By now we all know the benefits of green tea and it's not just a hot beverage for the health conscious and meditators. Now it's all about the superfood variety that is Matcha tea. For those who are hearing the term for the first time, Matcha Green tea is the highest quality powdered green tea available. Matcha is also my flavour of choice when it comes to bubble tea, and I was excited to try making my own at home with Ocha Matcha's kit. The powder is so vibrant you'd think Shrek and Hulk had a say in the making process.
The Ocha kit comes with a 100% organic premium powder pot, a bamboo whisk and a spatula. Not going to lie, it took me a few attempts before achieving the perfect brew. I couldn't really grasp how you were meant to whisk vigorously without ending up with half a mug full. The trick I found was use a small amount of matcha, then pour a bit of hot water over and whisk that first before filling up the rest of the glass and continuing the whisking in a zig-zag motion. So what does this magical goodness actually do and why should you be drinking it?
1. It helps calm your mind and body. This stuff is used by Japanese zen buddhist monks to relax and meditate, so that's definitely saying something. It contains an amino acid that promotes the production of alpha waves in the brain which induces relaxation without making you drowsy.
2. Boosts memory and concentration. The amino acids also produce dopamine and serotonin. Ya know, those chemicals that make you feel all happy and want to dance around the room, and for 1/4 of the calories than you'd get from a bar of chocolate.
3. Increases energy levels and endurance. A cup of matcha tea is supposed to keep you going for 6 hours, without the slump in energy you get from coffee or energy drinks. I would not suggest trying vodka matcha though.
4. Burns calories. For all us lazy folk, the tea has been shown to increase metabolism and help the body burn fat about four times faster than on average. Without any negative side-effects.
5. Promotes overall health. Matcha is also great for the immune system and provides substantial qualities of Potassium, Vitamins A & C, iron (great for anaemic me), protein and calcium.
Are you a fan of matcha? I'd love to know if you have any other uses or recipes with them!
* This post was in collaboration with Ocha Matcha but as always all opinions and views are my own.
♡ GS ♡
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