Matcha green tea is now rapidly gaining popularity all over the world: more and more people are getting health-conscious. This is probably the reason why the demand for high-quality and mainly natural foods is increasing. And it is precisely these people who are talking about Matcha green tea and its extraordinary effects on the body and mind.
In this article, we get to the heart of the matcha tea mystery and its effect: What is behind it? Are its stimulating effects really what many claims? What influence can drinking it have before exercising?
Table of Contents
1. Matcha was created by accident
Matcha was brought to Japan from China at the end of the 12th century. However, at that time, matcha was prepared by simply roasting and pulverizing tea leaves. It wasn’t until the invention of the oishita (shade-grown) cultivation method that matcha was refined to a richer flavor and deep green color. This discovery occurred during a harsh winter when tea growers decided to cover their tea plants with reeds and straw to prevent frost damage just before harvest. They realized that the shade caused the plants to compensate for the lack of sunlight by producing more chlorophyll within the new shoots to help facilitate photosynthesis, thus improving the amino acid content of the new tea buds. It is these young buds that are later hand-picked and processed into richer-tasting matcha the way we know it today.
2. The world’s only powdered tea
One key feature of matcha that makes it so unique is that it is consumed in powdered form, and whipped in warm water. Since matcha is not soluble, it simply sinks into the water and must be consumed immediately after brewing before the tea sits at the bottom of the cup.
3. Matcha- Liquid Meditation
Beginning as a meditation tea of Zen Buddhist monks, matcha is known as a calming stimulant. Matcha has about one-third the amount of caffeine compared to a regular cup of coffee. However, unlike the jittery effects of coffee, matcha gives you a calming state of euphoria, a feeling of mental alertness and deep relaxation similar to the effect of meditation. For this reason, matcha is sometimes referred to as liquid meditation, and Zen Buddhist monks have used it to facilitate concentration during long meditation sessions. Many people these days drink matcha before a yoga or meditation session as well.
4. Samurai warriors drank matcha before battles
The samurai used the sophisticated art that Zen Buddhist monks used to prepare matcha in the 13th century. They realized that consuming Matcha could make them recover from physical fatigue and strengthen them mentally for combat. Based on their strict conduct code, they developed something called Wabi that detailed how to prepare and consume Matcha. Over the centuries, this philosophy gave birth to the Japanese tea ceremony we know today. It is in reverence to their noble way of life that we have this amazing tea.
5. Matcha: the immortals’ elixir
In addition to the cultural background, matcha is naturally healthy. The catechin polyphenols within matcha, or antioxidant compounds, have been shown to help protect against cancer, and cardiovascular disease, lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure. Matcha also helps burn fat, increasing the speed of metabolism and promoting weight loss. As for the level of antioxidants, matcha contains 137 times the amount of antioxidants found in a cup of regular green tea. Above all, it is 100% natural, which, for many, is mind-blowing.
6. Blue-green > Yellowish green
The green hue of matcha is often a telltale sign of its quality. Higher-grade matcha will have a bluish-green hue, while a brownish-yellow hue is more common in lower-grade matcha. In Japan, a simple rule of thumb is used to classify the color of matcha into pine green (dark bluish green) or bamboo green (lighter, yellowish green), with pine green being superior. This distinction is due to the fact that only the youngest and uppermost pair of leaves on the tea stem are hand-picked to produce premium matcha in a method called Niyou Tsumi (two-leaf picking), making it electric green.
7. “Oaika” aroma
Another signature trait of premium grade matcha is the oika (覆い香) fragrance or the characteristic greenish, refreshing aroma of shade-grown green tea. The oika aroma of fine matcha is captivating, almost buttery, and invites the consumer to further explore by tasting it. This oika fragrance is said to be present only in gyukuro and high-quality matcha, the only two types of Japanese green tea that are grown under shade.
8. The mysterious Umami flavor
Top-quality matcha is marked by its famous umami (うま味) flavor. Umami is sometimes called the fifth mysterious flavor (along with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty), synonymous with a sweet and sour taste and broth. The high concentration of compounds related to theanine, glutamate and ionone carotenoids (organic pigments that aid in photosynthesis) found in the young shoots of shade-grown tea trees are the ones responsible for such umami flavor in high-grade matcha.
9. Matcha is very sensitive to air, light, heat, and humidity
As you may already be aware, green teas are characterized by minimal oxidation. After plucking their leaves, the enzymes are quickly steamed off to prevent further oxidation (which causes the tea to turn brown in a similar way to how a sliced apple turns brown after being exposed to air). When oxidation is allowed to run its course, the tea leaves begin to undergo a complete transformation and take on a completely different flavor and aroma profile. Matcha is particularly susceptible to the effects of oxidation, which can occur as a result of exposure to air, sunlight, humidity and heat (oxidation occurs best between 27 and 30 °C). Therefore, always avoid matcha that comes in transparent or non-airtight containers. Once opened, matcha should always be stored in a cool, dry place away from moisture, sunlight and strong odors.
