Recently, I've been doing a lot of research on Matcha tea. I've done all of the work for you here except buy a tin of it for you to try. So if you know very little about Matcha, then here is the scoop on this incredible tea.
THE BENEFITS ARE MANY!
* It is a POWERHOUSE of antioxidants! Like, seriously! One small cup (as in 2-4oz of water) contain up to 10 TIMES the antioxidants that regular green tea do.
* It contains a catechin (a beneficial and potent compound like antioxidants) called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg). That's a mouthful, right? So what's so great about that thing I can barely pronounce? This EGCg makes up 60% of the catechins in Matcha and it is widely recognized for it's amazing cancer fighting properties. Even more amazing is that it has been scientifically found that Matcha contain over 100 TIMES more EGCg than any other tea available. That's a lot of goodness right there!
*It may have caffeine in it, but because of a wonderful little amino acid called L-Theanine, Matcha actually enhances calmness and focus, boost moods, and memory. And because it contains the L-Theanine it is a slow release of the caffeine which causes it to NOT give the caffeine jitters! Awesome!
* It increases metabolism and is a powerful detoxifier thanks to the high amount of chlorophyll in Matcha! And talk about an immune booster with it's extra luggage of calcium, iron, potassium, Vitamins C & A and protein too!
I could keep going, but the bottom line is that Matcha is the highest quality of green tea available. It is the WHOLE leaf ground into a fine powder rather than a dried leaf that you steep.
Heck no. You can buy Matcha, but if you want the the best of the best, then you will want the "Ceremonial Grade" tea. That means that the leaf was picked young...first harvest leaves...ground and sealed. There are "Culinary Grades" and "Daily" and so on, but if you are going to pay for Matcha (and you pay for it, believe me), then I encourage you to buy organic, Japanese (not Chinese), Ceremonial grade Matcha.
Your Matcha should be a vibrant color of green! Really vibrant! I recommend the brands Encha and Pure Matcha. I'm sure there are others out there too that are wonderful, but I did more research on these two brands because they are organic and come from small farms in Japan (and I prefer small farms rather than mass production). Ultimately, I ended up buying Pure Matcha mainly because I could get it faster at the time and I was anxious to try it! I haven't been on my personal Matcha journey very long, so I can't tell you how a Matcha latte or anything is...yet...but that will come I'm sure.
TO WHISK OR NOT TO WHISK? Okay, so long story short...before I ordered my Matcha I asked myself, "Do I REALLY need to purchase that bamboo whisk?" I mean, I'm all about the whole experience, but I have regular whisks at home and figured maybe I could get by with that just to try it. That night I had a dream (this is true). I dreamed that I tried Matcha and I loved it, but I didn't buy the whisk and quickly realized that yes, I did in fact, need that special little bamboo whisk because it just didn't blend properly. When I woke up the next day, I went with it. I ordered the Matcha and I ordered the whisk. Fortunately, my dream was spot on. I really am glad I ordered that whisk and scoop. I need that whisk to blend it just right to where it makes it smooth and frothy. Totally worth the extra $11 for a whisk and scoop!
The water needs to be hot, but not boiling. You don't want to burn the powder. Remember that it is a fresh leaf that was steamed and ground and not dried out like most teas. Let the kettle boil, but then let the water sit a bit before pouring. It should be around 180 degrees. For one heaping bamboo scoop of Matcha, you only need 2-6 oz of water (depending entirely on how thick or thin you want it).
Then the fun part! Before you pour your water, use your handy, bamboo whisk to whisk the tea about just a bit to break a part any lumps then once you pour the water you will quickly whisk in a vertical motion (rather than circular). This will give you froth! I add a little raw honey to mine because I like it a little sweet, but you don't have to!
Then you sit, enjoy, reflect, slow down, sip and know that every time you do...you are giving your body an amazing, incredible and beneficial boost...creating a powerhouse within yourself.
Enjoy it my friends! Happy Matcha journey to you!
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