What would our mornings be like without a caffeine fix? Thankfully,
because of coffee, most of us never need to know. According to
statistics, a solid 64% of Americans enjoy at least one cup of coffee a
day. However, as popular as coffee is, it no longer has the breakfast
beverage market cornered because tea – including the trendy matcha – is
picking up steam. But what is matcha and is it healthy or just hype?
What is Matcha?
Matcha tea comes from Japan and is a very common drink among Asian
cultures. In fact, it is the tea of choice during traditional
ceremonies. What makes matcha, a brightly colored green tea (thanks to
chlorophyll), unique is that the entire leaf is ground into a fine
powder to make the tea; with other forms of tea, you steep the leaves,
discard, and drink the remaining water. However, with matcha, because
you’re consuming the entire leaf, you’ll consume more nutrients that
deliver health benefits such as:
Disease-Fighting Antioxidants
One of the biggest perks of matcha tea is a catechin known as EGCG,
which acts like an antioxidant that may help prevent cancer and heart
disease. Matcha has three times more antioxidants than other forms of
green tea.
Energy-Boosting Caffeine
The caffeine content of matcha will vary depending on the type and the
amount that is used in each cup. A suggested half to 1 teaspoon of
powder per serving will provide with somewhere between 34-70 milligrams
of caffeine. That means that matcha has half the amount of caffeine as a
cup of coffee. The powder also contains the amino acid L-theanine,
which has a relaxing effect on the mind. Furthermore, research suggests
that L-theanine paired with caffeine may also have mood-boosting
properties.
Matcha Making Tips
To make a cup of matcha, you will need just a bowl, tea (bamboo) whisk,
and a teaspoon. Measure out your desired amount of matcha powder, and
add it to the bowl. Heat up either water or milk, and add a small amount
of the hot liquid to the bowl. Whisk until a thick paste forms and no
clumps remain. Pour this paste into the pot you used to heat the liquid,
and continue to whisk until you reach a smooth, frothy consistency.
Pour into your mug and enjoy.
Don’t feel limited to just tea as you can incorporate matcha powder in a
lot of things, like smoothies, cakes, cookies, and ice cream. Here are a
few creative ways to use this powder:
• Make homemade matcha ice cream. Combine reduced-fat plain yogurt
(don’t use nonfat as the fat helps prevent ice/water crystals from
forming) with some honey or syrup in a bowl. Whisk in some matcha and
sprinkle in a dash of cinnamon. Mix well, and pour the mixture into a
bread pan, cover, and place in the freezer overnight.
Jazz up your breakfast by making matcha oatmeal. Simply add one
teaspoon of matcha to half a cup of oats and prepare as usual with milk
or water. Finish it off with the topping of your choice, like chopped
almonds or pecans, berries, or shredded unsweetened coconut.
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