Matcha Tea: Genuine Health Food or Hoax?

Is Matcha Tea a Miracle Food or a Fad?

A cancer fighting, fat burning tea. It’s easy to see why there is so much hype surrounding Matcha tea. Favoured by health bloggers, doctors and even coffee lovers, here’s everything you need to know about the super green, super good beverage.

The name Matcha derives from, Matsu ‘to rub’ + cha ‘tea’ = Matcha. Matcha is finely powdered loose leaf tea that has been ground and made into a drink by mixing it with hot water. Traditionally, Matcha is made by mixing a teaspoon of Matcha powder with a third of a cup of hot water. It is then whisked with a bamboo brush until it froths.

Owing to the fact Matcha tea is made from whole tea leaves, it is rich in antioxidants. Green tea, though classed as a superfood, when in comparison with Matcha, has a lot less goodness. Matcha powder, as seen in its vibrant green colour has high levels of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what makes plants green and is also a powerful antioxidant known as a polyphenol. To get the same amount of antioxidants in one cup of Matcha tea, one would have to drink 10-15 cups of regularly brewed green tea!

Alongside the health benefits of the antioxidants, Matcha is also low calorie. In addition to this, it can help promote weight loss and boost your metabolism. This is due to a specific type of antioxidants called catechins. Matcha tea catechins are renowned for providing cancer-fighting properties and aiding weight loss. Catechins help your body get rid of free radicals and toxins, which is why they help prevent cancer.

The health benefits are only a few of the reasons to drink Matcha tea. Matcha is also rich in caffeine. However, the caffeine in Matcha is combined with L-theanine. L-theanine is an amino acid and helps stimulate feelings of alertness. As opposed to the feeling of jitteriness or even anxiousness when one drinks coffee, the L-theanine in Matcha stops these feelings and prevents and after-caffeine crash.

All you need to make Matcha from the comfort of your office or home is matcha tea powder, water and bamboo brush or whisk. Here’s how to make your Matcha tea:

• Add a few drops of hot water from your Billi tap to your teaspoon of matcha powder. Then mix into paste with a spoon in your mug or bowl.
• Add more hot water to paste mixture and stir. Around a third of a cup of hot water for every teaspoon of matcha tea powder should work nicely.
• Froth with whisk or bamboo brush until bubbly and smooth.
• Matcha is ready to drink.
• Serve over ice for a chilled Matcha tea, or warm.

Matcha tea acts as a great substitute for hardcore caffeine addicts as it provides the buzz and alertness without the crash. Billi taps act as the perfect help to make Matcha tea, as the just below boiling water from our taps mean the Matcha powder is not damaged and the flavour is not compromised. A perfect mug of Matcha tea will be yours in minutes!