Learn all about Matcha:
Matcha: The Japanese coffee substitute
A real trend drink with a long tradition in Japan is Matcha. The green tea with the catchy name represents the heart of the famous Japanese tea ceremony and convinces on many levels. Matcha is known for its high caffeine content, which makes the bright green powder a real stimulant.
This is what Matcha is all about!
Some say that Matcha is just another trend in superfoods - others swear by its taste, effect and use in everyday life. Behind Matcha is first of all a tea, which came from Japan to Europe. In Japan, Matcha is enjoyed as part of the tea ceremony and is produced with the utmost care and from high-quality ingredients.
The tea, which is ground into a green powder, can be enjoyed not only as pure tea, but can also be used for smoothies or baking. The color and taste are certainly unique, making it the perfect ingredient for a magical herbal drink.
Where does Matcha come from?
Originally, Matcha did not come from Japan, but from China. Today's preparation of tea from whole leaves replaced the days of tea in powder form, which used to be common in China. The ground powder was whipped with a broom in a special way and for an even better consistency - but this was forgotten in China.
Fortunately, however, a Chinese monk traveled as far as Japan in the 12th century with some tea plants and the appropriate knowledge. There, the form of preparation became accepted, as did the grinding of the tea leaves into powder. This was the birth of the Japanese tea ceremony with Matcha in powder form, which has survived to this day in the country just like in many other countries around the world.
The production as well as the possible effect of Matcha
First of all, the tea must be grown in a way that ensures taste and the highest quality. For this purpose, there are "tea masters" in Japan who shade the tea fields with special nets about three weeks before the harvest. This protection from the sun makes the color of the tea even brighter and the taste milder. Without this procedure, the quality of the tea suffers greatly.
Picking and grinding the leaves is also an art in itself and is done only once a year. Only young leaves are picked (by hand, please!), gently dried and then ground into a fine powder using granite mills. This takes time, but is worth it in terms of taste. The effect is matcha first comparable to an espresso, because 2 grams of matcha powder contain on average 64 mg of caffeine. For comparison, an espresso contains 80 mg of caffeine.
When, how and where: Important tips for ingestion
Matcha tastes best in its classic form as a carefully steamed tea. Or as a drink in combination with other healthy ingredients, which also provide important ingredients and provide even more focus. Due to the high caffeine content, you should not overdo it with matcha.
Perhaps similar to how it is with coffee, otherwise headaches and other less nice side effects threaten due to the high caffeine content. The best time to use matcha with it is in the morning or at lunchtime. You can drink Matcha cold or warm, depending on your taste, at home, in the office or on the road, when the ready drink is already at hand.
What does Matcha taste like?
Matcha is characterized by a slightly sweet, mild and fresh taste, which makes it a real treat. However, quality plays a major role when it comes to the best taste. On the one hand, the highest quality Matcha forms a firm foam on the surface, convinces with its mildly sweet and fresh taste, and has a distinct green color.
A tinge of brownish or even a bitter taste quickly shows that it is not a high-quality tea. You have already drunk bitter Matcha? Then the quality here was not the real thing! By the way, the best Matcha always comes from Japan and may cost a little more - the difference is quickly noticeable!
Are there disadvantages of Matcha?
As a disadvantage could be at most the sometimes widespread inferior quality, which is noticeable by a bitter taste. To pay attention to high quality is therefore an important point when it comes to the enjoyment of Matcha.
Conclusion: Matcha stands for herbal magic with flavor
The quality must be right, then nothing stands in the way of enjoying Matcha. Cold or hot, pure or in combination with other magical herbal ingredients such as moringa or ginger - matcha fans can get creative. Classic matcha powder is whipped with a whisk to obtain the classic, firmer foam that characterizes matcha.
