Why matcha is your new best friend + how I like my matcha

If you have been following me for a bit now, you could probably guess that I am obsessed with matcha. I drink it nearly everyday and have been for years. I still remember my first cup. I was working at DAVIDsTEA about 8+ years ago and although I loved tea, I was a serious coffee drinker at the time. I was drinking about 3+ cups a day and completely exhausting my adrenals at the same time. My manager at the time suggested I try matcha instead of coffee, but I was skeptical. At this point in my life, I wasn’t as interested in nutrition and didn’t pay attention to how I treated my body. So, in my mind, drinking a bright green tea in the morning instead of my delicious earthy coffee sounded AWFUL. But she convinced me to try it anyways and she whisked me up a cup of high quality matcha (if I remember correctly, it was Ceremonial matcha). I drank it hot with a splash of organic soy milk and a bit of honey. I LOVED it immediately. I didn’t believe that it would give me energy like coffee did. I was wrong.

Not only did it give me the best energy, but I actually felt GOOD. I didn’t crash after and I slept amazing that night. I remember being instantly hooked and gave up coffee almost immediately. I don’t think I touch coffee for about 5 years after that. I drank it every day and I definitely noticed the health benefits from it. While my preference on how I drink matcha has changed slightly (I LOVE matcha plain as well, hot or iced), my love for it hasn’t. Since I get so many questions about matcha, I decided to write this blog post in hopes of answering some questions you may have and to inspire you to try it for yourself!

What is matcha?

Matcha and regular green tea, along with white, black, puerh, and oolong tea, all come from the camellia sinensis plant. Matcha is a type of green tea but it’s very different from regular green tea.

What’s the difference between matcha and regular green tea?

When you drink regular green tea, you steep the tea, then take out the teabag, then drink the liquid. With matcha, you are actually consuming the whole leaf, which has been grown down into a beautiful, fine green powder.

Here are some differences between them:
| Matcha has more caffeine than regular green tea |
| Matcha contains more antioxidants, L-theanine, and polyphenols |
| While regular green tea can be priced high, matcha is usually more expensive than regular green tea |
| Steeped green tea gives the water a dark yellow – green hue while matcha is bright green and not see-through. It looks like a green juice! |
| How you prepare either tea is completely different from each other |
| The texture and consistency of matcha is thicker compared to regular green tea |
| The shade growth and picking time is different between the two |

What are the benefits of matcha?

• you get the nutrients from the whole leaf vs the nutrients from steeping a tea bag
• high in chlorophyll, fiber, selenium, zinc and magnesium
• very high in antioxidants, including the powerful EGCg, which help stabilize harmful free radicals
• may help enhance brain function (reaction time, memory, focus)
• contains a compound called L-Theanine which helps the effects of caffeine (helping avoid the crash). L-Theanine can help support mood promote relaxation and help with stress levels
• helps alkalize and detoxify the body naturally
• more energy vs drinking regular green tea
• no jitters after drinking it (like you can get from coffee)
• can help increase metabolism
• can be a very calming ritual to add to your morning routine
• may support heart health
• provides a clean, focused energy to both the mind and body

How to know you are choosing the best matcha?

There are different kinds of matcha and it can definitely be a little overwhelming to choose which one to try. There is nothing worse than buying matcha and realizing its low quality, bitter and not smooth. I am grateful that I had such a high quality matcha the first time trying it or else I might have been spooked to never have it ever again. If you have had a bad experience with it, I highly encourage you to give it another try (with these tips below) and see if you like it. If you really don’t like it (which some people don’t), that’s okay too! It’s not for everyone. Here are a few things to look out for when purchasing/ ordering matcha:

Origin- I always buy matcha that’s from Japan.

Color- The hue of matcha powder can tell you a lot about it. I always look for the brightest green powder I can find. With matcha, they say the greener it is, the higher quality it is. Sometimes matcha can look less green and have a yellow/ yellow-green / brown tint to it. This can be from a few things: matcha being exposed to oxygen (which is why proper storage is so important), leaves not being properly shaded, mature leaves being used to make the matcha (less ideal), or leaves coming from a second harvest. These can all effect the color. I find that any matcha I drink that’s extremely green, has a sweet and smooth taste to it. I also try to buy organic whenever possibe. However, the last time I bought organic matcha, it was SO yellow, bitter and just gross. So, you really have to judge each one individually when you shop.

Taste- High quality matcha is smooth, slightly sweet, and has a light grassy flavor. I LOVE it so much.

