Organic Matcha Tea

Our answer

Nigella's new book, Simply Nigella, has three recipes that use matcha tea powder. This is the powdered form of green tea leaves that originated in Japan and is popular for its colour and flavour. Unfortunately matcha powder can vary a lot in quality but the bright green versions are considered to be the best quality. There is no industry standard but the ceremonial grades are usually brighter in colour and flavour than those sold as culinary grade matcha.

Nigella mentons organic premium Izu Matcha which is made by a company called Tealyra (also known as Tealux). This is available direct from their websites in the UK and North America and is also available from other on-line sources. However for the Matcha Cake and No-Churn Matcha ice cream you could use another good-quality bright green matcha powder and you may find this in tea specialists, health food stores and some supermarkets or specialty food stores. Lists of stockists and suppliers for several of the ingredients used in the book are available on the Nigella website, via the Simply Nigella page. The UK list is already available and the US list should be launched today, November 3rd, with the US edition of Simply Nigella.

Matcha powder also has a fairly short shelf life in comparison with many teas, so check the "best before" dates if you can and once the package has been opened store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.