Matcha is the powdered green tea used in Japanese tea ceremonies, and it’s insanely trendy right now.
If you’ve been out of the house or on the Internet recently, you’ve probably seen one of your favorite style bloggers talking about how much she loves matcha. Matcha is the powdered green tea used in Japanese tea ceremonies, and lately, it’s become so popular it seems to be the new “green juice” of the day. Luckily it is a lot tastier and easier to make than kale juice.
Whereas brewed tea is made by steeping tee leaves in hot water, matcha is a powder made of ground tea leaves. To make a cup of matcha, the powder is whisked with hot water until combined, which means that when you drink it, you’re swallowing all the leaves, so you’re getting more of the antioxidants and amino acids from the green tea directly into your mouth. Also, you’re getting more of the delicious delicious caffeine. A cup of matcha has about three times the amount of caffeine in a cup of brewed green tea, which is approximately the same amount of caffeine as in a cup of brewed coffee. So you could easily swap a cup of coffee with matcha in the morning and still get all the caffeine you’re used to. (Unless you normally start the day with a triple espresso, in which case I cannot help you.)
One cup of matcha reportedly has 137 times the amount of the antioxidant EGCG in a cup of brewed green tea. EGCG has reported health benefits that include properties that fight cancer and heart diseases, and it is also credited with helping skin fight off environmental damage and stay young-looking and glowy longer.
Matcha looks daunting, but it’s actually very easy to prepare. For a regular cup of matcha, mix about one teaspoon of powder with about a third of a cup of not-quite-boiling water. Aim for a water temperature of about 80 degrees, if you can. If the water is too hot, it can make the matcha taste bitter. Whisk the matcha with the little bamboo whisk that you will almost certainly find displayed next to the matcha wherever you decide to buy your matcha. The more you practice, the better you will get at whisking. Well-mixed matcha has a thin, light green layer froth over the top and no large bubbles. If you can’t get it smooth, don’t worry. The bubbles won’t hurt you.
Matcha can be a bit strong or bitter, though. Personally, I don’t like sweet beverages and find the grassy flavor of matcha very appealing. If you find it too strong, though, matcha also makes an excellent latte.
To make a matcha latte, just whisk a teaspoon of matcha with a few tablespoons of hot water. Then add that to milk. (Use steamed milk for a hot latte or cold milk with ice for an iced matcha latte.) If you like, add a bit of honey or agave syrup to make it a little sweeter.
Or just sprinkle it directly on ice cream. It’s good that way, too.
