An old fish is swimming through the ocean, and he comes upon two younger fish. The older fish says, “Morning boys, how’s the water?” and continues swimming along. The two younger fish look at each other and say, “What the heck is water?”
I’ve been with Sencha Naturals for over six years. Green tea is the reality of my life. I use it as a tool, as an indulgence, as a remedy, as a reward, as a gift, and as the key ingredient in all of our products. It’s part of my daily world, and I don’t think twice. What this also means is that I make the mistake of assuming everyone else knows everything I do about this marvelous little leaf.
Just a few weeks ago, I was visiting a close friend who mentioned that he’s been having difficulty concentrating at work. I responded, “Why don’t you just use matcha?” He had no idea what I was talking about. “What the heck is matcha?”
Oh dear.
To me, it’s ubiquitous. You mean, not everyone knows that matcha promotes 
focused relaxation, that Buddhist monks use it to meditate without falling asleep, and that it does this by way of its rich content of the amino acid L-theanine?
I guess not everyone’s swimming in matcha.
“So, what do I buy? Like, chamomile?”
Ohhhhhhhhhh dear.
I briefly explained that it’s green tea, that it’s the whole leaf, that it’s not just a steeped tea bag that you toss out, but it was no use. I’d already lost him.
I don’t get it; why did he tune out? I wasn’t being overly-technical or preachy. I brought it up as matter-of-factly as someone would bring up painkillers as a remedy for headaches. What could I have done differently? How do you explain matcha to someone who thinks chamomile = green tea = chai latte = Snapple?
More importantly, how do you get them to believe you? To try it out for themselves? To join you in your happy frothy whirlpool of decadent matcha? Come on in, the matcha’s fine….
Images courtesy of the contributor.
Great observation Adela. In my experience, people don’t “get it” until they see it and try it. When I demonstrate to friends how I prepare matcha, they’re absolutely amazed and transfixed. I remember the first time I witnessed this and it simply blew me away. Given the concentration of the product, I was expecting to hate the taste however. I can even remember preparing myself as I brought the cup to my lips, as if I was having to swallow medicine. Much to my delight, I actually enjoyed it. I then became matcha obsessed and drank it daily for a long time. Unfortunately I stopped my daily ritual and the bowls and bamboo whisk are on a top shelf of my cabinet. You’ve inspired me to bring it down and start again.
I had read that Japanese students have matcha at school each morning. What a great way to begin a day of serious learning.
Exactly! Even if you get so far as to bring someone a prepared cup, they’re still super hesitant to try this VERY opaque green drink! (you can lead a horse to water….)
But it’s so yummy! That is, if you get the quality stuff. It’s funny, people will drink black & brown drinks on a daily basis (cola & coffee), but they’re wary of a color that’s as natural as it gets. Hmm.
Thanks for getting us involved in talking about tea!! I am a coffee drinker in the morning only. After that, I love drinking tea and really enjoy Earl Grey and Chai. In the evening, I try to have a cup of herbal tea. But my husband is a tea drinker all day long….so we both have great love for tea actually.