Swap Your Coffee for Matcha and Feel Great All Day Long
Coffee drinkers around the globe have slowly started dropping their daily almond latte addiction in favour of a morning Matcha, the green tea powder with a long list of benefits. While this may appear to be just another health fad, matcha has in fact been around for over 800 years.
The tea originated in China, but a Japanese Buddhist monk brought the tea and the Chinese methods of preparing powdered tea to Japan. It was there that the tea’s cultivation process was truly perfected and where the tea became an intricate part of Japanese culture.
What is Matcha?
Matcha is a type of green tea, made from finely powdered dried tea leaves. It is hard to miss with its vibrant green colour resulting from high levels of chlorophyll: A result of being grown in the shade weeks before harvest. By protecting the tea from sunlight, it stunts its growth but increases the production of amino acids, contributing to the tea’s unique flavour and plethora of benefits.
Image: Shoshin Matcha
Benefits of Matcha
Energy
L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea leaves and is a powerhouse in providing sustained energy throughout the day. Whilst we have all fallen prey to the dreaded 2 pm coffee come-down, matcha’s abundance of L-theanine allows the body to slowly absorb caffeine, resulting in an extended period of energy.
Antioxidants
Matcha is chock full of catechins, a class of compounds that act as natural antioxidants. Matcha contains a whopping 130 times more antioxidants than regular green tea, which helps combat free radicals that often cause chronic illness. Not only that but these antioxidants are known to boost anti-ageing properties and even prevent the growth of cancer cells.
Detox
Some studies have shown that matcha can help protect the liver with those high levels of chlorophyll again working their magic to work as a detoxifier, helping to rid the body of nasty toxins and impurities.
Metabolism
Matcha—or green tea in general—is a popular ingredient in weight loss supplements and for good reason. It can help kick start the metabolism, increase energy expenditure, boost fat burning and allegedly burn calories four times faster than the average rate. Matcha anyone?
How Do I Drink Matcha?
Whilst it can be mixed and frothed with a variety of milks, matcha is best-served solo. The recommended method is to sift a teaspoon of matcha into a cup and add a small splash of hot water. The mixture should then be whisked until smooth before adding more hot water.
Heads up that not all matcha is created equal, there are two categories: Ceremonial matcha made from the youngest green tea leaves and culinary matcha made from older leaves, with a slightly more bitter taste. To help navigate the exciting world of matcha, we have sourced 3 of the best matcha brands on the market.
3 of the Best Matcha Brands in Australia
Happy Matcha is sourced from the lush green tea fields of Uji, located between Kyoto and Nara in Japan. Handpicked and stone ground with love, this authentic brand of Matcha is 100% organic. Happy Matcha offers both ceremonial and culinary grade Matcha, free delivery, and even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Kenko, translated as ‘healthy’ in Japanese, is run by Sam James, a chef, foodie and green tea lover. All Kenko Matcha is sourced from sustainable tea growers in Nishio, Japan. The company that believes in quality, so all matcha is ordered in small batches and only ground once an order is made to ensure optimal freshness.
Kenko Tea offers a variety of ceremonial and culinary matcha in sealed bags or cute, reusable tins. Also on offer are a range of tea sets and accessories for the full matcha experience.
Shoshin Matcha is a premium organic ceremonial Matcha brand, grown in Uji, a region renowned for producing the highest grade of green tea in Japan. The Aussie company offers both ceremonial and culinary matcha as well as traditional matcha whisks, spoons and bowls.
Shoshin Matcha is passionate about the environment with ten trees planted in Haiti, Madagascar, Nepal or Indonesia, every time a product is bought.
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