Matcha, the finely milled green tea powder that is a staple in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, is turning into a big deal in the U.S. right now. With that in mind, filmmaker Michael McAteer is closing in on the premiere of his documentary Matcha: An Ippodo Story, which "traced the origins of matcha nearly 300 years to one of the originators: Ippodo Tea in Kyoto."
The documentary tells Ippodo's story and "depicts the cycle of tea from harvest all the way through to the Japanese tea ceremony, and the family at the heart of it all." Ippodo's history dates back to the early 18th century, when the company got its start by handpicking tea for the Imperial family of Japan in 1717. McAteer's film will debut at the NYC Food Film Festival this Saturday at 8 p.m., and one of Ippodo's tea masters will be on hand to prepare matcha. Take a sneak peek via this trailer.
