Is matcha tea, the bright green tea that you see everywhere, good for your health ? What are its benefits ? Why use it ? How to choose the right matcha tea ? How do you do it at home ? We will answer all these questions in this article.
What is Matcha Tea ?
Matcha tea means “finely ground green tea”. It is used in the tea ceremony in Japan, and also as flavor and coloring in desserts, pastries.
The leaves unlike other teas, are not dried and infused but dried and crushed to get this delicate powder.
The tea is protected from light before harvest, and it is only made from young tea leaves. This is what makes the tea a bit bitter if you drink it without adding a sweet touch.
It was originally consumed by Buddhist monks and samurai before being dedicated to the tea ceremony.
What are its benefits ?
The benefits of this tea are many for health or morale.
It is the tea richest in antioxidants also called “catechins”. Catechin is a powerful antioxidant, able to fight skin aging, strengthen the immune system, fight cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and even prevent cancer.
The fact that it is consumed without infusion means that it retains all its nutrients.
It is very good for skin, hair, and nails. It is widely consumed by the Japanese for its benefits on the skin against the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
The mixture of caffeine and amino acid: L-theanine, brings concentration, calm but also energy. Unlike coffee, the caffeine contained in this tea acts more slowly and lastingly. This gives us energy for a much longer time than with a cup of coffee, which has more caffeine than a cup of matcha. However, a cup of coffee that contains an average of 100mg of caffeine will produce an energy surge in our body that will drop faster than with a cup of matcha that contains an average of 68mg of caffeine.
The caffeine in this tea is better digested by our body because it slows down. Coffee is considered to give energy for 1h to 2h while matcha tea gives energy for 3h to 6h.
It also contains chlorophyll, which removes all impurities, toxins and heavy metals.
It is also known to increase the basic metabolism of our body. Who says increased metabolism says weight loss, burns natural fat somehow. It speeds up our metabolism by almost 40%. Of course, it’s best to have a healthy diet, exercise, sleep well and have matcha tea to see a real difference.
Why drink it ? Or use it ?
By consuming matcha tea, we notice that stress decreases, energy levels increase, sleep is better, skin is more beautiful, and we are much more focused.
In addition, matcha tea is not as addictive as coffee can be. And especially as we explained just before, matcha tea does not have a harmful effect on our body. It also does not produce a peak energy then a drop like coffee could do.
So we have an energy that lasts over time.
For people with oily or combination skin, it is a great ally because it allows to tighten pores and renew skin cells.
For coffee addicts, make a mix of the two. In the morning at breakfast, you make your matcha tea to start the day well and at work or after the lunch break you can have a coffee. Nothing prevents you from doing both, or drinking only matcha tea. It’s your choice.
What kind of Matcha Tea ?
As with many foods or drinks, it is best to choose organic!
An organic tea is a tea without treatments, with taste, which is harvested protecting the environment and crops.
You can find them on the internet or in organic stores. The one I consume, I find in Naturalia or on Onatera. Depending on brands, prices may vary so pay attention to weight.
For information, the one I take costs between 7. 99€ and 9. 99€ for 100 grams and I can easily take 3 months.
How Do You Prepare your Matcha Tea at Home ?
For a natural matcha tea :
Pour a few grams of matcha tea powder into a bowl. For my part, when I have a tea, it is often a 50cl so I use a teaspoon of matcha tea.
Fill your bowl or mug with hot water that you have heated in your teapot (not hot).
Stir it all with a bamboo whip called the “chasen”.
You have a slightly sparkling matcha tea, ready to taste!
For a matcha latte (my favorite) :
Follow the same steps, but don’t fill your bowl, cup or mug completely with water. Make room for your plant or cow milk.
For those who find the tea a bit bitter, add a spoonful of honey, agave syrup or vanilla vegetable milk.
You can also make cakes with matcha tea by integrating it directly into the flour when preparing your cakes. It goes very well with chocolate, for example.
