What is Matcha?
Matcha is the vibrant green powdered tea used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. It is made from the leaves of shade grown tea trees. When the leaves are harvested they are steamed, dried and then further processed to remove the veins, stems and impurities. Only about 10% of the original harvest remains, and this is called the "tencha". The tencha is then ground to a fine powder often in a stone mill. It takes about one hour to produce an ounce of matcha, because grinding any faster would result in a burnt tasting tea. Today the highest grades of matcha usually remain in Japan for use in their tea ceremonies and the price can be as high as $100 an ounce. The majority of matcha available in the general market today is now ground by sophisticated machines, which make it affordable to the average tea drinker. Regardless of the grinding technique used, the production of matcha requires a great deal of hand labour, skill and time.
Matcha & Health
The health benefits of matcha tea exceed those of green tea because when you drink matcha you ingest the whole leaf, not just the brewed water. One glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of its nutritional value and antioxidant content.
Absorption is key. When tea bags or loose teas are steeped, only 5% to 10% of the nutrients naturally found in tea end up in the cup because most of the nutrients are not water-soluble - the minerals, fibres, vitamins, and antioxidants end up thrown out with the tea leaves. With matcha the whole tea leaf is ground into a fine powder and consumed entirely so you get 100% of the nutrients from the leaves.
Matcha is Exponentially Higher in Antioxidants than Blueberries and Spinach
Green teas contain a high amount of antioxidants, chemical compounds known to forestall aging. Antioxidants are found in many fruits and vegetables – even chocolate. A testing method known as ORAC – short for oxygen radical absorbance capacity, evaluates the antioxidant levels found in food. Matcha green tea is exponentially higher than other foods known for their high antioxidants levels such as blueberries and spinach.
Preparing Matcha (Japanese Powdered Green Tea)
Matcha, powdered green tea, is the centerpiece of the Japanese tea ceremony. However, it is enjoying a wide popularity at the moment because of its rich, intense flavour and its high concentration of antioxidants and vitamins. To prepare matcha in a traditional manner, one needs a bowl and a bamboo whisk (chasen). The bamboo whisk is an important part, as the fine bamboo strands help to dissolve the matcha into the water while creating a pleasant, light froth. A regular metal whisk is not fine enough to dissolve the matcha properly.
· 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder (per serving)
· 2 ounces boiling water (per serving)
1. Bring freshly drawn, cold water to a boil in a kettle.
2. When water is at a gentle boil, remove from heat.
3. Pour water into tea bowl to warm. At this point, you may soften the whisk in the water. When done, pour out the water.
4. Wipe bowl with clean, dry cloth.
5. Add 1 tsp (3g) of matcha to the bowl.
6. Allow water to cool to approximately 120 - 140°F.
7. Pour 2 oz. of water into the tea bowl.
8. Whisk the matcha thoroughly and briskly in a back and forth motion until the powder is dissolved. This will take about 1-2 minutes.
Matcha is the vibrant green powdered tea used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. It is made from the leaves of shade grown tea trees. When the leaves are harvested they are steamed, dried and then further processed to remove the veins, stems and impurities. Only about 10% of the original harvest remains, and this is called the "tencha". The tencha is then ground to a fine powder often in a stone mill. It takes about one hour to produce an ounce of matcha, because grinding any faster would result in a burnt tasting tea. Today the highest grades of matcha usually remain in Japan for use in their tea ceremonies and the price can be as high as $100 an ounce. The majority of matcha available in the general market today is now ground by sophisticated machines, which make it affordable to the average tea drinker. Regardless of the grinding technique used, the production of matcha requires a great deal of hand labour, skill and time.
Matcha & Health
The health benefits of matcha tea exceed those of green tea because when you drink matcha you ingest the whole leaf, not just the brewed water. One glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of its nutritional value and antioxidant content.
Absorption is key. When tea bags or loose teas are steeped, only 5% to 10% of the nutrients naturally found in tea end up in the cup because most of the nutrients are not water-soluble - the minerals, fibres, vitamins, and antioxidants end up thrown out with the tea leaves. With matcha the whole tea leaf is ground into a fine powder and consumed entirely so you get 100% of the nutrients from the leaves.
Matcha is Exponentially Higher in Antioxidants than Blueberries and Spinach
Green teas contain a high amount of antioxidants, chemical compounds known to forestall aging. Antioxidants are found in many fruits and vegetables – even chocolate. A testing method known as ORAC – short for oxygen radical absorbance capacity, evaluates the antioxidant levels found in food. Matcha green tea is exponentially higher than other foods known for their high antioxidants levels such as blueberries and spinach.
Preparing Matcha (Japanese Powdered Green Tea)
Matcha, powdered green tea, is the centerpiece of the Japanese tea ceremony. However, it is enjoying a wide popularity at the moment because of its rich, intense flavour and its high concentration of antioxidants and vitamins. To prepare matcha in a traditional manner, one needs a bowl and a bamboo whisk (chasen). The bamboo whisk is an important part, as the fine bamboo strands help to dissolve the matcha into the water while creating a pleasant, light froth. A regular metal whisk is not fine enough to dissolve the matcha properly.
· 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder (per serving)
· 2 ounces boiling water (per serving)
1. Bring freshly drawn, cold water to a boil in a kettle.
2. When water is at a gentle boil, remove from heat.
3. Pour water into tea bowl to warm. At this point, you may soften the whisk in the water. When done, pour out the water.
4. Wipe bowl with clean, dry cloth.
5. Add 1 tsp (3g) of matcha to the bowl.
6. Allow water to cool to approximately 120 - 140°F.
7. Pour 2 oz. of water into the tea bowl.
8. Whisk the matcha thoroughly and briskly in a back and forth motion until the powder is dissolved. This will take about 1-2 minutes.
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