I admit it. I’ve only discovered Matcha about 9 months ago and, frankly, my first reaction after trying it was asking myself if I was living in a bubble because, as it turns out, the matcha trend had already been on for a while whereas I was completely oblivious to it. I am always keen on trying on new foods, supplements, and products which are renowned for making you feel – and look – better but on the other hand,  the number of so-called superfoods and natural products which pop up every week in the market can feel rather overwhelming and off-putting. My approach to discerning fact from fad is simple: just try it and see for yourself. So after doing a bit of research and falling completely enticed by its antioxidant label ( here is where my Marketing victim side enters the scene),  I decided to give it a try and have not looked back ever since.

The perks of Matcha Green Tea

I love tea and green tea in particular so the taste was nothing sort of unfamiliar to me. What I noticed and loved most was the instant kick and sense of awakeness I got. I’ve only been an occasional for-functioning-sake coffee drinker but I could never take more than one cup a day or the jitters would literally freak me out. Same goes for black tea. And it goes without saying that either of them – or even decaf coffee for that matter- were a big no-no in the afternoon. Furthermore, in periods of stress, I had to ditch both of them all together as they would really affect my sleeping pattern. Matcha is, however, one of a kind in that sense. I could be drinking matcha green tea all day, or take four to five cups throughout the day and well into the early evening without giving me the jitters coffee would or keep me awake until the early hours of the morning. When I did my research, I discovered that this purest form of green tea was used by Buddhist monks for meditating as it gave you a sense of mindfulness and calm awareness. And I must say that my reaction after trying it for the first time was nothing short of an enlighting experience. As an all-rounder mum of a full-on 3-year old, I have to juggle many different pursuits for which I need to be awake and power through the day can be quite a challenge. If coffee does not really agree with you and stimulating beverages to affect your sleeping patterns then do yourself a favor and try matcha green tea.
Other perks are the skin and weight-loss benefits. I take these with a pinch of salt, especially the latter. I would not categorically affirm that my skin is radiant because of matcha but I do have noticed a clearer complexion after being using it for two months so it might be that the antioxidants are doing their job? Mind you, I have to add to that a rather healthy lifestyle as well, minus a certain degree of sleep deprivation. And as far as the weight loss goes,  I can also notice that drinking several cups have helped me feel fuller for longer so there we get our weight loss aid. On a more serious note though, I would say that if I have stick to matcha ever since I discovered it was how it makes me feel rather than how it makes me look.

My recommendations for Matcha newbies:

• Matcha still gets a lot of hype and an increasing number of brands are incorporating the green health gem in their stock of products. Being able to choose from a plethora of brands is great but it also means that it is getting trickier to know whether you are purchasing the real thing or a fake replacement. I am by no means an expert on the subject but, to be on the safe side, my bet would be to go for a brand which guarantees that their tea is sourced and produced in Japan, as the cultivating method used there differs from those used in other countries which claim to produce matcha green tea. However, Matcha green tea is unique to Japan so if you are buying green tea powder produced elsewhere bear in mind that you might not be buying real matcha. The method used in Japan makes for rich content in chlorophyll which gives matcha its distinctive intense green color as well as preserving its health properties.
• Go for a Premium ceremonial grade if you are a matcha green tea newbie. The culinary grades ones are OK for baking and smoothie-making but they don’t taste as good as the Ceremonial grade ones, in my opinion.
• Drinking your matcha in a Japanese-style bowl and using a bamboo whisk to create that frothy texture can certainly enhance your whole matcha experience but you do not need to invest on those to savour and benefit from the matcha properties, especially if you are trying it for the first time and are unsure of whether you would like or not. Just be sure you use a teaspoon of powder and add piping hot, not boiling water, and, voilà, that’s your matcha waiting to be savored.
• Try different brands until you find one that suits your budget and gives you good value for money. Matcha tea is somewhat pricey when compared to other types of teas, and the prices on the market range from €17 to over €50 for a 50 grams sachet. I have tried expensive brands which I did not particularly like and found great value for money in cheaper brands. Sevenhills is one the brands which I have been repurchasing as of late and I am pretty impressed with it as the quality and the price correlation is very good.

Are you a matcha lover/ addict yourself? Feel tempted to give it a try? Then I would appreciate if you let me know if you like it and which are your favorite brands in the comments box below.

With love,

Cárol