At the end of the 12th century, the monk and Zen master Yosai brought with him a development from China that was also well received in Japan: Matcha, tea ground into powder. Matcha forms the basis of every tea ceremony to this day. With its mild climate and fertile soil, the Nishio region is known as the largest cultivation area of Tencha. The well-known and popular matcha tea is produced from this variety. Matcha is a high-quality, ground Japanese tea, for which only the best leaves of the tea plant are used. Matcha tea is characterized by its fine consistency and its jade green color. This green tea contains caffeine, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, which have a very positive effect on the metabolism and overall well-being. Picked young it has a sweetish taste, after a later harvest it becomes slightly tart. The powdered tea is traditionally drunk from matcha bowls (raku-yaki 楽 焼). Matcha accessories such as chasen and chashaku are used for the preparation.