Love green tea? Then here’s a hot new trend you’ll want to get behind…matcha green tea! Although matcha has been used for centuries in China and Japan, it has recently taken the health world by storm. Matcha is essentially a fine powdered form of green tea leaves. Because you’re consuming the ground-up tea leaves instead of just the brewed water (and discarding the green tea leaves, where many of beneficial compounds remain trapped), you end up getting even more antioxidant power than the usual steamy mug—about 10 times worth, in fact. Not to belittle how great regular green tea is…but this is sort of green tea on steroids!
It’s simple to make a cup of tea using matcha. Traditionally, it is done by first making a paste with the powder and a small amount of hot water, then adding more steaming water to the mug. But, you can just as easily stir the powder into 6 to 8 ounces of boiling water.
And don’t think a cup of tea is all matcha is good for! You can also add it to smoothies, baked goods, ice cream—really, anything goes. Try my Green Tea Pound Cake and my Matcha-Mango Smoothie…so good!
Wondering where to find it? Check out your local health food store, the tea aisle at your neighborhood super market, or find it a tea retailer like Teavana or Republic of Tea.