All about Matcha

[snoop1130]

All about Matcha

by Shalini Phol

 

 

These days Matcha is everywhere. It’s being blogged on, and pictures of it flood the instagram and other social media. So what is about the Matcha that has made it such a hot topic? It has a unique flavour with a beautiful green colour. Let’s learn the history, preparation, health benefits and some recipes of this amazing powder tea of Japan.

 

What is Matcha ?

 

Matcha is a green tea powder with the scientific name Camellia sinensis and it’s originally from Japan. It has been used for hundreds of years in the Japanese culture in the legendary ‘Japanese tea ceremony’. So what exactly is the Japanese tea ceremony ?

 

The ceremony is a bonding experience of mindfulness and respect and a focus on the now. Usually the tea is made by experts and with certain hours of preparation. It also uses the highest and most purest form of matcha. It is a kind of spiritual ceremony and a symbol of peace, harmony and happiness that promotes social bonding.

 

Let’s learn a little more on Matcha tea and some of its characteristics before we learn the uses of it. The tea while cultivating are sheltered to avoid the direct exposure of sunlight which gives a darker shade of green and stimulates the production of chlorophyll. It has a brilliant green colour and an ultra fine texture which goes well in making teas. It has a blend of bitter and earthy flavours with an aromatic scent. In Japan, Matcha is described as having a umami, a savoury taste. It’s a simple drink to make and consume. It’s proven that Matcha has about 10 times the nutrients and health benefits compared with regular green tea. It’s a calming stimulant as it has a slow releasing caffeine. So it’s perfect for actually any time of the day.

 

Health benefits of Matcha

 

The tea is full of antioxidants and some research studies proves that consumption of it may help prevent cancer cells from thriving. Another nutrition fact of the Matcha is that it has chlorophyll in it which is a detoxifier and helps to cleanse the blood and keep maintain the alkalinity of blood and tissues. As similar to the green tea, Matcha tea boosts metabolism in our body. It is also researched that Matcha reduces anxiety in mice. Its calming effects suggests that this tea may improve our overall health. Nowadays, people are interested in weight loss and pursuing a healthy lifestyle. Matcha has the benefits associated with health benefits, making it fit the ‘superfood’ label. It is readily available and can be easily bought online as well.

 

Uses and recipes for Matcha in your kitchen

 

This pretty green looking powder can be used for making teas and also in cooking and baking. Thereby making it quite a versatile item in a kitchen.

 

How to make a hot Matcha drink

 

You will need a premium Matcha powder, hot water and a small whisk to blend the tea with.

 

But traditionally in Japan a Matcha whisk, scoop and spoon set made from natural bamboo are used to make a perfectly balanced cup of tea.

 

Source: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/travel-and-leisure/hotels-and-accommodations/wellness-real-estate/

 

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[Ireland32]

I drink it everyday.....

[Krataiboy]

Machado about nothing. Another shameful piece of advertising masquerading as news.

[honu]

It's a little known fact that tea in China was originally prepared in a ground form, before it ever even went to Japan.  It was compressed earlier in it's history too, not stored as loose leaves, and treated more as a medicine than a drink as we experience it now. 

 

The health claim in this that matcha has 10 times the nutrients of green tea sounds way off.  Shading during growth does increase the amounts of some compounds, and extraction rates are high for brewing tea but not as high as just eating the leaves (how matcha works out).  But I've seen research on tea compounds present tied to health claims and that's the wrong order of magnitude.  Matcha is also harder on your stomach than most other kinds of teas, as conventional green tea also is, just probably slightly more so.

[SiSePuede419]

When I was in Osaka last month, I saw both Matcha and Green Tea.  Didn't know the difference.

 

To clarify, both come from the same plant, as does Black tea.

 

The difference between Black and Green tea is the roast.  Similar to the difference in Dark roast coffee and light roast.  Big difference in taste.

 

And Matcha is basically primo, hand selected green tea leaves that are ground to a fine powder.  Basically espresso ground tea.

 

This has an additional benefit vs green tea that you also didn't mention...

 

"You’d have to drink 10 to 15 cups of green tea to equal the nutrients in one cup of matcha."

 

Thanks for inspiring me to get some Matcha and drink a cup daily. 

[SiSePuede419]

On 12/18/2019 at 11:15 AM, honu said:

The health claim in this that matcha has 10 times the nutrients of green tea sounds way off.

Not really.  You're throwing away most of the green tea when you make an infusion (which also contains stems).

 

With Powdered Matcha you are consuming the entire leaf.

 

I wouldn't drink very much of it. If you notice, cups for Matcha are tiny compared to regular size coffee or tea mugs.

 

Just like espresso vs drip coffee. 

 

Because espresso is finely powdered, you only consume a tiny espresso cup full. 

 

Coarsely ground drip coffee is much bigger than espresso and has less surface area in the infusion, so the cups are many times bigger than espresso.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited January 28, 2020 by SiSePuede419