The Miracles Of Matcha Green Tea

As many of you know, I really enjoy drinking tea. Although I have so many favorite loose leaf teas, I only recently began drinking the miraculous matcha green tea. What makes matcha green tea so miraculous? Let me tell you…

Matcha tea leaves grow in the shade to increase chlorophyll content. Matcha is not fermented or oxidized, but rather steamed immediately and ground into a powder. Therefore, all the antioxidants in the leaf remain. When you consume matcha tea, you consume the whole leaf with all of its antioxidants rather than just infusing tea leaves. Look at the gorgeous color of the tea after it is ground into a powder.

Since the antioxidants found in matcha are “off the charts,” drinking it has numerous health benefits such as…

Scavenging for dangerous free radicals in the body;

Lowering LDL or “bad” cholesterol;

Combating inflammation, oxidation and aging;

Acting as a weight loss aid;

Promoting concentration and clarity;

Providing easily-absorbable dietary fiber; and

Providing an “energy boost” without headaches which you might get from a coffee crash.

Preparing and presenting matcha powdered green tea has become an important part of the Japanese culture. The Japanese Tea Ceremony, also called the “Way of Tea,” involves the ceremonial preparation of matcha. Zen Buddhism was a primary influence in the development of the tea ceremony as Zen Buddhist monks drank it to remain alert and calm during long hours of meditation.

The utensils used to prepare matcha during a Japanese tea ceremony are a hooked bamboo scoop called a “Chashaku” and a bamboo tea whisk called a “Chasen.” The prepared tea is usually served in a “tea bowl” which is available in a wide range of sizes and styles. I recently purchased a Chasen and Chashaku from the company “Think Bamboo” from Amazon, as well as a really nice tea bowl. I also purchased a ceremonial grade, organic powdered matcha green tea from the company “DoMatcha.”

To prepare the tea, I take 2 scoops of the matcha powder using the Chashaku, placing it into the bottom of the tea bowl with a small amount of hot water. Do not use boiling water because it will make the tea taste bitter. Some people strain the powder through a tea filter before placing it into the tea bowl, but I don’t.

Then, I use the tea whisk or “Chasen” to mix the powder with the water using quick back and forth strokes while the whisk is very close to the bottom of the bowl.

Whisk until no lumps exist and small foamy bubbles form on top. If you are unable to produce foam, that means that you are not using enough powder. This is a picture of what your tea should look like at this point.

When you are done whisking, just add more hot water to the tea bowl until you reach the desired taste. Here is an example of what the finished tea will look like. Gorgeous!

Truthfully, I didn’t think that I would enjoy drinking matcha. I wrongfully assumed that it would have a bitter taste. The “DoMatcha” tea which I have been drinking is not bitter at all. I really enjoy it, especially after an early morning workout. Given its strong antioxidant properties, I highly recommend that you engage in your own matcha tea ceremony on a regular basis!

Here is a great video about the art of preparing matcha green tea. Although a strainer is used in this video, I skip this step in my preparation because I have not had any lumping problems with my tea. Also, I add more hot water to my tea bowl after the whisking process until I reach the desired taste of my tea. Hope you enjoy this!