Matcha and Recipes

Matcha, also called Maccha, is Japanese name for fine quality Green tea powder. Matcha is the special tea that is traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremony. These days, it is also used in untraditional ways, such as to dye and flavor various foods such as mochi, soba noodles, green tea ice cream and a variety of wagashi as well as in matcha lattes and other green tea recipes.

The preparation of matcha starts several weeks before harvest by covering tea plants with bamboo mats to prevent direct sunlight and to increase the chlorophyll content. After harvesting, the leaves are processed to obtain only the meat part of the leaf. The stems and veins are removed. The pure dried leaves are then stone ground into a super fine talc-like powder. It takes one hour to grind somewhat less than 40g of matcha and the final weight of product is only 10% of the raw tea leaves.

Matcha is highly valued for its rich supply of antioxidants and other health benefits of green tea. Researches have shown that antioxidants help to fight free radicals, which are a natural consequence of cell metabolism in the body. Polyphenols, Catechins and Theanine found in the green tea help in preventing of heart disease, inhibiting the growth of various types of cancer cells, reducing LDL cholesterol and suppressing the chemicals in the body that trigger the constriction of blood vessels, and help the brain produce more alpha waves, which make it effective against tension and stress and it increases mental focus and improves concentration. With matcha, the actual tea leaf is consumed, which gives higher concentrations of catechins and vitamins, resulting in greater benefits to your body than traditional teas, with which only the steep off tea leaves is consumed.

Matcha Green Tea

Measure a heaping teaspoon, place it into a Japanese ceramic bowl, add enough water for one cup and whisk it until frothy. Whip it until any small lumps of tea  are completely broken up. You can enjoy your Matcha either as “thick tea” called koicha (less water) or usucha (”thin tea”, more water). It’s best to drink it straight from the bowl before the sediment has a chance to settle to the bottom.
Iced Matcha
Add 1 teaspoon of Matcha to 6 ounces of hot water and with a bamboo whisk until you see fine bubbles. Pour into a glass filled with ice cubes.

Iced Matcha Latte
1) Add 1 teaspoon of Matcha into a ceramic bowl, add just a few sips of hot water and whisk it until frothy.
Whip it until you see the mixture becomes uniform and small lumps of tea are completely broken up. Add some honey or vanilla syrup, if you prefer sweet taste. Slowly whisk the choice of milk or plain soymilk into the mixture. Then pour over ice.

2) 4 teaspoons matcha powder; 12 oz. milk. Shake with ice in cocktail shaker.
Hot Matcha Latte
for a 12 oz latte, use 3 teaspoons matcha latte powder; mix with about 10 oz. hot milk.

Matcha Shake
3-4 teaspoons matcha powder, 1 large scoop of ice cream, milk or ice, mixed in electric blender.

Matcha Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream, 2 cups milk, 1 cup unprocessed cane sugar, 2 heaping teaspoon Matcha, 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Whisk the Matcha with the milk and sugar, until the matcha mixture becomes uniform. Stir in the cream and vanilla. Chill the ice cream in the refrigerator

Matcha for weight control
Add 1 teaspoon of Matcha to 200 ml of water or reduced fat milk and with a bamboo whisk until you see fine bubbles. Drink 3 times a day about 1-2 hours before meals.
Fresh made apple juice mix with small amount (adjust for your taste) of Matcha. Drink twice a day before breakfast and dinner.
Mix of 1 teaspoon of matcha and lemon powder with 250 ml warm water. Drink after meal.

Matcha for beauty

• Take small amount matcha mix with little water, rub on the face as an all natural facial cleanser or facial scrub to remove make-up, clean out the oil and dirty. Great for Sensitive, irritated skin.

• Mix with olive oil to make it a home made anti-wrinkle treatment.

• Mix into Shampoo, or directly apply to scalp for a gentle, yet effective cleanser.

• Mix with Toothpaste, or just directly apply to teeth and brush for a healthy, cleaner teeth and gum.

For more info on these products, click on the names below:

• Ujinotsuyu Matcha Hagoromo Green Tea Powder - 1.41 Oz (40 G)
• Vita Life - Matcha Green Tea Powder - 10.58 Oz
• Ume-En - Instant Sweet Matcha Green Tea Powder - 10.5 Oz
• Ujinotsuyu - Genmai Cha Sencha Blended with Matcha Loose Tea - 7.05 Oz
• Ujimoritoku Ryokucha Sencha with Matcha - 27 Tea bags

Wakame, Agar Agar, Seaweed Salad Recipes

Seaweeds are found throughout the world’s oceans and seas and are popular foods in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The main seaweeds food species are Nori (Porphyra, a red alga), Kombu (or Kunbu, Laminaria, a brown alga) and Wakame (Undaria, a brown alga).
Seaweeds are virtually fat-free, low calorie and are one of the richest sources of minerals, which can account for up to 36% of its dry mass, as they have ready access to the abundance of minerals found in the ocean. The mineral nutrients include sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, chlorine, sulfur and phosphorus; the micro nutrients include iodine, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, molybdenum, fluoride, manganese, boron, nickel and cobalt. Seaweeds are primarily known as a source for iodine nutrient, which is known to increase and balance thyroid hormone activity. Daily adult requirements, currently recommended at 150 μg/day, could be covered by very small quantities of seaweed. Another important health benefit for seaweed is its ability to remove radioactive materials and other heavy metals from human bodies. Due to the high concentrations of minerals, amino acids, vitamins and trace elements, seaweed can stimulate and improve blood and lymph circulation, revitalize and firm the skin while re-establishing natural moisture levels

