Funmatsucha (粉末茶)

At many conveyor-belt sushi restaurants in Japan, every seat comes with the same small kit: a stack of cups, a hot-water tap built into the counter, and a little jar of bright green powder with a tiny scoop. You add a scoop, press the tap, give it a stir, and you have a cup of green tea in seconds. That powder is powdered green tea, or funmatsucha. Funmatsucha (粉末茶) is Japanese tea that has been milled into a fine powder, most often green tea, so you drink the whole leaf instead of brewing it and throwing the leaves away. It looks a lot like matcha, but it’s usually made from ordinary green tea such as sencha rather than shade-grown tencha. In this guide, you’ll learn how funmatsucha is made, how it differs from matcha, how to use it at a sushi counter and at home, and what to look for on the label. The short answer Funmatsucha is powdered green tea. You stir it into hot or cold water and drink it without straining, so nothing is left in the pot. It isn’t the same as matcha: matcha is made from shade-grown tencha ground into powder, while funmatsucha is usually made from everyday green tea and costs much less. TOCWhat Is Funmatsucha? Funmatsucha is any Japanese tea that has been gr...