What Is Matcha Tea For

When To Buy Culinary Grade Matcha

Food grade, culinary, or sometimes ingredient matcha can be used to make green-tea ice cream, sweets, smoothies, and green-tea noodles it is relatively inexpensive, where on the other end,the most expensive ceremonial high-grade matcha is reserved for the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. Nonetheless, all matcha carries a shared host of health benefits and energizing properties.

What Is Matcha Tea

Matcha is a type of green tea made by taking young tea leaves and grinding them into a bright green powder. The powder is then whisked with hot water. This is different from regular green tea, where the leaves are infused in water, then removed. Drinking brewed green tea is a bit like boiling spinach, throwing away the spinach and just drinking the water, says Louise Cheadle, co-author of The Book of Matcha and co-owner of the tea company teapigs. You will get some of the nutrients, but youre throwing away the best bit. With matcha, youre drinking the whole tea leaves.

Matcha leaves are grown on green tea bushes kept under shade. The shade increases the amount of chlorophyll content in the leaves, which is what makes them bright green and full of nutrients. The leaves are picked by hand and the stems and veins are removed. According to Cheadle, the leaves are traditionally ground by granite stones into a super fine powder. It takes an hour to grind the leaves, and its done in the dark to protect the nutrients, she says.

The finest matcha comes from Japan, where it has been grown for centuries and forms part of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, she adds.

Matcha And Green Tea Powder Benefits

Tea has played an essential role in many cultures for generations. While most mainstream tea is well known globally, in recent years, matcha and green tea have become quite popular for its health benefits and broad use. As a flavorful ingredient, you can find matcha and green tea in the form of powder for both sweet and savory dishes ranging from muffins and puddings, to matcha soup, stir-frys, and even matcha guacamole!

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How Do You Make Matcha Tea

Matcha powder and hot water should be whisked together. Its recommended that you use a tea strainer to sift the matcha into a bowl to avoid clumps. Then, add warm water and whisk it. The whisking creates a foamy tea that can be poured into your cup. Some people add the powder to other hot liquids, like milk, to make a bright green latte. Heres a video of how to make traditional matcha tea.

Cheadle says she brings powders with her so she can shake it into a drink like water or a smoothie. It can also be added to other foods, like breads and pastries, for its color and flavor.

How Can You Make Matcha At Home

You don’t have to go to your nearest coffeeshop to get matcha. In fact, you can make a version at home with minimal kitchen gadgets. “Traditionally, Japanese people use a bamboo whisk and ladle to make matcha tea. If you don’t have it, you can use a spoon,” Miyashita says. Here’s how:

2. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of matcha into a cup and add a splash of hot water.

3. Mix thoroughly with a spoon to remove lumps of matcha.If you have a bamboo whisk, mix matcha with it until frothy. Now that you have your concentrated matcha, you can either fill the glass up the rest of the way with water or milk.

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How Does Matcha Compare To Green Tea

Both regular brewed green tea and matcha contain caffeine, but less than coffee or black tea. Matcha appears to contain more caffeine that regular brewed green tea.

It also appears to contain more EGCG. ConsumerLab.com, an independent testing group, tested matcha products in 2015 and found that matcha provided 17 mg to 109 mg of EGCG per serving. By comparison, the average brewed green tea provides 25 to 86 mg per serving. While matcha powders contained more catechins per gram than brewed green tea, it was substantially more expensive: The lowest cost matcha powder was available at the time for $2.31 for 200mg of EGCG, compared to 27 cents for the same amount from brewed green tea. Compared to the powders, matcha in tea bags provides significantly less EGCG.

Part of the whole aura is that its an experience, says Dr. Tod Cooperman, the president of ConsumerLab.com. But you are paying a premium for that nice experience.

Matcha Is Easy To Make And Tastes Great

Making Matcha couldn’t be easier. The goal is to suspend your beautiful green tea powder with water. The best three ways to do this are with a bamboo whisk, a shaker bottle or blender.

Matcha Latte: To make a matcha latte, start with a Tenzo shot and add your choice of milk to top it off.

Matcha Lemonade: To make a Matcha Lemonade, start with a Tenzo shot, add some ice and fill your glass with lemonade.

We put together a ton of easy matcha recipes that you can make in 5 minutes or less. You can find them here.

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Matcha Vs Coffee And Sugary Drinks

Matcha has caffeine like coffee, but your body processes it in a completely different way. The caffeine in matcha is released slowly, and the amino-acids control how it functions in the brain. This way you dont get the jitters, anxiety, heart palpitations, or that familiar mid-afternoon caffeine crash from when you drink coffee. Unlike coffee, matcha also doesnt irritate the gastrointestinal tract, instead its a probiotic for our gut-microbiome.

