Issue No. 2 of m – Matcha Magazine
The Matcha Lifestyle: Energy meets mindfulness
Matcha Magazine is a corporate publication, produced on behalf of and in collaboration with Aiya Europe.
A lot has happened since the first issue of Matcha Magazine last autumn: we are currently experiencing an unprecedented matcha boom. Matcha has arrived – right at the heart of our society, literally on everyone’s lips – as a culinary category in its own rightalongside coffee, cocoa and tea.Matcha’s cultural role has also evolved: from a drink to a lifestyle.
It uniquely combines pleasure and health, mindfulness and joie de vivre. In our major cover story, our writer Maria-Bettina Eich explores how matcha manages to unite seemingly contrasting worlds such as spirituality and fashion.Elise Morton attended a ‘Matcha Latte Art Competition’ in London, whilst other contributors have explored matcha bars across Europe – from Paris to Vienna, from Berlin to Brussels, and from Helsinki via Milan to Antwerp and Warsaw.
And yet, despite all the hype and in the midst of this boom, one thing remains unchanged: the exceptional quality of genuine matcha, which has been produced in the same, labour-intensive way for centuries. The tea leaves mature slowly in the shade, are carefully ground in granite mills – and are still prepared using a bamboo whisk.
This issue of Matcha Magazine is also dedicated to this wonderful drink and the rich cultural heritage it embodies. We hope you enjoy reading it, ideally with a good cup of matcha, however you choose to prepare it.
Content:
COVER STORY The matcha lifestyle
PRODUCTS Stylish accessories for matcha lovers
TRAVEL Cool matcha cafés across Europe
REPORT A trip to Kagoshima and Uji
INTERVIEW Matcha cultivation outside Japan
PORTRAIT Matcha from Brandenburg
DISCOVER In search of organic matcha
TASTING A vast spectrum of flavours
HOJICHA The roasted alternative
RECIPES Make your own creative matcha drinks
CONFECTIONERY Chocolates from Das Bernsteinzimmer
CULTURE Matcha latte art competition
