Matcha: health benefits of a super drink

For more than 2500 years 'matcha' has been a 'powdered tea'. It is extracted directly from ground green tea leaves. While tea is an infusion, matcha is the actual leave, just grounded, thus making it more powerful than your regular green tea. Experts say that to preserve the taste, the leaves are covered 20 to 30 before the harvest. Once picked, the tea leaves are dried and turned into a fresh, deep green powder.

If you are looking for a tea with a lot of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants such as polyphenols, then you’ve found it: matcha is what you´re looking for. As the whole leaf is consumed when drinking matcha, the amount of nutrients is way higher. It is also a tea that provides minerals such as zinc, selenium, magnesium, or chromium.

Matcha is unsuitable for children due to its high content of caffeine. People with nervous system disorders should consult their doctor before consuming matcha. Otherwise, it’s suitable for everyone and is a fantastic alternative to coffee.

No, you don’t need to spend a fortune at a café to have a great matcha latte. You can easily make it at home following a few simple steps. For fancier tea time or if you’d like to try your own tea ceremony, serve with Japanese pastries.

Here's a simple and classic recipe just to help you get started