 3: Now you can serve your konacha tea and enjoy with your loved ones
At this point, you can pour a little amount of your konacha tea into your cup. The traditional Japanese would insist on pouring the Konacha tea to the very last drop as he believes that very last drop determines the overall flavor of your tea.
The Kabuse Konacha
🍀Looking generally into the Kabuse Konacha
As earlier said, the Konacha tea is a by-product gotten from the processing of other Japanese tea like matcha and Sencha. Equally the Kabuse Konacha is composed of tea flakes which naturally would have fallen of the leaves in the production process of these other teas. This further explains why Kabuse tea easily absorbed in hot water. This is what we readily see in the generality of Sushi restaurants. Most notable is the sweet and mellow kabuse konacha.
🍀Sweet and Mellow Kabuse Konacha
This Kabuse Konacha involves shaded leaves and still delectably retains that mellow flavor peculiar to it. The flavor of the Kabuse Konacha is notably strong with this uncommon boldness. The depth of flavor is encompassing for the sweet and mellow kabuse konacha. Going over to the nutritional component of the sweet and mellow yellow, its gets really mouthwatering.
🍀Examining the nutritional content
The Kabuse Konacha is wealthily composited of vital minerals your body adores as well as very helpful vitamins that immensely benefits your immune system. Being Konacha, Kabuse Konacha equally boasts of a volume of antioxidants.
Kabuse Konacha is a common delicacy that is readily found in Sushi restaurants. The unending affection for Kabuse Konacha in these restaurants can be attributed to the fact that it takes very short time for Kabuse Konacha to be brewed. Handling Kabuse Konacha needs no spectacular expertise which makes it even more exciting considering the refreshing nature of Kabuse Konacha tea.
🍀The cost and the downside
Kabuse Konacha is cheaper when compared to other full leaves. The only low side of Kabuse Konacha is that the whole flavor of the tea could be consumed in the first flavor leaving a significantly reduced flavor quantity for consequent infusion stages.
Storing Your Konacha Tea
Of course, it would be important to store your konacha tea. But how do you do take care of the storage of your konacha tea?
The temperature is crucial here
Admittedly your processed konacha tea is notably sensitive to temperature variations as well as light. Another thing is that this tea just like most teas out there is susceptible to the absorption of odors so it is very crucial the surrounding where you keep your konacha tea. It is recommended to store your konacha tea where the temperature is not regularly fluctuating and avoid any strong odors in your cupboards. The flavor and aroma of the konacha tea chiefly depend on the temperature as well. When stored in areas of relatively high humidity, Konacha tea would easily lose its aroma, its flavor and even it color.
Also, watch out for the lighting
Pertaining to lighting, ensure to store your konacha where is dry and avoid dark, moist or cool places. Also, exert maximum caution to avoid keeping your konacha tea near aromatic foods or spices. The odor would easily permeate your konacha.Storing in the refrigerator
Now you may be wondering how you can store your konacha tea in your refrigerator. If your konacha tea is already in open packages, then it is no longer advisable to store such in the refrigerator else the inherent odor of the refrigerator would get infused in your tea. Also, know that repeatedly moving your konacha tea in and out of the fridge would cause fluctuations in the temperature thereby affecting the konacha tea as earlier explained. Such quick temperature changes could even cause condensation inside your Konacha package. Sustained condensation would disastrously moisten your tea.
Buying Your Konacha Tea
Of course, it is never a quick and easy task buying the right high-quality konacha tea. This is because of the unfortunate proliferation of low-grade konacha in the market passing off as high grades. Thus it pays to accurately identify the right quality of konacha tea physically.
The color and the feel
Such high-grade konacha tea has a deep color – a distinct grassy green coloration. By the feel, Konacha closely resembles tea powder and is composed of small particles. Actually, depending on which original tea leaves the konacha tea was sourced from (in terms of specks in course of production), konacha could be further divided into categories of gyokuro konacha or sencha konacha.
The reputation of the seller and where it was cultivated
Of course, when buying your konacha tea, it would be helpful to inquire where the leaves were cultivated as well as the reputation of the seller. Understandably the brand image of the producer (preferably Japanese) must be closely examined to know what you are getting for your money when you buy konacha tea from such producers.
The flavor of the konacha tea
You should also watch out for the flavor of the konacha when buying it. The reality is that outside Japan, it is quite arduous locating high-quality konacha tea. Of course, the intensity of the flavor to a large extent tells if you are buying the right grade of konacha or not.
Konacha VS Other Types Of Teas
Konacha vs Gyokuro
To round things up, we will be measuring Konacha against other famous tea leaves. Comparatively, for Konacha tea, the brewed infusion color has more depth than your conventional Gyokuro. This is attributed to the extensively fine dusting of tea leaf. This is clearly seen when placed side by side with Gyokuro or matcha. Without argument, this is one unique distinction that typifies Konacha.
The difference in brewing
On the ground of brewing time, it takes a much shorter span of time to brew your Konacha tea compared to your Sencha tea or Gyokuro tea leaves. Precisely the time to brew your Konacha tea is barely half that it would take to brew sencha or Gyokuro. Konacha is very sensitive to temperature and water amount in course of the brewing. Such sensitivity (on the part of Konacha) exceeds that of Sencha or Gyokuro.
Well, when brewing your Konacha the traditional way, you could brew it in a Kyusu supported with a fine mesh filter. This would avoid a situation whereby an excessive amount of specks escape the pouring process into your teacup.
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