We’re going matcha green… and that’s the tea
Sophomore Naz Yavuz stands outside of Starbucks at the Cabin John Shopping Center on a chilly night, drinking a hot and iced matcha latte from Starbucks.
December 18, 2019
Looking for a healthy and trendy beverage? Matcha tea might be for you.
Matcha tea powder is young green tea leaves that are grounded into a bright green powder. The best of its kind comes from Japan and is a staple in Japan itself. Japan is where it started, and now its spreading across the globe like wildfire.
Matcha tea contains the amino acid L-Theanine which is responsible for increasing alertness, concentration and focus without a caffeine crash that coffee provides. It energizes you and is full of nutrients which are great for health.
According to a 2019 Matcha Source article, only matcha green tea contains an antioxidant known as catechins which counteract the effects of radiation, pollution and chemicals. Drinking matcha daily can help restore and preserve the body’s integral well being. Therefore, the catechins in matcha green tea can be influential to cancer fighting properties.
Not only is this type of green tea good for cancer patients but also people with high cholesterol and blood pressure. Matcha has 137 times more antioxidants in one serving than regular green tea.
In a recent study done in Feb. 2019 by Office Coffee Co, drinking matcha tea before exercise burns 25 percent more fat by increasing the body’s natural rate of burning calories.
The difference between natural green tea and matcha tea is that matcha tea contains a high amount of caffeine. People sensitive to caffeine should be aware of the milligrams of caffeine in each cup of tea they consume.
A silky smooth texture and a strong hit of an advanced flavor of green tea, the matcha latte is on the menu at Le Pain Quotidien at Cabin John Shopping Center. Not sweet, and not quite bitter either, the strong taste of matcha is not for everyone.
Matcha lattes are sold additionally at Starbucks and at Sisters in Cabin John Shopping Center.
Matcha is not only sold as drinks but is also sold as a powder that you can purchase and incorporate into yogurt and any type of raw dough before baking.
Some cute recipes you can share with friends:
- Matcha fro-yo pops
Mix matcha powder with yogurt, drizzle with honey and freeze in a popsicle mold.
- Green tea ice cream
Mix two tablespoons of matcha into vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
- Matcha chia pudding
Mix two tablespoons of chia seeds, one cup of almond milk, one tablespoon of matcha powder, one or two tablespoons of maple syrup. Blend or shake the mixture, refrigerate overnight, then voila!
As matcha is being incorporated everywhere into our daily lives, the demand for the green fine Japanese powder is increasing rapidly and globally.
According to a study done in Oct 2016 by the coffee blenders website, the U.S. retail sales of matcha increased by 54.9 percent in 2014 and continues to grow 25 percent annually between 2015 and 2018.
It has health benefits, looks cool, can be consumed as something other than tea and is growing faster than anyone can count.
Matcha is racing head to head with Iced coffee as one of the hit drinks of 2019 and does not seem to be slowing down any time soon, so go check it out.