Matcha has an appropriate amount of caffeine to keep you mentally alert and is absorbed by the body more effectively to give you four to six hours of energy instead of the one to three you get from coffee. And, if you need an extra mid-day boost, you can even drink matcha in the early evening without worrying about interfering with your sleep.

Many common energy drinks contain too much sugar, leading to tooth decay, weight gain, obesity, as well as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Matcha tea is not only low in calories but also free of the harmful effects of sugars,like those seen from soda, ready-to-drink coffees, and others.

Matcha For Oral Health

90% of bad breath comes from bacterial cavities in your mouth. This is where bacteria breakdown sulfur-containing amino acids into foul-smelling volatile sulfur compounds . If the bacterial colonies in your mouth get out of control, bad breath will begin to run wild. You dont want that .Good news: When tested against gum, mints and other foods, green tea showed the largest reduction in the concentration of both HS and CHSH gases* . The antibacterial properties of green tea keep the bacteria at bay. Land ho.Green tea vs coffee?

Coffee is very acidic, which means bacteria reproduce faster than your morning commute . When you add milk, creamers and even non-dairy creamers to your coffee, the overgrowth of bacteria in your mouth continues to get worse.Matcha keeps your teeth strong and healthy. If you drink your matcha green it will help prevent the formation of cavities by preventing plaque build-up and inhibiting bacteria* . Find a dentist who wouldnt recommend that.

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Helps You Lose Weight

Take a look at any weight loss supplement and theres a good chance youll see green tea extract listed in the ingredients.

Green tea is well known for its ability to enhance weight loss. In fact, studies show that it may help speed up metabolism to increase energy expenditure and boost fat burning.

One small study showed that taking green tea extract during moderate exercise increased fat burning by 17% .

Another study in 14 people found that taking a supplement containing green tea extract significantly boosted 24-hour energy expenditure, compared to a placebo .

A review of 11 studies also showed that green tea reduced body weight and helped maintain weight loss .

Although most of these studies focused on green tea extract, matcha comes from the same plant and should have the same effect.

SUMMARY

Some studies show that green tea extract helps increase metabolism and fat burning, both of which may aid weight loss.

Matcha Green Tea Powder Helps Relieve Arthritis Symptoms

For older Australians, matcha health benefits include relieving arthritis symptoms. Studies have shown green tea can help reduce inflammation and arthritis pain because of its active ingredient EGCG which is a powerful antioxidant that works to stop the production of certain inflammatory chemicals in the body. Matcha contains a much higher level of EGCG compared to standard green tea bags making it the perfect anti-inflammatory drink.

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Lead Contamination Is A Concern

Even organically grown green teas have been shown to contain lead, which is absorbed by the plant from the environment, particularly tea grown in China. When traditional green tea is steeped, about 90% of the lead stays in the leaf, which is discarded. With matcha, since the whole leaf is consumed, you will ingest more lead. One independent group, ConsumerLab.com, which tested teas, estimates that a cup of matcha may contain as much as 30 times more lead than a cup of green tea. Therefore, they recommend drinking no more than one cup daily, and not serving it to children.

What Is Green Tea Club

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Why Does Matcha Green Tea Powder Help Prevent And Fight Cancer

Matcha green tea powder contains the highest levels of cancer fighting EGCg antioxidants only found in green tea. Researchers believe that the EGCg in matcha:

• Prevents free radicals from damaging cells which can lead to cancer
• Helps inhibit the growth of tumors
• Kill cancerous cells and suppresses their progression

A daily matcha green tea powder habit can deliver a powerful level of cancer fighting antioxidants to keep your body healthy and in balance.

What Is Culinary Grade Matcha

Culinary grade matcha is a slightly lower grade of matcha than ceremonial grade matcha. It is usually less expensive, and is designed to be added to lattes, smoothies, baked goods, and other recipes. Culinary grade matcha tends to have a bolder, less nuanced flavor designed to stand up to other ingredients.

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Matcha Is Powdered Green Tea

Matcha is a finely ground Green Tea powder made from the young and nutrient rich leaves of the green tea plant. Matcha powder is traditionally whisked with hot water to make a rich and frothy green tea, but can also be used to make lattes, smoothies, baked goods, and much more!

We believe that if youre going to do something, you should do it right. That mentality took us around the world in search of the best Matcha. We eventually landed in Japan, where we found some of the brightest green powder we had ever seen. Japan has warm weather, and receives plenty of sunlight and rain all of which make it an ideal climate in which to grow leaves.Japan is where the Camellia Sinensis plant is grown. The leaves from this plant are used to make green tea. However, Matcha takes it one step further. In order to make Matcha, the young, nutrient-rich leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant are ground up into a fine powder.In fact, the Japanese have spent the last 1,000 years refining the process of growing green tea and have perfected the art of producing Matcha. Drinking Matcha allows you to consume the entire leaf and unlock the full nutrient potential of green tea. Matcha has the highest antioxidant rating of all major superfoods and naturally comes with a perfect dose of caffeine for a clean and focused energy boost.

