05.02.18
Matcha is that bright green drink you see all over your Insta feed, just the 3.1million tags today.
It’s green tea but not as we know it and whilst it comes from the same plant as other green and black teas Camellia Sinesis Matcha does things a little differently.
When you drink Matcha your ingesting the entire leaf of the tea plant, why is this so good? Well by doing so you’ll get a more potent mix of anti-oxidants, namely catechins, and nutrients that are discarded in the traditional steeped tea leaves in hot water method. Some research has shown that theses catechins (ECGC) can help in the fight against cancer, viruses and heart disease.
So I’ve got my powder – what next ?
To prepare Matcha the traditional Japanese way, measure the tea into a heated tea bowl (chawan) with a bent bamboo spoon (chashaku). Add hot but not boiling water – 70°C is about right – then whisk to a froth using a special bamboo whisk (chasen). The whisking at the end is really important because this gives Matcha the silky smooth flavour – don’t miss this bit out!
Calm and Alert
Whilst Matcha contains caffeine, it also contains a natural substance L-theanine which is what triggers the alertness Matcha drinkers experience when enjoying their drink. Coffee drinkers regualarly experience the caffeine buzz whereas Matcha drinkers can enjoy more of an alert calmness.
