What is matcha?

Matcha is not just a trendy drink, but an ancient tradition rooted in Japanese culture. The green tea powder has been used for over 900 years, originally as part of Zen Buddhist meditation rituals. Today, matcha has found its way into health food stores and cafes around the world.

What is Matcha?

Matcha is powdered green tea, but matcha is a type of green tea that is grown and processed in a unique way compared to traditional Chinese green tea. The tea bushes are covered to protect them from direct sunlight in the final weeks before harvest. This increases the chlorophyll content in the leaves, which gives matcha its vibrant green color and concentrates its nutrients. After harvesting, the leaves are steamed, dried, and ground into a fine powder. It is this grinding into powder that makes matcha unique among teas.

Benefits of Matcha

One of the biggest benefits of matcha is that you consume the whole tea leaf, with all its nutrients, unlike regular green tea where you only drink an extract from the leaf. This means that matcha provides a much higher concentration of antioxidants, especially catechins such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), known to have a number of health benefits.

Matcha is also rich in caffeine, but unlike coffee, it provides a smoother energy boost without the usual jittery side effects. This is due to the amino acid L-theanine, which promotes relaxation and mental clarity by stimulating the production of alpha waves in the brain.

How to use Matcha?

Matcha is versatile and can be used in a number of ways. Traditionally, it is mixed with hot water and whipped into a frothy drink using a bamboo whisk called a " chasen ." You can also add matcha to smoothies, baked goods, or lattes for a green, nutritious twist.

No matter how you choose to enjoy it, matcha is a tasty and healthy addition to your daily routine.

See our recipes with matcha:

How to make matcha latte?
How to make matcha cookies
How to make matcha iced latte?