Matcha! Matcha! Matcha!
You may have noticed Teabirds that matcha seems to be everywhere these days! From cafes serving matcha lattes, to people adding matcha to smoothies or baking matcha cookies, or Youtube tutorials on matcha facemasks, and goodness these all sound great and very trendy, but what even is matcha?! Matcha Beginners read on!
Just what is matcha?
So to put it simply, matcha is just green tea leaves that have been ground up into a super fine powder! The powder is green tea in its purest form and traditionally it is whisked into a liquid with hot water to create a cup of tea!
Sounds simple right? But what's the hype?
Well, because the green tea leaves have been ground up, rather than strained through a teapot or a tea bag like a normal cup of tea, the powder almost dissolves into the water meaning you're in fact ingesting the leaves fully. Would you believe that per serving of matcha (which is half a teaspoon!) is the equivalent of 10 cups of green tea?!
YES! Green tea as a normal cuppa already contains plenty of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, so x10 of these? You can only imagine the super benefits!
Matcha is considered one of the biggest superfoods in the world and one of the healthiest things you can consume! There is a long list of scientific studies that have been carried out concluding it's healing qualities of many ailments and even diseases!
That's not all Teabirds!
Matcha has another surprising gift! CAFFEINE!
Yep that's right, matcha contains the equivalent of a double espresso's worth of caffeine! It's a perfect replacement for anyone wanting to wean off coffee as the caffeine works very differently. It is released more slowly into your system so you feel energised for longer, with a sustained level of alertness. It boosts energy, cognitive function and alertness without giving you those caffeine jitters!
No wonder matcha tea has become so popular in western countries giving you that health fix and energy buzz all in one!
We offer the largest selection of blends in the country and the largest flavoured matcha collection in the World! (Yes the World!) From our ever so popular irresistible Ice Cream Matcha, to our super coconutty and detoxifying Black Magic Matcha, our focus is on flavours (with health benefits second). Check out our matcha blends here!
How did matcha begin?
Matcha has been around for thousands of years and is thought to originate from the East in countries such as Japan and China. It is enjoyed as part of a spiritual tea ceremony as well as in everyday life.
We whisk up matcha very quickly here at B&B but tea ceremonies traditionally are slow and spiritual and can take anywhere from 3 to 6 hours! It involves a lot of thought and appreciation for the beauty of the process. It is more than just a hot beverage, but an elixir that provides the opportunity to pause and reflect, be quiet and to contemplate spiritual enlightenment. In today’s busy world we believe that this is a good practise to relieve stress and anxiety!
How to prepare matcha?
As mentioned above, matcha would traditionally be made into a hot tea. However, matcha lattes have become a massive hit widely in Western countries. We tend to make our matcha lattes with plant based milks because they taste great with green tea! For example, our incredible Mermaid Matcha latte recipe is made with oat milk!
Check out this super easy 5 step guide to preparing matcha for beginners or take a look at the video below!
If you would like to learn more about matcha or want a live demonstration do pop into one of our shops and ask our lovely Tea Mixologists.
