Learning Japanese matcha in Bangkok

Matcha has a long history spanning more than 1000 years. Matcha originated in the Sui Dynasty of China and reached its peak in the Tang and Song dynasties. By the Song Dynasty, a complete matcha tea art, which is creating tea art in cups, we can say Latte Art nowadays, had emerged. Regrettably, after the Ming Dynasty, the drinking method of using tea to make soup and discarding the dregs became popular in China. The skill of making dian cha was gradually forgotten, and the traditional matcha powder disappeared. However, matcha, which was introduced into Japan with the envoy to the Tang Dynasty at the end of the ninth century, left a deep impression on the Japanese land, while Dian Cha, forgotten by the Chinese, was accepted and respected by the Japanese and then developed into a part of the Japanese tea ceremony. Matcha became an important label of Japanese culture and was recognized by the world. 

I had great opportunities when I was in my tea art school in Bei Jing to study the traditional Chinese method Dian Cha and learn how to make matcha from my teacher, Mrs. Tu Ting. But I haven’t really learned the Japanese way to make matcha. Bangkok has many well-known matcha shops, and most of their owners were well-trained in Japan. Luckily, I found ChaEn Tea Experience, a matcha shop that offers matcha workshops. And all the matcha and tools are made in Japan. I was excited to learn and taste!  

We had a theory class to understand the history, types of teas, the processing of teas, and practical experiences. I have been amazed by each type of tea after the first sip. The color, the aroma, the teaware, and the atmosphere Everything is an individual piece, but they also complement each other.  

During the break, I shared with them about Chinese Song Dian Cha, which is Japanese matcha’s origin.

Learning, sharing, making tea, and having a sip.  

I’m ready for the new year. 2023!