Tuesday, March 29, 2011

GREEN TEA AND MATCHA TEA

Every morning I drink green tea mixed with matcha tea.

What are the health benefits of matcha?
Matcha is renowned for numerous health benefits.  It is rich in nutrients, antioxidants, fiber and chlorophyll.  The health benefits of matcha exceed those of other green teas. You can read more about matcha and its health benefits if you look it up.

I first learned the benefits of matcha tea through a tea ceremony when I went to visit Japan.  Since then, I've switched to drinking my tea with matcha to increase the anti-oxidant in my green tea.

In tea ceremony, it is served in its pure form and frothed up with a wooden wisk.  It is usually served accompanied with sweets to ease up the slightly bitter flavor.  In my case, I've discovered how to drink matcha tea without having to eat sweets; but by diluting my green tea with matcha instead.
Above, on the left is lose green tea leaves and on the right is the matcha tea.
Matcha is tea leaves that has been specially treated (covered with bamboo mats) to increase the chlorophyll content; destemmed, deveined and ground. And therefore, you are actually drinking the leaves and the stems as opposed to extracting some of its properties in green tea.

 To make a pot of green tea with matcha, simply measure about a teaspoon of lose green tea into the strainer, and about 1/3 tsp of matcha tea.  Pour hot water (not boiling) and steep for about 10 minutes before using.  The pot on the right holds about 12oz.

You can pour more water into the pot for up to 3 more times without adding more tea or matcha.  And if you don't like strong tea anyway, you can keep pouring more hot water as the day goes.
Above is a pot of my morning green tea next to an individual drip coffee

 

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