I don’t remember how I discovered matcha but I’ve been a huge fan since. Matcha latte, matcha tea, matcha pastries, give me matcha in any way, I just love the earthy taste of it. Talking about the many benefits of matcha will give me the opportunity to talk about Japan indirectly, as this is where it comes from. With my Japanese roots (thanks mum!), I went to a tea ceremony in Japan when I was a kid and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was matcha… but at the time I probably didn’t like it. Japanese have been making and drinking matcha for centuries. I’m not saying it’s thanks to this ingredient alone but they have the highest “healthy life expectancy” in the world. They must be doing something right!

Various health benefits

There are tons of health benefits associated to matcha. What I like about it is the fact that you consume the entire leaf, unlike traditional green tea when you discard the leaves afterwards. The plant is ground down into a very fine powder, which is mixed in hot water (you need a bamboo whisk to dissolve it properly) before consumption. Because it contains the nutrients from the entire tea leaf, it results in a greater amount of caffeine and antioxidants than typically found in green tea. I would say it’s an acquired taste though, it’s probably a good idea to try it with some sort of sweetener first, until you get used to it. Here’s a few things about matcha:

• It contains a concentrated amount of antioxidants (good to help prevent cell damage and even lower your risk of several chronic diseases), so including it in your diet is a quick and easy way to increase your antioxidant intake!
• It contains 70 mg of caffeine per cup (1 teaspoon of powder), which is higher than a can of Coke (and much healthier). Caffeine can boost brain functions with faster reaction times, increased attention, and enhanced memory.
• It helps speeding up metabolism to increase energy expenditure and boosts fat burning.

And that’s not it! See below all benefits explained by Full Leaf Tea:

A must-have in your kitchen

I personally like matcha products from PureChimp, delivery is free if you are in the UK but they do deliver worldwide. I also like the fact that they are part of 1% for the Planet and give 5% of their profits to charities. They only use natural ingredients and they’re environmentally friendly with their packaging. I love it when a company wants to give people the best quality and wants to do good for the planet at the same time. Matcha is a great ingredient you should have in your kitchen anyway, I have tons of ideas how to use it! I like to add it as a flavour in my protein shake for example. But you could also use it as an ingredient for:

• a hot drink (latte…),
• a cold drink (frappuccino, iced tea…),
• baking (cakes, tarts, pancakes, cookies, muffins, brownies… possibilities are endless),
• dessert cream,
• a smoothie (with fruits like bananas, kiwis, strawberries… anything you fancy),
• ice cream (probably my favourite),
• chocolate (yummy),
• skin care (it has anti-inflammatory benefits, especially good for sensitive skin),
• …do I carry on?

Matcha tea has become a trend recently and you can find it easily pretty much anywhere. You just have to watch the quality depending on how you intend to use it (by itself or as an ingredient). Any other matcha lovers among you? As it’s Christmas soon, a matcha gift box could be a good idea for tea or even coffee lovers around you!

Big Girl x