Matcha powder along with a latte, and a wooden whisk, and a spoon used to make a matcha drink. photo by:https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/matcha-green-tea#what-it-is
Growing up in a mixed-culture household, with a Mexican mom, and a part Lebanese dad, tea never really was my preferred choice of beverage. Occasionally my mother would buy Lipton teas, but that is where my history with tea ends. Therefore, tea was never an interest of mine, I was raised drinking sodas and orange juice. As I grew older and began to learn about what these beverages did to my body, I grew conscious of my own health and nutrition choices. Tea is a worldwide recognized beverage. There is a reason for its fame and popularity; some drink it for its rich benefits and others do so as tradition. Thanks to social media I became aware of the enriching benefits of Matcha green tea. If you have never heard of this type of green tea, I do not blame you because it has just now gained popularity in the United States. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health does a great job at giving you an overall lesson. With this blog, I hope to invigorate you and make you a matcha lover as much as I am!
I would like to start off by clarifying that matcha is grown in many parts of the world. Where you decide to get your own batch from is up to you, but I want to introduce you to the most sustainable, organic, and pure substance of this tea. In regards to the region I am focusing on; I will be discussing the production of matcha in Japan. I have found that tea farms in Japan come out to be the most sustainable, and traditional in comparison to matcha production companies in other countries. Matcha tea farms in Japan stay away from pesticides because of the strict Japanese regulations. The mountain fields in Aichi and Shizuoka Prefecture deliver the best quality in production and products. The matcha derived from these farms are USDA, JAS, and EU organic certified. These regulations prohibit the use of certain pesticides; in return benefiting us. The United States Environmental Protection Agency declares human health issues related to pesticides. Such as, irritation in the skin or eyes, carcinogen exposure, hormones, endocrine system, and nervous system may be affected as well. Many different companies only stress about getting the job done and making a profit. It is not promising that their products all come from a sustainable source of production. In my research, I came across a company that promises to deliver sustainable batches of magical green powder. This company sources matcha in small batches to keep a sustainable production chain. Matchaful Organic Certified Matcha Powder
History
Tea in powdered substance may not be so common, compared to your typical Yogi or Tazo tea brands who sell their tea in teabags. When you think of tea a teabag comes to mind, but you may not think this is the most sustainable option. This is where Matcha’s uniqueness comes into play. The pure substance of Matcha is in the form of powder and that is the way in which it is sold. The more I study sustainability, the more I become intrigued with the idea of becoming more conscious of my own choices and the larger-scale choices made by big companies. With that being said, I can say that selling tea in powder is more environmentally conscious, compared to standard tea bags that require paper and plastic to sell and use their products. This powdered substance can be traced back to the 7th century, all thanks to Japanese Buddhist Monks. They called it their elixir of the immortals, I call it Matcha, however, you may want to call it is up to you, but just know that it still serves the same purpose. Back then, and now, matcha has been consumed to destress, regulate diets and digestion, improve focus, and boost energy among other natural herbal benefits.
Harvest and Production
Regarding the production and cultivation process of matcha, not much has changed for over 800 years. Keeping tradition and uniqueness alive is a crucial factor to maintain its beneficial uniqueness. Matcha, like all green, black, and Oolong teas, is derived from the leaf of the Camellia sinesis plant. What sets each tea apart is its cultivation process, and regarding matcha, it has its own unique process. In some farms, the tea plant is grown under solar panels to generate clean power. In areas where it is most needed, it is incredible to see farms use this innovation. Prior to cultivation, matcha leaves are set apart two to six weeks prior and spend their last few months in the shade. Some farmers do this by setting layers of bamboo mats or rice straws weekly until reaching the harvesting face. Not all tea farms use bamboo or rice; some of them use tarps, but the use of natural resources is more environmentally friendly, especially using natural resources which are home to their region. By the end of their shading, the leaves have been covered 90% from sun exposure. When farmers begin to harvest, they handpick the highest quality leaves, and the rest are machine-picked. Once all leaves have been picked, they are put in through a vibrating belt to sift them and remove any unwanted materials. They are then steamed to prevent further decomposition. This is where the cultivation process ends, and now comes the production of powdered tea. The leaves are put into a system of air blowers to separate the meat of the leaf from the veins. From here, the meaty part of the leaf is sent into grounding. But processors are environmentally conscious, no part of the leaf is wasted in the process, the “unwanted” or stems of the leaves are made into Kukicha and Konacha teas. The leaves taken into grounding are called tencha leaves and are stored in cold environments. The grounding process is initiated by putting the tencha leaves into granite grinders. This form of grinding has persevered for hundreds of years. These grinders turn the leaves into fine powder through spinning and rubbing. After grounding, the matcha is ultimately sifted.
Matcha leaves placed in shaded area by using bamboo during harvest season. Photo by: https://mizubatea.com/blogs/news-1/it-can-only-be-tencha-why-shade-growing-is-essential-to-matcha
Benefits
Since matcha is strictly derived from the plant and its unique process is carefully followed, this allows for nutrients to follow through and be delivered in every cup. Each step in the process has its own unique benefit. The shading process is key to creating a well-balanced cup of matcha. The shade helps balance the caffeine, sugar, and flavanols, as well as boosts and increases Chlorophyll content. Chlorophyll is known to have many benefits like aid in digestion, absorption of toxins, energy boosters, among others but it also gives matcha its lush green color. Along with other teas, but especially in matcha, antioxidants are present. The shade causes these antioxidants to lay on top of the leaves allowing us consumers to have a more beneficial intake. The air-drying process preserves active amino acids. This is what gives the matcha its natural sweetness. The US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health has an in-depth journal of more beneficial aspects of drinking a single cup of matcha. Below I included a recipe that I have curated and perfected after many cups of tea. Without a doubt, you can find many other recipes online for different food items that include matcha. I kept it sweet and simple with a latte to end off on a sweet note. I hope you enjoy its benefits and like it as much as I do!
Iced Matcha Latte photo by: https://www.fitmittenkitchen.com/iced-matcha-latte/
Iced Matcha latte Recipe
Ingredients:
½ cup of almond milk
2tbs of nut pod toasted marshmallow creamer
1tbs of matcha powder
personal preference of stevia amount
Water
Whisk
2 cups
Directions:
Place a tablespoon of matcha powder in a cup and add a splash of warm water, proceed to whisk it. Once the mixture is complete, mix in stevia. Proceed to add ice cubes to a clean cup, add in the almond milk, then the matcha mixture, and lastly add in creamer.
Enjoy.
Blog Post By: Julieta M. Rodriguez
References
Chacko, S. M., Thambi, P. T., Kuttan, R., & Nishigaki, I. (2010). Beneficial effects of green tea: A literature review. Chinese Medicine, 5(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/1749-8546-5-13
Hosking, R., & Samuels, D. (2015). A dictionary of Japanese Food: Ingredients and culture. Tuttle Publishing.
Jakubczyk, K., Kochman, J., Kwiatkowska, A., Kałduńska, J., Dec, K., Kawczuga, D., & Janda, K. (2020). Antioxidant properties and nutritional composition of Matcha Green Tea. Foods, 9(4), 483. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9040483
Juneja, L. R. (2013). Green tea polyphenols: Nutraceuticals of modern life. CRC Press.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020, October). Green tea. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/green-tea.
Warre, M. (2019, November 6). Matcha: Health benefits, nutrition, and uses. Medical News Today. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/305289#risks.