Matcha and Chamei

Matcha (抹茶^?, pronounced [mat.tɕa]^[1]), also maccha, refers to finely milled or fine powder green tea.

The cultural activity called the Japanese tea ceremony centers on the preparation, serving, and drinking of matcha.

In modern times, matcha has also come to be used to flavour and dye foods such as mochi and soba noodles, green tea ice cream and a variety of wagashi (Japanese confectionery). Matcha is a fine ground, powdered, high quality green tea and not the same as tea powder or green tea powder.

By weight, matcha contains more antioxidants than blueberries, wolfberries, pomegranates, orange juice and spinach.^{[citation needed]}

Chamei (literally, "tea name") is a Japanese word that may refer to the name given to a particular blend of powdered green tea (matcha) or to the name bestowed on an advanced practitioner of Japanese tea ceremony. In the first case, the word is written with the kanji 茶銘; in the second case, 茶名.

The custom of giving names to tea blends began around the end of the Muromachi period (circa mid-16th century), with the master tea manufacturers (chashi) in the highly reputed tea-growing district of Uji south of Kyoto.