Triton Japanese Kaiso Seaweed Salad with Dressing - 0.7 Oz [more info]

Preparation:

[1]Soak in water for 5-7 minutes, or as soon as seaweed are soft
[2]Squeeze out the water
[3]Add dressing (a small liquid packet).
[4]Mix & Serve.
[5]It is good for 1~2 Servings.

You can also mix salad with wakame seaweed and agar-agar (below)

Goshoku - Cut Fueru Wakame Seaweed - 3.5 Oz [more info]

Preparation:

Wakame Seaweed Salad - Recipe 1
[1]Soak small amount of dried wakame in water until it is softened (~ yield about 1 cup).
[2]Drain and squeeze out excess water.
[3]Slice 1 cucumber into thin rounds and put in a bowl.
[4]Spray ½ tsp salt over sliced cucumber and mix with a pair of chopsticks and then set aside for about 15 minutes.
[5]Squeeze cucumber to remove liquid.
[6]Mix 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp sesame in a bowl.
[7]Add wakame seaweed and cucumber slices in the bowl and mix well.

Wakame Seaweed Salad - Recipe 2
[1] Prepare cut wakame seaweed as above
[2] Prepare dressing: Stir vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, grated ginger, and minced garlic in a bowl until sugar is dissolved.
[3]Add fresh sliced cucumber, scallions, cilantro and black pepper (optional) to the dressing along with seaweed
[4]tossing to combine well. Sprinkle salad with sesame seeds

To add more color and varieties, it is a great idea to add Seaweed based Agar-agar strip

Six Fortune Seaweed Based Agar Agar Strip - 1.4 Oz [more info]

Preparation:

For seaweed salad
[1] Cut seaweed strips to desired length
[2] Soak in water for 5-7 minutes until agar strips are soft
[3] squeeze out excess water, add strips to wakame seaweed for seaweed salad

For Vegetarian Jello and Jelly
Substitute the agar strip to gelatin powder in your Jello recipes. Water to agar-agar strip ratio is 10:1. Agar is a red algae and a unique vegetable source protein
Used in the Far East for many centuries

Want Want Shenbei Rice Crackers Back in PierMall

If you ever visited China in mid 1990, you probably will nod at this logo and smile. This happy boy’s picture was everywhere: television advertisement, billboard, yogurt drink, jelly, kids’ sticks, etc. Want want’s logo was basically everywhere.

Want Want China, is a Taiwan’s dominant snack manufacturer. Want Want began producing canned agricultural products in Taiwan, mainly for export, 46 years ago. The manufacturer collaborated with Japanese rice cracker maker Iwatsuka Confectionery in 1983 to develop the rice cracker market in Taiwan and expanded in Mainland China in 1992. Now, the founder of Want Want is one of the richest businessman in Taiwan.

The most famous Want Want products are their rice cracker (Senbei).

Rice Cracker, also called Senbei in Japanese, are baked bit size hard and crunchy snack. According to the definition in Wikipedia, rice crackers were originated from Chinese “Jiang Bing”. This is quite interesting, since Jian Bing are soft, pan cake like flour wrapper. You can still find in Many Chinese Restaurants (for example, green scallion pan cake is the one popular in US. There are many varieties in China).

We have selected two rice crackers for their savory taste: Natural Rice Cracker and Seaweed Rice Cracker. They are available in single bag sale.

1 Lb Bags, 5 Bags/Case	5.7 Oz Bags, 15 Bags/Case

We have following additional flavors of Want Want Rice Crackers, available for Wholesale, For Business Buyer or volume buyers. They are available based on inquiry:

Please contact PierMall, if you are interested to purchase in case.

Do you want us to carry more flavors? Let us know your comments!

Meiji - Retiring 2008 Seasonal Cookies

Meiji is one of the biggest Japanese confection maker. Every year, they rolled out new products in every section and retiring others. Once the products are retired, they would not be back… at least not at exactly form..

Following are our On Sale retiring Meiji Products, the best date are 2008,8 or 2008, 9 (Unlike products from other countries, Japanese products have very short period of “best date”. Usually within 6 months). The quantities are highly limited. Shop early before they are gone forever…

Buy 1 Box for $2.66 or Buy 3 Boxes Get 4th Free
(Final Price: $8 for 4 Boxes, that is $2.0 Per Box!) (Add 4 boxes to see the discount)

Meiji - Macadamia mushroom candy cookies	Meiji - Bitter Chocolate Bamboo candy cookies
Meiji - Vanilla Mushroom Candy cookies	Meiji, Fran - Original

3 Ballerina Herbal Weight Loss Diet Supplement Series

3 Ballerina Diet Tea –Extra Strong, Regular Flavor, 54 Tea Bags

According to National Institutes of Health (NIH), 66% of adults in the US are overweight or obese. Achieving a healthy weight can help you control your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. It might also help you prevent weight-related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and some cancers.

