Matcha, Matcha, Matcha!

What is Matcha?

Simply, Matcha is a Japanese green tea powder. Like all green teas, it comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. During farming, the green tea plants for matcha are shade-grown for about three weeks before harvest. This allows the tea plant to produce more theanine and caffeine. Once harvested, the stems and veins are removed for processing. Finally, the leaves are ground into a fine powder that is then dissolved into either water or milk for drinking.

The Benefits of Matcha Green Tea

Green tea in general is known for its health benefits. Just like any other green tea, Matcha contains a class of antioxidants called catechins. Since you are ingesting the entire tea leaf, in powdered form, you are getting the nutrients from the entire leaf. It is estimated that the number of certain catechins in matcha is up to 137 times greater than in other types of green tea (NCBI). As a result of the increase in antioxidents, there are many studies on the health benefits of Matcha. Here are a few of the main benefits. The full article can be found on healthline.com.

1. Some studies have shown that matcha could prevent liver damage and decrease the risk of liver disease. However, additional studies are needed to look at the effects on humans in the general population. (NCBI)
2. Matcha has been shown to improve attention, memory and reaction time. It also contains caffeine and L-theanine, which can improve several aspects of brain function. (healthline.com)
3. Matcha is especially high in epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a type of catechin that has been shown to have powerful anti-cancer properties. Studies have found that the compounds in matcha may inhibit the growth of cancer cells. (NCBI)
4. Studies show that green tea and matcha can decrease several heart disease risk factors. (NCBI)
5. 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.

The Many Faces of Matcha

Matcha has become a bit of a “fad” recently. As a result, you can find Matcha Green Tea shots, smoothies, and snacks pretty readily available. There are hundreds of ways to enjoy this magical green powder! Here are just a few:

Matcha Latte

My FAVORITE way to enjoy Matcha Green Tea, and get all the health and caffeine benefits, is a hot or iced Matcha Latte. Depending on the weather or your mood, you can decide how you prefer this tasty beverage. I typically make my latte’s using regular milk but they can also be made using coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or any other milk alternate that you typically use at home.

Similarly, if you don’t like the taste of a traditional Matcha, there are many flavored varieties out there! My favorite is Matcha Mocha from Adagio Tea’s. They also have blueberry, peach, raspberry, chocolate, and cinnamon apple available. The Peach also makes an AMAZING iced latte!!!

You can also add a shot of matcha to any of your favorite teas. My favorite summer pick-me-up is an Iced Jasmine Matcha Green Tea Latte (pictured above to the left). A nice jasmine green tea and a traditional matcha! YUM!

Matcha Smoothies

Are you a smoothie lover? Mornings in my house are a bit crazy and sometimes it is hard to get breakfast in, so smoothies make for a quick and easy on the go breakfast. I have my own take on the “green smoothie” craze. I don’t add spinach (although you certaintly could) or kale (again, still could), I add MATCHA to my fruit smoothies!

Matcha Green Tea Powder can be easily blended with a strawberry, banana or mixed berry smoothie for the added caffeine boost and antioxidents.

This beautiful smoothie has Strawberry, Banana, and Matcha! I get many amazing smoothie ideas from Excellence Tea’s Instagram page! They are full of quick and easy ideas for how to mix Matcha into your morning smoothie. You can also check out their website for other recipe ideas!

Breakfast Parfaits

Another easy and delicious breakfast, or mid-morning snack, that can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator are these green breakfast parfaits by Lenny of vegamelon.com! Made with Chia seeds, milk, matcha green tea powder, and maple syrup they are a simple and yummy way to start the day! This recipe can be found on her instagram page! Click on the picture to the left to go directly to the recipe.

Matcha Snacks

Believe it or not, matcha is no longer just for drinking! There are hundreds of recipes for snacks made with this incredible green tea powder!! Two of my favorite recipes are from Heather Pace at sweetlyraw.com! She has an incredible collection of recipes! She even did a series of ALL GREEN recipes that Included these beautiful Matcha Bars! This vegan recipe is beyond easy with just a few simple ingredients! Also included in this article is a recipe for Raw Vegan Matcha Brownies! To give these recipes a try, click on the picture to the left! It will take you directly to the article! I also recommend following Heather on instagram for other amazing recipes!

Not much into cooking? Don’t worry, I’m not either! There are plenty of pre-made snacks that you can purchase online or in Asian Markets near you! A few of my favorites snacks are Matcha Kit-Kat Bars and Matcha Pocky! For other unique Matcha Snack options Click here:

And So Many More!

These are just a handful of the ways that Matcha Green Tea Powder can be used! Cakes, fudge, mousse, breads, protein bars, ice cream- If you can use your imagination (and pinterest), the possibilities are endless! I am constantly adding matcha recipes to my Pinterest Page! Be sure to follow me there to get access to everything I find!

What is your favorite way to enjoy Matcha?! Leave me a comment below!