Expensive green powder tea gives a feeling of well-being

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Put away the chamomile. Pass up white tea and chai. The happening tea name to drop among aficionados is matcha (rhymes with got-cha).
It's an expensive green powder tea that is definitely not new. It is thought to have been invented in China and brought to Japan by a Zen Buddhist monk in the 12th century, the Wa∂ll Street Journal says. It is often used in a long tea ceremony involving a clay pot and bamboo whisk.
But now trendy restaurants are incorporating it into special recipes. Geisha, in New York City, serves a $12.50 parfait featuring white chocolate ganache flavored with matcha. Seattle's Ototo Sushi serves a $5.50 green tea tiramisu made with matcha. A Chicago Internet company, Matcha and More, says matcha sales have almost doubled in three years.
The tea has a bitter and sweet taste, and it's prepared by whisking it in a bowl of hot water into a frothy substance. The Journal says the new interest reflects the popularity of specialty teas, spurred by emphasis on health benefits. Health guru Andrew Weil says matcha gives a feeling of well-being.
If you can afford it at $30 an ounce, you should have a feeling of well-being.