Konacha is an Especially Good Value for Rokucha
Konacha is different from powdered tea, and it’s made by gathering together granules of tea just large enough not to dissolve in hot water.
It requires care, because it’s drunk differently from Funmatsucha (powdered tea). While Konacha also translates literally to English as powdered tea, it’s made of especially large pieces, and is a different type of tea from Matcha and others.
That’s why this time I’ll be answering questions like “What type of tea is Konacha?,” and “How is it different from Funmatsucha and Matcha?” as I introduce you to Konacha!
Konacha is tea made from the small pieces which are cut off when Sencha is processed.
There is also Gyokuro Konacha made from Gyokuro as well.
Because it;s made from derivatives, Konacha is cheaper than most tea, but the taste is indistinguishable from normal tea, which makes it a great bargain.
Because it’s in a powdered form, it takes relatively less time to brew.
At traditional sushi restaurants Konacha is served to customers, but lately many restaurants are also serving Funmatsucha.
The Difference Between Konacha and Funmatsucha
Both Kanacha and Funmatsucha contain the character for powder, which means they are often confused with each other by Japanese people.
How are each of these teas different?
Konacha is made solely from the small pieces of tea leaves which result from the manufacturing process for Sencha and Gyokuro. When tea leaves are processed, the tea leaves inevitably crumble slightly, creating small pieces. However, in premium teas, if there are too many of these small pieces the look of the tea is impacted, so they’re removed.
These pieces which have been removed are Konacha.
On the other hand, Funmatsucha is created from the start with the intent of processing the whole tea leaf into powder. A large mill is used to grind the tea into fine powder of 10 to 20 microns.
Used tea leaves remain after drinking Konacha, but not after drinking Funmatsucha.
The Difference Between Konacha and Matcha
Konacha does appear similar to Matcha.
While Konacha is made from Sencha, Matcha is made by grinding tea leaves known as Tencha into a powder.
Tencha is processed differently from Sencha, and after the leaves are covered in the field, and they’ve been steamed, they are dried without being massaged.
Because it takes extra work to grow, the price is somewhat higher than the price of Konacha or Funmatsucha.
What compounds does Konacha contain?
The compounds contained in Konacha are different depending on the compounds contained in the tea leaves from which it is made.
With Sencha tea leaves, the Konacha will contain potassium, catechins, chlorophyll, proteins, dietary fiber, and vitamins.
With Gyokuro leaves, the Konacha will contain similar compounds, but it does contain more potassium than Sencha.
On top of this, the finely sized leaves in Konacha ensure that more of these compounds are available for absorbtino than they would be with Sencha.
Recommended Method for Brewing Delicious Konacha
Konacha has very small pieces of tea leaves, so I recommend using a very fine tea strainer to ensure you won’t have pieces of leaf in your tea.
For tea for one, 2 grams of tea leaves and 130 ml of hot water is the basic ratio.
The best temperature for the tea will vary based on what type of tea leaf the Konacha is made from.
To learn what temperature is best for each tea, please refer to to this article.
Brew delicious tea at home by learning the correct methods. An introduction to some tips and tricks
When you tried the tea at the store it was delicious and you tried buying it, but when you brought it home it was just okay... Have you ever experienced this? Even if the tea leaves are good, if the tea is brewed wrong it only tastes half as good...
Use Konacha in Food! Recipes Using Konacha
Konacha is actually great for using in food.
Here I’d like to show you some recipes which use Konacha as an ingredient.
Konacha Onigiri Rice Balls
- Ingredients -
- Cooked Rice
- Konacha
- A pinch of salt
- Method -
Mix together the salt and Konacha in advance. Depending on your preference, you could also add sansho or sesame seeds.
Mix the salt and Konacha together with the freshly cooked rice, and shape into rice balls.
Konacha Toast
- Ingredients -
- Margarine
- Konacha
- Honey
- Vanilla ice cream (one single-serving container)
- Method -
Spread the margarine and honey on bread
Sprinkle Konacha on top
Scoop the vanilla ice cream into the middle of the bread, and cook in a toaster. Cooking in a frypan would also work.
Replacing the vanilla ice cream with white chocolate would also be delicious.
When the toast looks browned, it’s ready.
What do you think?
While Konacha is made from the same leaves as Sencha and Gyokuro, it’s cheap price makes it appealing.
I hope you’ll go and try it for yourself.
Our company also has Konacha for sale.
If you’re interested in purchasing, please click the links in this article, or the images below.
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