Matcha Tea
There is perhaps no tea on the market today that is as celebrated or as famous as Japanese Matcha. The powdered green tea has been used in the Japanese tea ceremony for centuries and as such is normally associated with the beautifully complex, and rigid procedure. It was believed by the ancient Japanese that tea was a gift of the heavens and as such held great restorative and spiritual power here on earth. Well, these days, although the Japanese tea ceremony still holds a significant place in Japanese culture, the rules around drinking Matcha have loosened. The ancients were right about something though, Matcha is special, and because of the way it is produced, it is also powerful. Consider these numbers: 2 cups of brewed matcha contains 7 times the antioxidants of orange juice, 20 times that of apple juice and nearly 20 g of calcium - and that’s just the short list! On a gram per gram basis, Matcha also contains approximately 10 times the polyphenols of regular teas. The healthy qualities of the tea have led to the its break from tradition - Matcha can now be found served cold, as an ingredient in health shakes, ice creams, and even baked goods.
So what is it about Matcha that makes it so good for you? The answer can be found in the way it is produced and consumed. Firstly, Matcha is made using pure Gyokuro leaves, a Japanese tea variety that is shaded beneath special mats for 3 weeks before plucking. The shading forces the plants to produce a higher than normal chlorophyll content which gives the leaves a rich green color. Once plucked, the leaves are steamed and dried. Tea at this stage of the process is known as Aracha. Next, the Aracha is stripped of all stems and veins resulting in a pure leaf known as Tencha. Tencha is then stone ground into its finely powdered form. Since it is powdered, no matter how you prepare Matcha, you are actually consuming the leaves - which contain high nutritional value - there is no other tea in the world consumed in this manner. It is said in Japan that because of this characteristic, Matcha is the healthiest natural beverage in the world to this day! Matcha is simply the highest quality tea element available bar none, its powder form is derived from its custom growing and harvesting conditions (the leafs are grown under cover in the last stages to boost its amino acid levels), the after pick process is estimated to take 1 person 1 hour to produce just 30g, the health benefits of matcha are simple - it contains over 130 times more antioxidants than some of the best green teas, and can be used as a drink in its own right, added to drinks, and even food - Rolls Royce, Rolex, Dom Perignon – Matcha
The use of matcha in modern drinks has spread to North American cafés where, as in Japan, it has become integrated into lattes, iced drinks, milkshakes, and smoothies. A number of cafes have introduced lattes and iced drinks using matcha powder. It has also been incorporated into alcoholic beverages such as liqueurs.
The health benefits of green tea and matcha have also raised significant interest in North America. Consequently, it can now be found in numerous health food products ranging from cereal to energy bars. In 2003, researchers from the University of Colorado found that the concentration of the antioxidant EGCG available from drinking matcha is up to 137 times greater than the amount of EGCG available from other commercially available green teas.
Organic Jasmine
Green Matcha
Pulverised organic green jasmine tea, so fine that when you drink it, or use it in other methods you consume all the leaves therefore you get all the goodness.
Malawi Green Banda Matcha
Pulverised Malawi green banda tea, so fine that when you drink it, or use it in other methods you consume all the leaves therefore you get all the goodness.
White Rhino Matcha
Pulverised white tea, so fine that when you drink it, or use it in other methods you consume all the leaves therefore you get all the goodness.