Over the past two years, one drink that I have been in love with has been matcha. I have loved drinking green tea( in tea bag form) ever since I was a little girl. But, when I first heard about matcha and how it is more beneficial to drink than regular old green tea bags I become curious. ( technically matcha can be added to food as well. But, the beneficial properties shine through when you drink matcha on it’s own simply mixed with water/almond milk).
Matcha cafés have been popping up over the US over the past 6 years, and more everyday cafés have been offering varieties of the drink (mostly filled with sugary ingredients). Matcha is a popular base for desserts including cakes and even ice cream. But, for me, the best and healthiest way to drink matcha is in it’s purest form with just matcha powder and hot water.
One of my favorite places in Los Angeles in Alfred’s Tea Room which serves a variety of matcha drinks. ( And, is a quintessential instagrammable place. They picked a smart decorator and have the prettiest drinks- from Iced Matcha Latte’s to Match Soft Serve ).
History of Matcha
It has been often said by scholars that matcha had been introduced by Buddhist Monks to Japan in the 12th century. Monks liked to drink matcha because it improved their meditation by helping them achieve a feeling of calmness and alertness.
The Japanese began to do the tea ceremony with matcha that became popular with the elite and it was the favorite drink of the emperors. Samurai’s warriors drank a cup of matcha before going into a big battle because it gave them both alertness and energy. The Japanese Tea Ceremony is called “Chado/Sado” which means “The Way of Tea”.
What exactly is Matcha?
Matcha is a Japanese tea where the leaves are steamed and then dried. And, then they are finely ground into a fine powder. The tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis tea plant and with matcha, you are ingesting the full leaf. So, because you are drinking the whole leaf of the plant you are getting the full amino acids and minerals from the plant.
In addition, matcha has loads of catechins which have health benefits including beauty benefits. There are a number of benefits matcha provides like helping you relax/destress due to the amino acid L-Theanine
Tea made for matcha is grown mostly in the Japanese regions of Nishio in Aichi and in Uji in Kyoto. Matcha grower have their tea “shade-grown” over the course of a few weeks. So, when the leaves are being kept from sunlight it allows for the overproduction of chlorophyll.
How to pick a high-quality Matcha tea
COLOR
- Lower quality matcha will have a weaker green/yellow(paler) color normally
- Better quality matcha will have a bright jewel-like vibrant-vivid green color
Where it is Made/Cost
- Tea made for matcha of good quality is grown mostly in the Japanese regions of Uji, Shizuoka, and Nishio.
- Ideally, you want to buy teas that are grown in Japan and that report on their testing of heavy metals in their tea.
- A good quality of matcha tea powder will generally be costly for a 40g tin could be between $20-$50 depending on the quality of the matcha and the ceremonial grade. But, usually, a small tin of matcha can make around 30 cups of tea.
Benefits of Matcha Tea
So, again matcha tea comes from the same plant as green tea. Matcha’s leaves are ground and dissolve in water in the powder form. Therefore, we consume the tea leaves themselves. Matcha is grown out of sunlight to increase its chlorophyll and amino acid concentration.
The amazing thing about Matcha is the nutrients from matcha get absorbed in the body so much faster than a regular green tea bag. Matcha is 137x more potent that steeped green tea. There is also a higher concentration of EGCG( Epigallocatechin Gallate) which helps improve immunity and high in antioxidants, and reduces cholesterol)
Benefits
- Packed with Antioxidants/ Cancer Fighter/ Anti-Inflammatory– It stabilizes harmful free radicals that can damage cells and cause chronic diseases. EGCG in Matcha tea could help aid in the reduction of the risk of cancers
- Could Increase Weight Loss– It has been shown in studies to boost fat burning and help speed up metabolism in conjugation with eating a healthy diet
- Could help with Detoxing – Due to its high levels of chlorophyll( a natural detoxifier) it could help flush heavy metals and other toxins out of our bodies.
- Energy without the jitteriness and crash with regular caffeine in coffee – Matcha contains the amino acid called L-Theanine which produces the effect in the body of relaxed alertness
- Helps with relaxation – Due to L-Theanine it has been found to reduce stress
- Could help reduce cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease – The catechins in matcha were found to help reduce fatty acids and cholesterol in the blood. In studies that were done Matcha was shown to lower LDL( bad) cholesterol levels and increase HDL( good ) cholesterol.
- Skincare All-star and Helps in Anti-Aging– Matcha contains high levels of antioxidants, Vitamins A, B1,B2,C and in K. And, if Matcha wasn’t amazing enough it has been found to slow down the process of aging.
Now, after all those benefits of matcha who wouldn’t want to drink it?
How to Make Matcha
Now, traditionally there is a whole kind of matcha kit you could buy to prepare it traditionally. One day I plan to have a separate blog post on it.
But, for now, I usually add 1 tsp of matcha powder to the bottom of my cup. Then, I add a little hot water and whisk with my electric frother. Lastly, I add some stevia and add the rest of the water until it is at a nice frothy finish on top.
Traditionally I think in Japan they don’t add any sweetener to matcha ( especially if you ever go to a traditional tea ceremony). But, I need my tea to be a little sweeter.
My Favorite Matcha Tea
Over the last two years, I bought often from these companies.
Mizuba Tea – https://mizubatea.com/
Their tea is from the region of Uj in Japan. They have a wide variety of Matcha tea to try. I have an obsession with their tea’s and again I plan to do a review of their teas on a next post.
Ippodotea – https://ippodotea.com
Their tea is from Kyoto in Japan. One of the first Matcha’s I ordered online and was highly recommended by other tea bloggers.