Matcha tEa
Matcha, it seems like a buzz word, what exactly is it, how do you make Matcha tea, is it really healthy?
Everything you want to know about Matcha: If you are not familiar with matcha, it is a Japanese green tea powder made from finely ground dried tea leaves. It has a slightly bitter, vegetal flavour and a vibrant green colour that results from the high chlorophyll content of the leaves.
Matcha is known as the green drink that is even healthier than regular green tea. The powder contains up to 137 times more antioxidants than regular tea. Bye bye colds, as it contributes to a stronger immune system.
Matcha also contains 10 times more nutritional value, making it equivalent to 10 cups of green tea. The choice is quickly made then, right?
Read more about matcha...
What is Matcha powder
Matcha is a finely ground powder derived from the tea plant Camellia Sinensis. This shrub blooms from March to May.
A fun fact: did you know that only the buds and first 2 growing leaves are harvested for tea? Otherwise, it is harvested every 3 to 4 weeks.
After pouring hot water, it produces a green tea with a mild aftertaste. For best results, whisk the matcha with a bamboo whisk. You will find all matching accessories in our webshop.
But why drink matcha instead of ordinary green tea? Ordinary green tea is already touted as an antioxidant, but matcha has even more benefits.
Here's why: with other forms of green tea, you steep the leaves in hot water and then discard them. With matcha, you whisk the powder in hot water or milk. As a result, you consume the whole tea leaf when you drink it! The antioxidants it contains can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and even boost metabolism.
what does Matcha tea taste like ?
Matcha tea takes some getting used to when you drink it for the first time. This is because the taste is very complex; some people say matcha has an umami flavour.
Umami is the fifth flavour people perceive (the other four being sweet, sour, salty and bitter), and is often described as a "savoury" taste.
But in general, matcha gives a nice grassy taste mixed with sweet notes, a little bitter, but then you get a soft and sweet aftertaste of chocolate that can last for minutes.
The taste of matcha also depends on the quality, a good matcha powder is soft, fine and definitely not grainy!
Our tip:
You can start with 1 scoop instead of 2 scoops or add some honey and whipped milk. Don't stop after 1 cup, guaranteed after the 3rd cup you won't want anything else!
How to make matcha tea
Actually, you don't brew matcha tea, you brew it. Brew matcha with water at 80°C (176°F) to make it sweet, nutty and smooth. To get a silkier texture of matcha, use water at 60-70°C (140-158°F). You can make matcha at a lower temperature (30°C/86°F) to make it more refreshing. Never use boiling water as it destroys the flavour and health benefits.
If making matcha is new to you, or if your tea tastes bitter, add a few drops of maple syrup or honey to make it sweeter. Best results are achieved with a bamboo whisk (along with all the other matcha accessories for sale in our webshop), but an ordinary whisk will also do the trick.
Ingredients :
¼ teaspoon matcha
200 ml hot water, ideally 80°
Steamed milk of your choice, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, dairy milk, etc.
Maple syrup, honey or other sweetener
Step 1 : Strain the matcha into a mug or bowl to remove lumps.
Step 2 : Pour in the 200 millilitres of hot water. Using a matcha whisk or a small regular whisk, whisk vigorously from left to right until the matcha is fully dispersed and there is a frothy layer on top.
Step 3 : Add the remaining 600 millilitres of hot water or steamed milk and whisk again until frothy. Sweeten to taste, if desired.
How Healthy is Matcha tea?
In fact, matcha tea is very healthy. Besides polyphenols, the tea plant also contains proteins, minerals, vitamins and amino acids. Half of those amino acids consist of L-theanine, the compound that provides matcha's medicinal properties.
Everything starts in the root of the plant: here the amino acids are synthesised after which they accumulate in the leaves. There, sunlight transforms them into polyphenols. A month before harvest, the plant is covered, increasing the concentration of L-theanine.
Research shows that L-theanine has a positive effect on your mood. It also improves concentration, sleep and also makes you feel good.
how can you benefit from matcha tea
We have listed the health benefits of Matcha for you:
- Antioxidants. The tea is packed with important antioxidants that protect you from free radicals.
-Concentration. Are you facing a task that requires you to keep your head up? This tea is high in caffeine, which helps maintain concentration for up to five hours.
- Detox. Drinking tea naturally detoxifies your body
- L-theanine. This substance provides relaxation and reduces your stress levels - Nutrients. Tea is packed with fibre and vitamins such as vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium
- Strengthens the immune system. Calcium, potassium, vitamins A and C, iron and proteins boost your immune system
- Good for your blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar is balanced, it is easier to control your weight or lose weight
Can you lose weight with matcha?
Matcha tea can definitely help you lose weight*. Why?
Matcha tea is a green tea. Green tea naturally contains a good amount of leptin and EGCG. And because Matcha is pure finely ground green tea, Matcha tea contains gigantically more leptin than regular green tea. This is because with regular green tea, you throw most of this away with the contents of the tea bag in the trash. With Matcha tea, on the other hand, you drink the entire leaf whole and don't throw anything away. So you get a lot more in!
Leptin makes you burn fat for longer, even if you are dieting, when lowered leptin levels instruct your body to store as much digested food as possible as fat because you get little nutrients while dieting. Due to the increased intake of leptin when drinking Matcha tea, your body therefore gets the signal to store food in the form of fat much later, which means you burn fat longer and thus lose weight faster.
* Always lose weight in consultation with your doctor, Matcha only helps additionally to a diet.
the quality of Matcha
Beware ! there is quite some difference in the quality of matcha powders.
Because matcha is still fairly new in the West, you often hear stories of people who have tasted bitter, gritty matcha of low quality.
That is a pity! Because matcha is actually very tasty! Firstly, there is a distinction between ceremonial matcha and cooking matcha.
Ceremonial matcha is meant to be mixed with water only and should have a smooth, creamy taste with little to no bitterness.
Cooking matcha has a more bitter flavour and is meant to be used as an ingredient in smoothies, biscuits, etc.
Good quality matcha powder has a natural, vegetal, sweet taste. The aftertaste is also full and mild on the palate and lingers for a long time. Inferior quality matcha is characterised with a bitter and dry aftertaste.
Can you cook
Yes definitely you can cook with Matcha! Matcha powder can be very well incorporated into fun dishes!
The nice thing about these dishes is that you don't really need a recipe. The steps speak for themselves and the amount of matcha you use depends entirely on what you like.
These dishes are really the tip of the iceberg. In fact, there is so much more you can do with matcha powder.
For example, discover our matcha chocolate bars LINK. A fun and easy recipe is popcorn matcha.... check out how to make it here.
Matcha tasting
Our Matcha Tasting is the ideal opportunity to get acquainted with Matcha. With this tasting, we go back to basics. How do you make matcha tea, what exactly is matcha, what is it good for? We will make matcha the traditional way and enjoy it.
During the tasting you will also taste different products made with matcha, such as our matcha chocolate, because did you know that you can also cook very well with matcha. Whether you are already familiar with matcha or not, this tasting is a must for everyone!
