Reasons to LOVE Matcha Green Tea
You may have noticed that we’ve incorporated matcha into several menu items over the past few weeks. Matcha Tea Lattes are a new staple on our Coffee and Tea menu, matcha green tea pancakes have made their way into your home and heart, and even our matcha scones were (un)surprisingly irresistible! But honestly, we know you’re wondering, what’s so great about matcha?
Only everything.
Matcha is powdered green tea but it’s not quite the same as loose leaf green tea. The plant Camellia Sinensis, the green tea plant, is grown for two to three weeks in the shade which causes it to produce more theanine and caffeine. This difference in cultivation is what differentiates matcha from regular green tea, which is generally much lower in caffeine. From there the leaves are destemmed, deveined, and ground into a fine powder known as Matcha.
As for health benefits? We can name a few…
- Calming & Energizing – The Japanese have been utilizing the theanine and caffeine effects of Matcha powder for centuries. According to the matcha masters at House of Matcha, “Samurai warriors drank matcha green tea before going into battle because of its energizing properties, and Zen Buddhist monks drank it as a way to flow through meditation while remaining alert”. That’s enough proof for us!
- Phytochemicals & Good Feels – This recent study shows that the combination of caffeine and theanine help to “improve performance in attention-switching tasks and alertness”. In this day and age, is there anyone who won’t benefit from this improvement?
- Vitamin & Antioxidant Packed – Build up your immune system with your new favorite green tea powder. Matcha is known to contain vitamins A, C, E, K, and B-complex and is rich with antioxidants including polyphenols, catechins, and chlorophyll, all of which can help provide protection against antigens.
- Detoxifying – As we just mentioned, matcha is rich in chlorophyll which is an excellent detoxifier. It helps to cleanse the blood and maintain a healthy alkalinity of blood and tissues.
While matcha seems to be the super food that your health crazed friend has led you to believe it is, it’s worth noting that matcha is best served with water or a low-fat milk. (Or in our case, non dairy milk- almond, usually) You’ll find that restaurants and cafes like Starbucks don’t serve 100% organic matcha, but rather a matcha and sugar mixture, on top of which they sweeten with a sugar syrup and serve with full fat milks. That’s why we’re bring you matcha that’s 100% organic and serving it with low fat almond milk, sweetened with a touch of honey, so that you can reap the full goodness of this historically celebrated tea powder.