3 Ballerina Diet Tea –Regular Strength, Regular Flavor, 30 Tea Bags

As suggested by health professionals, the key to successful weight loss is making changes in your eating and physical activity habits that you can keep up for the rest of your life. Herbal supplement products may add additional measure to help you lost weight faster.

3 Ballerina Tea Dieters’ Drink is blended with the premium natural herbs (see below). The formula and preparation are based on an ancient Chinese book of medicine. Detailed Outlines on Chinese Herbs, by Lee Se-Zhen, 1518-1593. After centuries of use, it has proven to be one of the best healthy beverages for dieters.

3 Ballerina Tea Extract Diet Slim Pills – , Regular Flavor, 30 Pills

We have heard different feedbacks and comments from our customers regarding the 3 Ballerina Tea Dieters’ Drink products. One thing we would like to bring to your attention is that there is no one-fit-all product that would work for everyone. Depending upon the individual’s physiologic conditions, such as one’s digestion system, and metabolic rate, and the cause of excess of body weight, one product that works for some people may not be a good choice for you.

3 Ballerina Tea, Extra Strength, , Cinnamon Flavor, 18 Tea bags

Active Ingredients

Malva verticellata (Chinese Mallow) and Cassia Angustifolia (Senna)

Malva verticellata (Chinese Mallow)
Read more about this plant on PFAF

In the books “Jade Remedies: A Chinese Herbal Reference for the West” by Peter Holmes and “New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses” by Deni Brown, Authors state that Malva Verticellata is used, among other things, for excess mucous and gastritis. When use in larger does, Malva Verticellata acts as laxative. Malva is “a soothing diuretic, used for urinary tract infections. It also promotes lactation”. It is a urinary restorative, demulcent laxative, anti-inflammatory, draining diuretic. In traditional Chinese medicine terms, it works on urinary, digestive and hormonal systems, and on the bladder, small intestine, and large intestine channels.

3 Ballerina Tea, Extra Strength, , Lemon Flavor, 18 Tea bags

Cassia Angustifolia (Senna)

Read more about Senna on Wikipedia

The leaves and pods of the senna plant contain compounds called anthraquinones, which are powerful laxatives. Senna has been used in the treatment of constipation. It works by irritating the lining of the lower gastrointestinal tract. The resulting contractions of the bowel act to push out material in the lower intestinal tract. It may also keep more water in intestinal contents, thereby producing a softer stool that is usually easier to pass. Bowel movements usually occur 6 to 12 hours after taking senna .

3 Ballerina Tea, Extra Strength, , Orange Flavor, 18 Tea bags

Senna-containing laxatives are often given to relieve constipation for pregnant and breast-feeding women, the elderly, surgery patients, and individuals who are taking narcotic pain medications which frequently cause constipation as a side effect.

3 Ballerina Tea, Extra Strength, , Regular Flavor, 18 Tea bags

Suggest Usage

It is suggested :

• you begin in small amounts and gradually increase the amount to suit your needs.
• Beginning by pour 2 cups of boiling water over 1 teabag and cover for 2-3 minutes. Drink hot or cold in the morning or evening after meals.
• You may dilute your tea with more water if desired. Gradually increase the tea strength after one week by pouring 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tea bag.
• Drink 1 cup after each meal with a maximum of 3 cups per day.
• Do not take senna containing herbs without first talking to your health provider if you have: (1) an inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis; (2) other intestinal problems; (3) abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting.

The information presented here is for your information only and is not intended to replace the advice of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professionals. It is not meant to indicate that the use of the product series is safe, appropriate, or effective for you.

All 3 Ballerina Tea Products for Wholesale and Case Sale

Customer Feedbacks
Following are just few recent comments from our buyers. We will provide the actual link to the comments upon requests.

2008 Released Morinaga Hi Chew Candies

For more information on What is Hi Chew? Check out PierMall Chat. Talk about it, share your comment with PierMall Community at PierMallChat Today

2 New 2008 Summer Edition Hi Chew are added:

Hi Chew Mix Fruits (really should be called fruit punch: a mix flavor of white peach, pineapple, orange and grape). The flavor is wonderful.

Hi Chew - Golden Pineapple: It is great for those who love tropical fruit. Quite bold flavor.

Soft Chewy from Other candy makers:

Calpico Hi Chew Candy - Yogurt

Taste just like Capico Yogurt based soft drink.

UHA Shuwa Puccho Stick - Soda Ramune Chewy Candy

Endless chewiness! Soft candy with xylitol grains and gummy. From the moment you start chewing it a cool and fizzy feeling spreads in your mouth. Read the rest of this entry »

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