Matcha Tea
Amanda Luther, MBA - contributor for Cody Living Magazine
You may have seen a mysterious green powder gaining shelf space in stores all over Cody. Stories have likely crossed your Facebook pages, twitter feeds, Instagram posts, and snapchats. What is it and why has it gained popularity? Matcha tea is everywhere because of its incredible health benefits and taste. With everyone on a mission to become healthy in the new year, consider making this a great addition to your new routine. So what is it and why should you be drinking it?
If you’ve seen Matcha in person, you know it is a bright green powdery substance. It smells like very strong green tea. Matcha is green tea, but instead of the leaves being steeped in hot water, the leaves are processed and ground finely to be mixed with water in a ceremony. If it comes from the same plant, why is Matcha so much better? “Matcha” is defined as “ground” in Japanese and because you ingest the actual leaves it is reported it contains 137 times more antioxidants than regular green tea. It is grown in shade the last few weeks before it is harvested and so it contains more chlorophyll (great for energy) and L-Theanine (great for peace of mind.) Regular green tea leaves are pan fired and sun-dried to dry out and Matcha leaves are steamed and air-dried which creates the bright green color. The stems and leaves are taken out and then the rest is ground on stone to get the green powder. This tedious process also explains why Matcha is much more expensive than other teas. Other benefits to Matcha include:
Boosting metabolism
Enhances your mood
Lots of antioxidants
Detox
Rich in fiber, chlorophyll and vitamins
Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar
Great source of zinc, vitamin c, selenium and magnesium
Another healthy aspect to Matcha: the time you take to prepare the tea makes you slow down, take in your surroundings, and enjoy the tea. So many of us are so busy that we don’t take time to enjoy a small moment. This is why Matcha is used as a ceremonial tea- the ceremony of preparing the tea creates harmony between your busy mind and the simple practice of the ceremony. How do you prepare it:
Heat water so it is not boiling, but still hot.
Scoop 1/4 teaspoon of Matcha and sift, then mix with 1 oz of water to make a paste.
Use a Matcha whisk to create a froth as 2 more ounces of water is slowly added. You can add more water to your liking.