Caffeine Content In Matcha

Matcha typically has more caffeine content than green tea, similar caffeine to black tea, and less caffeine than brewed coffee. Because matcha is produced from shade-grown tea bushes, the tea leaves tend to retain more of their caffeine content. In addition, since youre consuming the ground tea leaf when sipping matcha, youre ingesting more caffeine content than you would from the extraction of steeped green or black tea leaves. Like all drinks cultivated from caffeinated plants, however, a specific level of caffeine per cup of matcha tea will depend on the how the matcha was processed and prepared. Be sure and read the packaging carefully or ask your tea supplier directly for the caffeine information specific to the matcha you are buying.

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Large Amounts Of Matcha Tea May Be Toxic To The Liver

Studies show that excessive intake of the EGCG polyphenol may cause liver toxicity.

The key words here are excessive intake, but recent studies show that

• 400 mg per day of EGCG extract as a supplement for 60 days led to a patient being admitted to hospital with signs of impending liver failure.

• A systematic review of randomized controlled trials on green tea extracts noted some events of liver damage from high-dose EGCG. However, they are rare.

• According to the European Food Safety Authoritys research report, moderate or severe liver abnormalities were observed in 5.1% of individuals consuming more than 800 mg of EGCG per day. However, there were no signs of problems below this amount.

It is worth bearing in mind that matcha is a strong and concentrated source of the compounds in green tea, and we dont need large amounts of it.

Key Point:

How To Make Matcha Green Tea

Youll find my full matcha green tea recipe and measurements below, but because there are a few tricks to making matcha, I wanted to break it down step by step. Heres what you need to do:

First, sift it into a small bowl or mug. Matcha clumps very easily, so I always recommend sifting it before you add any water. Otherwise, it will be difficult to get the tea to disperse evenly in the liquid, and your drink will be lumpy.

Then, pour in a small amount of hot water, and whisk. But wait! This isnt the circular whisking required for making baking recipes or scrambled eggs. Instead, whisk vigorously from side to side either directly back and forth or in a zigzag pattern to evenly disperse the powder in the water and create a foamy layer on top. If you whisk in a circular motion, your tea wont foam.

Finally, top it off with more hot water or steamed milk. Traditional matcha green tea is made with just green tea powder and water, but you can also easily make a latte by finishing your drink with steamed milk. I love to make mine with almond milk, coconut milk, or homemade oat milk. Whisk again until foamy, sweeten to taste, and enjoy!

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Why Is Matcha More Costly Compared With Other Green Teas

The price of matcha reflects the labor involved in producing it. In Japan, high-quality matcha is a luxury item, always expensive, but there are many grades of matcha. They vary in price as well as quality.

Food grade, or ingredient, matcha is used to make green-tea ice cream and other sweets, smoothies, and green-tea noodles it is relatively inexpensive. The most expensive high-grade matcha is drunk in the tea ceremony.

Matcha Tea Is Very Easy To Prepare

Taking advantage of the many health benefits of matcha is simple and the tea tastes delicious.

You can make traditional matcha tea by sifting 12 teaspoons of matcha powder into your cup, adding 2 ounces of hot water, and mixing it together with a bamboo whisk.

You can also adjust the ratio of matcha powder to water based on your preferred consistency.

For a thinner tea, reduce the powder to a half teaspoon and mix with 34 ounces of hot water.

If you prefer a more concentrated version, combine 2 teaspoons of powder with just 1 ounce of water.

If youre feeling creative, you can even try whipping up matcha lattes, puddings, or protein smoothies to boost the nutrient content of your favorite recipes.

As always, moderation is key. Although matcha is brimming with health benefits, more is not necessarily better.

In fact, liver problems have been reported in some people who drank high amounts of green tea daily .

Drinking matcha may also increase your exposure to contaminants like pesticides, chemicals, and even arsenic found in the soil where the tea plants are grown (

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From Tea Leaves To Matcha Powder

The tea plant is harvested in May. At this stage, the tea leaves are called tencha. The leaves are taken to be dried and then steamed. This prevents the leaves from fermenting during the process.After steaming, the leaves are dried again and the leaf mould and other impurities are removed. This leaves only the purest tea material from which matcha powder is made.The dried tencha leaves are ground in the traditional way using a stone mill. The end result is a fluffy, powdery powder with a bright green colour. The finished matcha is stored tightly and protected from sunlight. This way, the matcha powder is ready to travel for the tea drinkers’ pleasure.