Learn about the potent powder of matcha green tea packed and ready for one powerful punch.
You have probably heard of the popular matcha tea peppered into health talks and along grocery store aisles. This powdered green tea overflows with nutritional benefits, boosts your energy, and flushes toxins out of your body. But what does it taste like? And what is so good about it? Below is a brief description of matcha green tea and its subsequent benefits.
As far as taste goes, matcha’s fine powder tastes somewhat bitter, but leaves a slightly sweet aftertaste. Many matcha tea drinkers prefer to mix it with hot water and warm milk for a latte-like experience. But this versatile green powder also seamlessly mixes into smoothies, soups, yogurt, granola, and chocolate. You only need a small amount — usually one teaspoon per serving — to enjoy the effects. It might seem like a small amount, but matcha green tea packs a powerful punch in its potent powder.
Be wary of the green tea lattes at coffee shops, however. While the powder itself is not sugary or highly caloric, the mixed drinks can be. Be sure to ask the barista if the matcha comes in a refrigerated mix or if they use the actual powder. It usually fares better to just make your own delicious matcha drink at home so that you can feel confident about the ingredients you add in.
While traditional tea discards its green tea leaves after a three-to-five-minute steep, matcha includes the leaves within its stone-ground powder. The bright green powder mixes directly into the liquid and blends into the tea permanently. With more of the tea leaf embedded into the tea, matcha contains 20 times more antioxidants, amino acids, and nutrients than the classic green tea bag. This powdered superfood contains more health benefits in one cup than ten regular green tea pours.
Matcha contains caffeine, but the tea barely compares to the normal cup of coffee. With one third of the caffeine content as coffee, matcha’s caffeine binds with several different nutrients in the body to produce a steady boost of energy that lasts up to six hours, sans the jittery, too-much-coffee feeling. The powerful tea also contains the amino acid, L-theanine, which combines with the caffeine to promote an alert, yet calm awareness.
When looking to buy matcha green tea, make sure it is organic, and authentically from Japan. American brands are not as beneficial. This is one of my favorite brands.