The History of Matcha

Matcha is a type of fine powdered tea, or green-tea to be more specific, traditionally consumed in Eastern Asia. “Matcha” is a Japanese word, and in Japan the tea has been long-established as a staple in traditional tea ceremonies for over 1000 years. The Japanese tea ceremony, also known as Way of Tea, was not just intended as a way to share tea, but also as a way to experience the hospitality of a host, and could be experienced in varying levels of formality, from small and intimate, to much more ceremonial and traditional. 

Nowadays, since the turn of the 21st century, the popularity of matcha tea has sky-rocketed, due to its proven qualities of being one of the healthiest dietary supplements you can take.

What is Matcha Powder?

In Japanese, matcha literally translates as “powdered tea”, and comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, a species of evergreen shrubs, or small trees, that is used to make the majority of teas, including green tea. The difference to other teas, is that matcha green tea leaves are taken when they are young, which gives matcha it’s bright and vibrant, vivid green colour. 

Furthermore, with most brewed teas, the leaves are removed before you drink the eventual beverage; with matcha powder you are actually drinking the powdered form of the leaves. This is how matcha manages to maintain the majority of its nutrients and has sustained such a reputation for being a cornerstone of a healthy diet.

Benefits

There are a ton of health benefits to the regular consumption of matcha, the primary benefit being the large amounts of antioxidants that can be found in the powdered leaf. These antioxidants can be super helpful in battling chronic diseases and preventing the onset of unnecessary cell damage in your body. 

It has also been believed to improve brain functionality, not only because of the caffeine levels (we’ll come to that later) but also because of the presence of a compound called L-theanine, which helps to promote alertness and avoid any nasty crashes that a normal bout of coffee induced caffeine can bring about.

The other major benefit from drinking matcha tea, besides helping the heart and the brain, is that it's a natural aid for assisting weight loss. Studies have indicated that drinking matcha tea is a great way to increase fat-burning and enhance your metabolism, as well as other low-calorie matcha inspired products, such as matcha shots, lattes and even matcha inspired desserts - so long as they’re not packed with additives and preservatives. With the Essenzefruits Organic Vegan Matcha Latte Powder you can rest assured you have a low-calorie, high nutrient beverage that can be used for drinks hot and cold, or even as a smoothie.

Does Matcha Powder Have Caffeine? 

Depending on which side of the fence you sit, caffeine is a must-have for some people in the mornings, and for others it’s a one-way ticket to jitter city, and eventual energy crashes. But whilst the caffeine in matcha tea offers the same kind of energy jolt as a regular cup of joe, the L-theanine works in cohesion with the caffeine, to balance it out and ensure that your energy boost stays more sustained and decreases at a gradual rate. 

A regular cup of matcha tea or matcha latte will have around 70mg of caffeine in it, which is around the same amount as a cup of coffee, depending on which beans and blend are being used. 

Is it Organic?

With its jump to prominence in the early 21st century, and thus its ensuing popularity, there are hundreds if not thousands of brands of matcha powder across the US today. So it's important, then, to make sure you find the right one.

Cafe or store bought matcha powder can often come with one key additive - sugar. Sugar is frequently added to sweeten the taste, as this blogger discovered, who found her Starbucks matcha tea to contain over 50% sugar. Traditionally, that is not matcha tea, and it is certainly not organic matcha tea. As well as looking for sugar, make sure to check the label of your organic matcha powder before you buy, to ensure it’s been made without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial chemicals. 

If it has any of the aforementioned three, then it’s not organic!

Best Ways to Drink it

There are a variety of ways you can drink matcha tea, by combining matcha powder with either hot water, cold water, milk or milk alternatives. A traditional matcha tea is mixed solely with hot water until the powder dissolves, but mixing with soy, coconut, rice or regular milk has become incredibly popular today, to make a matcha latte. 

Essenzefruits Organic Vegan Matcha Latte Powder comes premixed with the Essenzefruits Pure Organic Coconut Milk Powder, so all you need to do is add water, blend and away you go. For a thicker, creamier texture, we recommend adding almond or soy milk as a perfect alternative for non-lactose drinkers.

Best Matcha Powder for Energy

While matcha powder is relatively low in calories, at around 25 per serving, the caffeine content combined with the L-theanine ensures that you can start your day and stay charged and energetic for longer. As previously mentioned, the caffeine content of a daily serving is around 70mg. 

How Much Per Day for Weight Loss

Matcha powder has been known to greatly affect weight loss and fat-burning, even without any other dietary changes or increase in exercise. One study indicated that anywhere between 1 – 4 tsp of matcha powder per day will significantly affect your metabolism and increase weight-loss over a 12 week period. 

The green tea catechins in matcha powder also specifically target the abdominal area, reducing the quantity of abdominal fat and decreasing body fat composition by increasing fat oxidation (aka burning body fat for fuel) and decreasing one’s appetite.

What is Matcha Latte?

A matcha latte is made with powdered matcha, mixed with warm or hot milk, or milk alternatives. Matcha latte has a smoother, creamier texture to regular matcha tea, and the added milk (or alternatives) compliment the leafy flavour to make for a robust and revitalising beverage to start off the day, or to pick you up in the afternoon.

Essenzefruits Organic Vegan Matcha Latte Powder is completely organic, 100% vegan and is perfect for anyone allergic to casein, animal milk, or those who have an intolerance of lactose. Made with 100% natural ingredients, and being rich in nutrients and antioxidants, you can rest assured that the Essenzefruits matcha powder is the perfect drink to keep you going throughout the day whilst adhering to a fit and healthy lifestyle. Check out our matcha latte powder HERE, or if you want to know more about any of our other products, click HERE.