Matcha: delicious and super-healthy!
It has been known for a long time that green tea is health-giving. But did you know that matcha – the refined version of green tea – contains even more nutrients and anti-oxidants? It is no wonder that many leading health gurus swear by it. Would you like to know why so many others are also hooked on matcha? Read this blog and you will find out everything you ever wanted to know about this king among the green teas.
WHAT IS MATCHA?
Matcha is a refined green tea from Japan. For centuries, this product was only meant for the privileged classes. Nowadays, it is cultivated and processed in a way that results in the very highest quality. Only fresh, young leaves are used, which are traditionally picked by hand (tencha). For 2 to 5 weeks before harvesting, 90% of the tea plants are kept in the shade by using large tarpaulins. The resulting lack of sunlight induces the leaves to make compensatory amounts of additional chlorophyll and amino acids. This also produces an attractive deep-green colour and a mild flavour. The tencha are ground into matcha, an ultra-fine green powder that only contains the ‘meat’ of the leaves (no leaf stalks or veins).
WHY IS MATCHA SO HEALTHY?
It has been shown scientifically that matcha assists the metabolic breakdown of fat and aids weight control, strengthens our natural resistance, protects cells against free radicals and improves blood circulation and general vitality. Matcha is able to protect cells from free radicals because it is so rich in anti-oxidants (tannins, polyphenols, catechins). The chlorophyll in matcha also helps to bind the harmful metals in your body, so that they can be discharged. In other words, it acts as a detox. An equally important benefit is matcha’s ability to offer the positive effects of its caffeine content – more energy and greater alertness – but without the negative side effects of heart palpitations and nervousness.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MATCHA?
Biotona offers three different kinds of matcha. The difference is to be found in the flavour, which is determined by the length of the overshadowing process, the size of the leaves, the farmer’s method of cultivation and the location at which the plants are grown.
1. Biotona Beginners’ Matcha
The name says it all: this is the ideal product for first getting to know the delicious benefits of matcha, before later moving on to one of the more refined types. The leaves are obtained from the first harvesting, which takes place after an overshadowing of 3 weeks. The leaves are then ground into a powder by a machine using ceramic pearls. This powder has a strong flavour. Apart from drinking as a tea, Beginner’s Matcha is also highly suitable for use in cooking or to give a fresh touch to smoothies, shakes and pastries.
2. Biotona Premium Matcha
This matcha is made from leaves picked during the first spring harvest in May. It has a rich aroma laced with hints of fruitiness, while its flavour is simultaneously mild, lightly bitter, delicate and sweet, making it easily digestible. The tea plants used for this matcha are overshadowed for 4 weeks. After harvesting, the leaves are ground into powder using traditional granite millstones. Perfect for a refreshing daily cup of ultra-fine tea!
3. Biotona Extra Premium Matcha
This limited edition matcha is also made from leaves picked during the first spring harvest at the beginning of May, but the methods of cultivation and processing result in a tea of the very highest quality within the range of organically grown matchas. It has a bright, jade-green colour and a complex flavour that is sweet, but also mild, light, fruity and fresh. The aroma is intense. The tea plants used for Extra Premium are overshadowed for 5 weeks, following which the harvested leaves are ground into an ultra-fine, bright green powder using traditional granite millstones. Real matcha lovers will find it impossible to resist this finest of fine variants.
HOW DO YOU USE YOUR MATCHA?
Matcha can be used in various different ways. Most commonly, you can drink it as a tea. Put 1-2 gram (half a teaspoon) of powder in a bowl and agitate it repeatedly with a beater or a bamboo whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Add 70 – 100 ml of warm water (no hotter than 80°C), before whisking the tea vigorously to create a nice, frothy drink.
Another alternative is to make a matcha latte. Put your matcha in a bowl, add a tablespoon of warm water and mix with a whisk until you have a smooth paste. Next, add another 60 ml water (no hotter than 80°C) and beat with rapid movements of the whisk until you have a nice, frothy layer of foam at the top. Whisk some milk and add it to the bowl. Your matcha latte is ready!
Matcha can also be used in cakes and pastries, fruit juices, smoothies and granola. You can find lots of recipes on the Biotona Instagram page.
WHEN DO YOU DRINK MATCHA?
Good moments for a tasty cup of matcha tea or a matcha latte include:
- Before sport. Drinking green tea helps you to burn off extra calories and is good for your endurance.
- Before going to work or if you need to study. Matcha improves your concentration. Its L-theanine content also helps to relieve stress, while at the same time assisting your learning skills and memory.
- As a pick-me-up during a dip. Matcha is an energy-giving drink, but without the negative side effects of heart palpitations and nervousness. What’s more, matcha releases this energy into your blood stream gradually. This makes it a perfect way to counteract, for example, the afternoon dip that many people experience.
Limit the amount of matcha you drink to four cups a day and avoid drinking it after four o’clock in the afternoon. Why? Because matcha also contains theine, which can prevent you from sleeping if taken too late in the day.
IS MATCHA GOOD FOR EVERYONE?
Green tea is widely known as a health-giving drink and for this reason it is often used during pregnancy. However, doctors recommend that it should not be drunk during the final three months before the birth or during any periods of breastfeeding. The reason for this is that the polyphenols in green tea can have a narrowing effect on the ductus Botalli, an additional blood vessel found in unborn children. The risk of the DB becoming closed is greatest during the later stages of the pregnancy. Because of it stimulating effects, it is also advisable not to give matcha to young children.
HOW CAN YOU RECOGNIZE A GOOD QUALITY MATCHA?
The best matcha teas have the following characteristics:
- Good matcha comes from Japan. If a matcha comes from a different part of the world, it isn’t really a matcha! It is just ordinary green tea powder.
- Good matcha does not have a bitter taste. Bitterness arises when the tea plants are repeatedly harvested within too short a period of time. Matcha with a bitter taste is usually of low quality. A good matcha has a soft, creamy and subtle flavour.
- Good matcha is usually a little more expensive, because the production process is highly labour intensive. For a good matcha you will normally pay between 25 and 50 euros per 100 g.
- Good matcha has no added sugar or colorants, whereas these additives are frequently found in poor quality matcha.
- Good matcha has a bright green colour. Matcha with a brown or yellow colour is of low quality.
- Good matcha is fine and smooth. The powder of low quality matcha is coarser and more granular.
HOW SHOULD YOU KEEP MATCHA?
Matcha is best kept in a cool, dry and dark place; for example, in a fridge.