Vancouver Matcha Sightings by Papa Plumbing
A popular drink at the office is Matcha..Here are some facts about it.. I love getting it from Starbucks (Extra Hot Green Tea latte, extra matcha and no syrup) and there are various places on the west side that make a great cup of Matcha Latte ! I found this great article on the web and wanted to share it with you all:
Mmmm Matcha
Matcha is the vibrant green powdered tea used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. It is made from the leaves of shade grown tea trees. When the leaves are harvested they are steamed, dried and then further processed to remove the veins, stems and impurities. Only about 10% of the original harvest remains, and this is called the “tencha”. The tencha is then ground to a fine powder often in a stone mill. It takes about one hour to produce an ounce of matcha, because grinding any faster would result in a burnt tasting tea. Today the highest grades of matcha usually remain in Japan for use in their tea ceremonies and the price can be as high as $100 an ounce. The majority of matcha available in the general market today is now ground by sophisticated machines, which make it affordable to the average tea drinker. Regardless of the grinding technique used, the production of matcha requires a great deal of hand labour, skill and time.
Matcha is becoming increasingly popular in the Japanese and international beverage and food market because of its versatility and health benefits. Matcha’s flavour blends well in dairy-based recipes and its powder form makes it easy to work with. Matcha is being used in ice cream, cheese -cakes, cream cheese spreads, white chocolate, latte beverages, hot chocolate etc. There is no limit to the recipes that matcha can be added to.
Matcha and Caffeine: Matcha does contain a small amount of caffeine, but like all green teas also contains L-theanine. L-theanine increases the alpha waveactivities in the brain, which creates a feeling of relaxation. L-theanine is associated with increasing the ability to focus and concentrate, but not agitate the nervous system. Researchers believe that this maybe on of the reasons that drinking tea tends to have a calming, refreshing effect, rather than the jittery effects of coffee. It has been noted that Buddist monks frequently drink matcha, green teas, oolongs ETC and rarely appear agitated or nervous. It could be the L-theanine!
The following are some of the benefits of Matcha:
Matcha on W 4th Ave
- Vitamins A,B6, B-complex, C, E, K, niacin, folate, riboflavin, thiamin
- Trace minerals calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, sodium
- Rich source of L-theanine & amino acids which improve calmness, mental alertness
- Strong blood detoxifer and alkalyzer due to high chlorophyll conten
- 70 times the antioxidants of orange juice,
- Nine times the beta carotene of spinach and 4 times the beta carotene of carrots
- Extremely rich in polyphenols (antioxidants) and catechins, especially epigallocatechin gallate ( EGCG )
- Boosts metabolic rate by 35-40% in regular drinkers, thus assisting in weight loss
How to Make a Matcha Latte..
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