We all know the amazing benefits of the glorious GREEN TEA! And up until that point no-one questions much, then, we noticed that lots of people were talking more and more about that next “it” drink: MATCHA. Then we find ourselves between two crowds the ones that LOVE it and the ones that have no clue what it is. And we know how hard it is to explain. Have a friend asked you before?: “So what’s Matcha?” and then you just stay in shock because you know is “good and healthy” and “is related to green tea” but that is about it! Well, we want to take some time to explain what Matcha is, and why you should be drinking more and more of this amazing beverage.
In a broad spectrum when you consume matcha, you consume all of green tea’s benefits in the most concentrated form — and the health benefits are amplified! Therefore matcha is not your regular green tea, and believe us, is definitely not a new discovery. Matcha is a finely ground, high-grade, concentrated green tea that has been traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies for hundreds of years. Health experts and studies have shown that its benefits could go beyond the popular believe of “green tea burns fat” all the way to being consider a cancer-fighter, YES! its naturally occurring chemical compounds are anti-carcinogenic!. Matcha is also rich in antioxidants, has free radical-scavenging activity and encourages your body’s natural detoxification systems. UNBELIEVABLE isn’t it? Don’t you want to be sipping out Matcha Lavender Lemonade or a Delicious Matcha latte as you read these lines? Us too!
So, if green tea provides great health benefits for people who regularly drink it, and matcha is a concentrated powdered form of green tea, shouldn’t we all be making it part of our regular daily/weekly routines? The answer is: Oh yeah!. Now don’t take our word for it, please see for yourself a more technical article explaining matcha’s benefits in more detail by Dr. Josh Axe here: https://draxe.com/nutrition/article/matcha-green-tea/ you will be in amazed.
Now, like in most cases when it comes to consumer goods, you can always get a cheap, fake, diluted version of any food/drink or you can get the real deal, true, whole food. So how do you know if you are getting good and real matcha? You can find matcha at local grocery stores, health food stores and even some coffee shops (WE DO!), as well as online. So what are the proper questions to ask when getting matcha?, What warning signs should you look for when reading at labels? Don’t fall in the trap! Beware of the following tips:
- Opt for organic and non-GMO
- Avoid a matcha powder containing sugar and powdered milk
- Labels with one ingredient ONLY: Matcha
- Ceremonial-grade matcha is the best for consumption
- Price plays a big roll, real-true matcha is not cheap, therefore, a lower priced one could potentially mean it’s low quality.
Next time you go to buy some for yourself or go to any place that serves matcha, you know what to look for. We are proud to serve Imperial matcha from “The Cultured Cup” Read more here. This ceremonial grade matcha is a work of art, manufacture in Japan and extremely labor intensive. The original method of shading the matcha tea plants was covering the plants with straw matting approximately 20 days before the harvesting of the leaves. This shading prevents approximately 90% of the sun from reaching the tea plants. Each day, the plantation manager looks at the tea leaf color and adjusts the straw matting above the plants to increase or reduce the sunlight reaching them. We want just the best of the best quality for our Karmic Fam and in the matcha world we are no exception. So next time you come to our studio, get your matcha game on.
You can order it and try in multiply variations, we have:
- Matcha Lavender lemonade - So refreshing!!
- Imperial Matcha Latte - Tip ;) Add some lavender and taste the MAGIC! - You can get it Hot or Iced
- Frozen Matcha
If you want to DIY it! Well here are some tips for you to make it “The traditional way” (The way it is supposed to ;)): Mix about a teaspoon of matcha powder with a third cup of hot water (heated to less than a boil), which is then whisked with a bamboo brush until it looks thick and frothy with tiny bubbles. Add 3 to 4 more ounces of water or you can also use a milk or milk substitute like coconut milk in place of water. If you’d like, you can sweeten your matcha using natural sweeteners like raw honey.
Remember! Matcha is higher in caffeine than other green teas, up-to 3 times more than your regular cup of steeped green tea. However, don’t get scared, it contains a moderate amount of caffeine at 70 milligrams per cup, which is about two-thirds the amount in a regular cup of coffee. So you are good! Of course drink it moderately, understanding that if caffeine affects your sleep you should try to avoid it for at least 6 hours prior to bed time.
Overall, if you can take anything out of this, let it be that when you balance everything in life, specially your diet, you can start enjoying and maximizing the amazing benefits these superfoods can provide you. Do your research and consider letting the power of this amazing tea become part of you daily/weekly routine according to your needs and palate. Go ahead and brew up and enjoying a nice, hot cup of matcha green tea.