Different grades of matcha

I want to clarify that while there are currently no regulations to differentiate “ceremonial” and “culinary” matcha (that i’m aware of!), ceremonial matcha tends to be higher quality.

Ceremonial grade matcha: extremely high quality, expensive, IMO the best tasting, slightly sweet and tastes perfect on its own without any sweeteners. Extremely smooth to drink.

Culinary grade matcha: this can be broken down into 5 types: premium, cafe, ingredient, kitchen, classic. They tend to be less sweet, stronger green tea flavor.

There are other kinds of matcha out there but because they are harder to find, I won’t be covering them on this blog post. If you DO have any questions about them, please don’t hesitate to message me directly.

What kind do I personally buy?

I have been buying the same matchas for years. I know there are so many good brands out there and I am more than willing to try them out, but I seem to always go back to my basics. Currently, I am buying DOmatcha and I usually purchase their Summer Harvest or Ceremonial matchas. They also sell an amazing decaf matcha (say whaaaat) and its 10/10. While I find that it doesn’t whisk up as good as the other ones, its still smooth and tasty.
Another kind is DAVIDsTEA and I buy their Grand Cru matcha and the Ceremonial matcha. I have been drinking both of them since I first tried matcha and they’ve always been a staple for me. I never buy their flavored matchas. If you have a favorite high quality matcha, please send over your recommendations!

How I prepare my matcha and how I like to drink it

First things first – I never drink my matcha on an empty stomach. Maybe it works for others but I always feel so sick if I do. I usually have breakfast and enjoy my matcha after I eat.

My GO-TO way of drinking it has always been double strength over ice. I like to drink it straight up but I also love it with almond milk and honey. I never add white sugar to it, always honey.

I love making matcha the traditional way – with a bamboo whisk and a nice bowl. I find it so relaxing and I love to start my day this way. I usually get breakfast started and while that’s cooking, I make my matcha. I also find that whisking matcha helps reduce stress, so I especially love doing this in the morning/ noon time.

How I make my matcha:
1. I measure out 1-1.5 tsp matcha powder into a small bowl (I would use less powder if you are just starting out with it). You can use a special bowl specifically for matcha or just a regular small-medium sized bowl. Try to use one that can pour easily.

2. Then, I add a few splashes of hot water (never boiling) to the bowl. Make sure you don’t add too much water! I do about 1-1.5 oz. Then, using your bamboo whisk, whisk in W motions back and forth until the matcha is frothy and there are no lumps. I like to add a few more splashes of hot water and continue to whisk to help froth up the matcha. I do a quick swish around the top of the bowl to catch any of the matcha bits that are there too. Don’t be scared to whisk a little more aggressively. You will know your matcha is done when its frothy and completely lump free. This may take a few minutes your first few tries. Honestly, the trick is to not add too much water and don’t be scared of whisking!

3. I fill a tall glass with ice and pour the matcha over top. Then, I add a bit more hot water and whisk the water in the bowl .This helps clean the whisk, get any excess matcha off of it and the bowl. This shits expensive and you don’t want to waste it! Pour that on top of the ice. Then, you have the option to add more water to make it a plain iced matcha OR add nut milk on top. Coconut milk and cashew milk taste great too! One of my favorite almond + oat milk brands is Califia Farms. I always buy the unsweetened and it tastes so good in my matcha! Personally, if I use super high quality ceremonial matcha, I prefer to drink it straight up on ice. If I use any other matcha, I tend to have it iced with almond milk and maybe some honey.

Either way is good. If you are adding honey, I suggest adding it to the bowl after you have gotten the matcha out of it with some hot water and use a spoon to dissolve the honey. Then add it to the ice. You can also add matcha to an elixir and mix with a blender. I’ve seen people use metal whisks to try and make it but… please don’t do that ha-ha. Invest in a bamboo whisk (about $20), take care of it, and you’ll have it for awhile.

I recommend checking out my MATCHA highlights on my Glowing Holistic Health Instagram or searching a video on Youtube if you want to view someone making matcha.

Disclaimer: If you have any underlying health conditions, please check with your health practitioner to see if matcha is okay for you to try out.

I hope this guide provides you with some insight on matcha. I always hear from people that they are intimidated by making matcha and how ‘complicated’ it seems. I promise you that it’s much more simple than it seems! I find it way easier to make than coffee (I know!!) and about 10 x faster.

Happy Matcha Making!
Marcy xx