抹茶的技术与人文分析

Matcha-technology structure and humunism history

本文以中国国家标准为基础并参考日本国家食品标准对抹茶的物理化学特征进行了剖析,认为抹茶的技术本质就是优质茶粉,并没有什么超脱出茶粉基本特性的殊异之处。"抹茶"一词源于日文,"抹茶"的实质是"末茶",但日语汉字"抹"却没有直接释为"末"的义项,日语"抹茶"一词的来源仍有待探讨。从魏晋士人对茶叶冲泡过程"焕如积雪,晔若春敷"的汤花之美的欣赏和认识看,将茶叶碾细后冲饮从汉魏早期即已成习,基于抹茶是一种茶粉或粉末茶的认识,可以认为抹茶的源起可以追溯到魏晋时期。从唐人诗歌、茶器、生活纪事考察,点茶法在唐代已经形成,唐人饮茶基本以茶粉为型,茶粉冲泡击拂产生的汤花为文人所重。

Based on the description of Chinese national standard of "Matcha"(GB/T34778-2017) and Japanese national food standard, the matcha basically is just a kind of green tea powder, which had no extraordinary meanings out of tea powder. Though the Japanese Matcha tea was originated from China, there was no descriptions about "抹茶"(mocha) in ancient China literature. There is even no special phase referring to "抹茶"(mocha) in the Modern Chinese Dictionary. The character of "抹" in Japanese can not be explained directly as "末"(まつ)or"粉末"(ふんまつ),so why the tea powder is expressed as "抹茶" in Japanese still remains to be exploited. The tea brewing process was described as "The tea foams shining like snow, smelling like spring flowers" by scholars in the Jin and Wei Dynasties, showing tea powder was brewed for drinking in the Jin and Wei period. "Dian Cha", i.e., drawig a picture with tea powder started in the Tang Dynasty.