10. The temperature and softness of the water can affect its flavor strongly
The taste of matcha tea is mainly given by 3 elements: catechin with a touch of astringency, caffeine that gives it a somewhat bitter taste, and theanine that gives matcha its sweetness and smoothness. Since these elements occur at various temperatures, the type of tea flavor can be adjusted by changing the water temperature. While theanine occurs at either warm or lukewarm temperatures, catechin is more likely to occur at temperatures above 75 °C and caffeine at higher temperatures. Therefore, if you want a less intense flavor, you should boil the water at a lower temperature (lower than 65°C), because that way more theanine is released and less of the other elements. Additionally, soft water (water that has less amount of minerals) is suggested for matcha preparation because certain minerals present in “hard water” can ruin the fine elements that give the tea its flavor. We also recommend removing chlorine from tap water by first boiling it for more than two minutes and then allowing it to cool to about 70 °C before brewing matcha.
Benefits of matcha tea
Matcha contains 10 times more ingredients than conventional teas
This green tea contains about ten times more ingredients than others, especially many catechins, carotenes, and vitamins A, B, C and E. It is also said to have a stimulating yet relaxing effect. This is due to the combination of stimulating caffeine and calming amino acids. With matcha tea, you will feel awake, but never over-stimulated.
A great advantage of matcha is that the active ingredients in the green tea powder can be absorbed by the body better than in conventional tea infusions. But as with many things, it is worth mentioning here that the quality of the product must be right.
Matcha is not only a tea but a health additive as well
In addition to the aforementioned advantages of matcha over coffee, it turns out that you can also mix some matcha into your fruit juices, protein shakes, or muesli cereal. And matcha isn’t far behind coffee in popularity either: mixed with hot almond, oat or soy milk, you can create a vegan Matcha Latte in no time.
Matcha wakes you up thanks to amino acids and caffeine
Matcha contains a large number of amino acids, which have a calming and balancing effect. The advantage of matcha over coffee is that consuming coffee can make you restless quickly, as caffeine causes the release of the stress hormones cortisone and adrenaline. Matcha, on the other hand, makes you fully awake and focused, but not restless.
Antioxidants protect against free radicals
Another benefit of matcha tea is that it fights free radicals in the body through the antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). This antioxidant is about 140 times higher in matcha than in a green tea bag. Free radicals attack our cells and can cause them to malfunction, resulting in various health problems.
It acts as a natural enhancer in sports
Matcha is meant to be taken more as a pre-workout supplement or pre-workout booster. Find it out for yourself. In general, however, remember to drink another glass of water about 10-20 minutes after consuming Matcha. This helps ensure that matcha doesn’t become a burden to your body.
Matcha aids performance, endurance, basal metabolic rate and thus fat burning in sports. The active ingredients it contains are responsible for this, namely catechins, L-theanine, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, caffeine and much more.
It strengthens the immune system
Matcha is antibacterial and antimicrobial and promotes a strong immune system not only in winter but all year round. So, one matcha a day really keeps the doctor away. It’s also great for promoting oral health and fighting bad breath.
It reduces the risk of heart disease
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. These diseases are favored by several risk factors. Drinking this green tea can reduce LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels.
According to studies, the risk of heart disease in green tea drinkers is 31% lower than in non-green tea drinkers. This is mainly due to the antioxidants found in this tea. Therefore, the effects of matcha tea are even stronger than those of green tea, as matcha contains more antioxidants,
Your best ally for radiant skin
Thanks to its high concentration of antioxidants, Matcha enhances the radiance and beauty of your skin when consumed on a daily basis. Just as they protect organ cells, catechins and EGCG also protect skin cells. As you can see, these two antioxidants in Matcha are the ideal combination.
You thought that was all? – No! Matcha has anti-inflammatory properties as well. If you are prone to acne or rosacea, you can use matcha as a face mask and/or cleanser. You’ll see impressive results. Matcha contains powerful tannins that help oily skin regulate sebum production.
An antioxidant with twice the power
One cup of matcha has about 10 times more antioxidants than a cup of regular green tea. It has over 1300 units/g ORAC, or in other words, a phenomenal ability to scavenge oxygen radicals. That’s 125 times the antioxidant content of, for example, spinach, a food whose benefits are widely known.
Combined with the ability to absorb oxygen radicals, the high EGCG content may combat risk factors for the development of chronic diseases.
Conclusion
To recapitulate, we can observe that not only is green tea beneficial to our health, but matcha is also, and in many cases, it is evident that this variety has even more properties than any other type of green tea, so it can be said to be the most powerful. In addition, matcha also has a great story to tell full of curious and intriguing facts that you probably never imagined and that, thanks to this, it gains some prominence, beyond being a type of green tea; it has many characteristics by which it is distinguished. We hope that this blog has given you a little more information about matcha tea and that you do not hesitate to consume it to enjoy its flavor and properties.