Matcha tea
Bright green with a smoothly sweet, delicately bitter flavour: matcha is an exceptional green tea that is ground to a fine powder. This green tea powder has been much-valued in Asia for thousands of years due to its health benefits.
Nowadays, it is not only used to make fine matcha tea, but it is also added to drinks such as lemonade or cocktails and food such as desserts or pasta sauces.
But matcha is much more than just a food trend!
How do you prepare matcha tea?
Matcha tea has to be prepared properly to enjoy the unusual flavour and health benefits of this green tea powder to the full. Unlike other green teas, matcha isn’t brewed. The tea plant is ground so finely that the powder dissolves in hot water and is then drank.
Matcha tea is a key element of Japanese tea culture and is prepared in a very elaborate ritual ceremony. The preparation is important in order to preserve the healthy nutrients found in matcha.
You will need a matcha bowl, called chawan, and a special bamboo whisk, a chasen. Place one to two grammes of matcha powder into the bowl and add 60 to 100 ml of hot water.
The water should be freshly boiled and not hotter than 80 °C. Soft water is preferable. If the tap water is too hard, you can use a water filter. Alternatively, you can prepare matcha tea with mineral water.
Then using the bamboo whisk, mix the hot water and the green tea powder in the matcha bowl and whisk until frothy. The right whisking method is an art in itself: use your wrist, making sure it is relaxed, and whisk in an “M” shape. High and firm tea froth is a sign that the matcha tea has been well made.
Matcha can be prepared with a stronger or milder flavour, depending on personal preference. In Japan, the stronger matcha tea is called koicha, the thinner version usucha.
How is matcha tea made?
Like all green teas, matcha tea comes from the tea plant Camellia sinensis. But cultivation and harvesting are very time-consuming: the tea bushes are covered with black nets or bamboo mats a few weeks before they are harvested to protect them from direct sunlight.
The plants produce more effective substances such as caffeine or theanine in the shade. It also increases chlorophyll production, which gives matcha tea its bright green colour.
After the leaves have been picked, they are steam-prepared and dried gently. The stems and veins are carefully removed so that only the most delicate parts of the leaf remain. Then they are stone-ground to a fine powder.
Afterwards, the green tea should be stored in a sealed container in a cool and dry place. It is best used fresh after harvesting.
How healthy is matcha tea really?
Extensive studies have shown the health effects of green tea. Green tea can help prevent diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and angiopathy. It reduces the risk of tooth decay and osteoporosis and strengthens the immune system.
The special combination of the substances in green tea is responsible for all of these positive health benefits. In addition to caffeine, it also contains many minerals and trace elements such as calcium, iron, potassium and fluoride as well as important amino acids such as theanine.
Catechins, a secondary plant substance, play an important role. They act as antioxidants, which means they neutralise free radicals in the body and protect the cells.
Matcha has a high concentration of the catechin epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG for short. This substance can help fight various cancers. As part of a balanced diet, matcha tea can be useful in aiding weight loss. It stimulates the metabolism, burns calories and boosts digestion. Matcha tea has more health benefits than other green teas.
The special cultivation method and gentle production are responsible for the high concentration of beneficial substances in matcha. Moreover, it is easier for the body to utilise the substances of the finely ground powder. You absorb larger quantities of the healthy nutrients as you not only drink the brewed tea, but also consume the entire tea leaf.
To enjoy the benefits of matcha tea to the full, it is best to alternate it with other green teas such as sencha, gyokuro and bancha.
Every green tea has specific substances that are even more effective when combined with each other.
Moreover, it is important to make sure that only original matcha powder is used. Flavoured, laced or mixed powders are nowhere near as healthy as pure green tea powder.
But matcha is not only popular because of its health benefits: tea drinkers also enjoy the unusual taste. Matcha has a mild and aromatic flavour, not as bitter as normal green tea, and very creamy. Whether you drink it regularly or only now and then:
many people drink matcha as a tasty alternative to coffee. And an elaborate tea ceremony is not always necessary: simply create your own tea ritual – and take the time to enjoy your healthy matcha tea with all your senses.
