I love matcha.
I first discovered matcha about 10 years ago when I received a tin as a gift. Matcha has gotten so much attention lately and has become so mainstreamed at every coffee shop. The quality of matcha is certainly not the same at most of these places so don’t think you are getting all the benefits when you order from the popular coffee shops. A good quality matcha is very expensive compared to most teas and coffees and for this reason the likelihood of receiving the high grade is unlikely. Matcha has been around for over 300 years and was and is used by buddhist monks to help integrate harmony, purity, tranquility and respect into the their lives. They love it for the calming effects and increase in mental clarity.
Matcha differs from regular green tea in many ways. All green tea comes from the same plant called camellia sinensis. There are many variations in this plant but it is primarily how it is grown, harvested and processed that determine the type of tea and within the matcha process there are also different grades of the matcha depending on how they do all of those things. Matcha leaves are grown in special fields that have shading. The shading blocks the sunlight to force the chlorophyll to the leaves which gives it that bright, vibrant color and taste. The leaves are picked, washed, steamed and then dried and ground into a fine powder. Good matcha will have a bright, vibrant green color.
Just like anything there is differences in the quality of matcha. The management of field and how it is produced is many times not transparent so you don’t know the foundation of a company of where you are purchasing from. Some companies use in addition to the leaves the stems, veins and other rough fiber. This increases the volume and lowers the cost.
A high grade matcha should only be made from the leaves and thus the color should be bright green. A lower grade will not be as bright and more of a yellow/green. The taste will also be more bitter.
Now what makes the matcha so mighty?
It can raise your energy for up to 4 hours.
It can lower blood pressure.
It creates mental alertness while also bringing about a sense of calmness.
It can help lower cholesterol
It is a blood detoxes and alkalizer.
It can boost your metabolism.
It creates healthy blood sugar.
It it extremely high in antioxidants.
Why I love it so is because I feel a boost of energy, feel clear and yes calm at the same time. You don’t feel that jittery boost that you can feel from other caffeinated drinks. This is because of the presence of L-theanine. This is an amino acid that helps increase mental clarity. The combination of the caffeine with the L-theanine is but very different than that from coffee or other things.
All green tea has catechins but matcha specifically is the powerhouse of one specifically known as EGCg {epigallocatechin gallate}. In fact matcha has 20x more antioxidants than that of blueberries and pomegranates. I cup of matcha is equivalent to drinking 10 cups of regular brewed green tea.
To drink matcha the traditional way is whisking with bamboo whisk with hot water until frothy. Sip and enjoy. Matcha can also be used in baking and in more of a latte style drink.
I love to make matcha lattes.
Matcha Latte:
1 cup milk of your choice- I love unsweetened vanilla flavor almond milk
1 tsp of matcha tea
1 date
collagen powder*
*can also substitute/omit or add other adaptogens
- Heat the milk on stove top.
- Add milk to blender with date, matcha tea and collagen powder.
- blend.
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Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28056735
https://domatcha.com
