Find out what matcha is, how to make the perfect cup, and the magic behind this popular drink.
This month we sent out a package of Minty Matcha for all our teabox subscribers. If you’re new to matcha, don’t worry! In this article we’ll fill you in on everything you need to know about preparing and enjoying matcha tea.
Each month, subscribers to myteabox.ca receive 3 fresh, exciting blends of loose leaf tea, delivered right to their mailbox. Not signed up yet? Click here to discover your own tea adventure.
What is Matcha?
________________________
Matcha is a fine powder made from whole green tea leaves (from the Camellia Sinensis plant). At around 70mg per cup, the caffeine content in matcha tea is naturally elevated since you’re consuming the whole tea leaf when you drink matcha as opposed to drinking tea when the leaves have been steeped. If you want to know more about the effects of caffeine in tea, check out this article.
Matcha tends to have a slightly bitter and earthy flavour, so many people prefer to drink it with creamer and sometimes a bit of sweetener. Although matcha flavoured ice-cream, matcha lattes and all sorts of matcha flavoured goodies have more recently become popular in stores and restaurants North America, matcha tea has been used in japanese tea ceremonies for centuries. While the preparation of a cup of matcha can be part of a grandiose procedure, it can also be simple enough to do in the comfort of your own home!
To facilitate making a cup of matcha at home, we’ve sent out a mini matcha whisk in this month’s box! See instructions below for how to properly prepare yourself a cup of this delicious, finely powdered green tea.
The Magic of Matcha
________________________
You may already know that there are several health benefits associated with drinking green tea. As you can imagine those benefits are magnified when you drink matcha tea, since you’re actually drinking the entire tea leaf. Some of these benefits include boosting your level of antioxidants, weight loss, and brain function!
How to Make the Perfect Cup of Matcha Tea
________________________
Step One: Start by sprinkling the tea into your teacup. Since matcha has such a strong flavour, it’s important not to overdose the amount you use. One teaspoon to one and a half teaspoons of green tea matcha powder to 8-10 ounces of water should be all you need. Considering that matcha is a powder, and powders can tend to clump up, some prefer to sift matcha into their teacup to insure a clump-free cup of tea.
Step Two: Add nearly boiling water (85°). If you’d like to know more about which temperatures are best for steeping different varieties of tea you can read all about that here.
Step Three: Using the mini single-cup matcha whisk we sent out in May’s box, whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of your teacup a few times as you whisk.
Step Four: Especially if this is one of your first times tasting matcha green tea, you’ll probably find it significantly more delicious when accompanied with a healthy dose of the creamer of your choice, and maybe a tad of sweetener.
Step Five: Enjoy your matcha-infused magic
Connoisseur’s tip: Matcha tea doesn’t have as long of a shelf life as most loose-leaf teas, so it’s important to drink-up this magic blend within a month or so after opening.