Matcha tea
Bright green with a smoothly sweet, delicately bitter flavour: matcha is an exceptional green tea that is ground to a fine powder. This green tea powder has been much-valued in Asia for thousands of years due to its health benefits.
Nowadays, it is not only used to make fine matcha tea, but it is also added to drinks such as lemonade or cocktails and food such as desserts or pasta sauces. But matcha is much more than just a food trend!
How do you prepare matcha tea?
Matcha tea has to be prepared properly to enjoy the unusual flavour and health benefits of this green tea powder to the full. Unlike other green teas, matcha isn’t brewed. The tea plant is ground so finely that the powder dissolves in hot water and is then drank.
Matcha tea is a key element of Japanese tea culture and is prepared in a very elaborate ritual ceremony. The preparation is important in order to preserve the healthy nutrients found in matcha.
You will need a matcha bowl, called chawan, and a special bamboo whisk, a chasen. Place one to two grammes of matcha powder into the bowl and add 60 to 100 ml of hot water.
The water should be freshly boiled and not hotter than 80 °C. Soft water is preferable. If the tap water is too hard, you can use a water filter. Alternatively, you can prepare matcha tea with mineral water.
Then using the bamboo whisk, mix the hot water and the green tea powder in the matcha bowl and whisk until frothy. The right whisking method is an art in itself: use your wrist, making sure it is relaxed, and whisk in an “M” shape. High and firm tea froth is a sign that the matcha tea has been well made.
Matcha can be prepared with a stronger or milder flavour, depending on personal preference. In Japan, the stronger matcha tea is called koicha, the thinner version usucha.
How is matcha tea made?
Like all green teas, matcha tea comes from the tea plant Camellia sinensis. But cultivation and harvesting are very time-consuming: the tea bushes are covered with black nets or bamboo mats a few weeks before they are harvested to protect them from direct sunlight.
The plants produce more effective substances such as caffeine or theanine in the shade. It also increases chlorophyll production, which gives matcha tea its bright green colour.
After the leaves have been picked, they are steam-prepared and dried gently. The stems and veins are carefully removed so that only the most delicate parts of the leaf remain. Then they are stone-ground to a fine powder.
Afterwards, the green tea should be stored in a sealed container in a cool and dry place. It is best used fresh after harvesting.
How healthy is matcha tea really?
Extensive studies have shown the health effects of green tea. Green tea can help prevent diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and angiopathy. It reduces the risk of tooth decay and osteoporosis and strengthens the immune system.
The special combination of the substances in green tea is responsible for all of these positive health benefits. In addition to caffeine, it also contains many minerals and trace elements such as calcium, iron, potassium and fluoride as well as important amino acids such as theanine.
Catechins, a secondary plant substance, play an important role. They act as antioxidants, which means they neutralise free radicals in the body and protect the cells.
Matcha has a high concentration of the catechin epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG for short. This substance can help fight various cancers. As part of a balanced diet, matcha tea can be useful in aiding weight loss. It stimulates the metabolism, burns calories and boosts digestion. Matcha tea has more health benefits than other green teas.
The special cultivation method and gentle production are responsible for the high concentration of beneficial substances in matcha. Moreover, it is easier for the body to utilise the substances of the finely ground powder. You absorb larger quantities of the healthy nutrients as you not only drink the brewed tea, but also consume the entire tea leaf.
To enjoy the benefits of matcha tea to the full, it is best to alternate it with other green teas such as sencha, gyokuro and bancha.
Every green tea has specific substances that are even more effective when combined with each other.
Moreover, it is important to make sure that only original matcha powder is used. Flavoured, laced or mixed powders are nowhere near as healthy as pure green tea powder.
But matcha is not only popular because of its health benefits: tea drinkers also enjoy the unusual taste. Matcha has a mild and aromatic flavour, not as bitter as normal green tea, and very creamy. Whether you drink it regularly or only now and then:
many people drink matcha as a tasty alternative to coffee. And an elaborate tea ceremony is not always necessary: simply create your own tea ritual – and take the time to enjoy your healthy matcha tea with all your senses.