Difference between revisions of "Matcha"
(→Special Precautions of Matcha) |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | See also : [[Green Tea]] | + | See also : [[Green Tea]]<br> |
| + | A green tea known as matcha—a finely milled, emerald green variety from Japan—has long been claimed to have greater health benefits than other green teas. Finally, a study from the University of Colorado validates these claims and explains them as being due to matcha's exceptionally high concentration of EGCG. The study's authors wrote: | ||
| + | Results indicate that the concentration of [EGCG] available from drinking matcha is 137 times greater than the amount of EGCG available from China Green Tips green tea, and at least 3 times higher than the largest literature value for other green teas. | ||
| + | The reason matcha provides such a concentrated dose of EGCG is that when you drink matcha, you are consuming the entire tea leaf. | ||
| + | Matcha is made from only the very youngest, greenest, and finest leaves at the tip of the tea plant. These leaves are then dried and pulverized using stone grinders until the powder is extremely fine (approximately 9 microns). | ||
| + | The Tea of Choice Among Japan's Royalty and Zen Buddhist Monks | ||
| + | Historically, brilliant green matcha has been valued almost as highly as if it were, quite literally, ground from emeralds. For centuries, matcha was reserved exclusively for Japan's royalty and religious elite. | ||
| + | Matcha has the unique ability to sustain mental alertness, increase alpha wave generation in the brain, and calm the central nervous system—all at the same time. This makes matcha an ideal drink to facilitate meditation. For that reason, matcha has been used by Zen Buddhist monks for almost 1,000 years. | ||
| + | Matcha's lofty lineage kept prices prohibitively expensive for the North American market until only recently. Thanks to improvements in manufacturing efficiency, the cost has dropped enough to make matcha affordable for most people. | ||
| + | Make Your Own Matcha | ||
| + | As noted, matcha is remarkably potent, and every person's unique biochemistry will respond to it differently. In Japan, the average rate of consumption is 1-2 cups a day. Many prefer to drink a cup in the morning to prepare for the day, and a cup in the afternoon as a pick-me-up. Experts say there's no level at which matcha becomes toxic or dangerous. | ||
| + | While it is possible for you to make your own matcha tea powder, it could prove to be labor intensive because you would need a considerable amount of hand-picked tea leaves and have to stone-grind them into a fine powder. It's more convenient to purchase the matcha green powder from tea vendors and online retailers. Teavana carries premium, ceremonial grade matcha tea powder, which is traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies. Ceremonial grade matcha reportedly has a creamy, sweet taste compared to the food grade matcha, which has a bitter taste. To prepare a cup of matcha, simply combine 2 ounces of matcha green tea powder with 6 ounces of hot water, and stir until dissolved. | ||
==Special Precautions of Matcha== | ==Special Precautions of Matcha== | ||
*Although matcha is generally considered safe, the National Institutes of Health warn that green tea may cause stomach upset and constipation in some cases. | *Although matcha is generally considered safe, the National Institutes of Health warn that green tea may cause stomach upset and constipation in some cases. | ||
Revision as of 12:19, 19 January 2012
See also : Green Tea
A green tea known as matcha—a finely milled, emerald green variety from Japan—has long been claimed to have greater health benefits than other green teas. Finally, a study from the University of Colorado validates these claims and explains them as being due to matcha's exceptionally high concentration of EGCG. The study's authors wrote:
Results indicate that the concentration of [EGCG] available from drinking matcha is 137 times greater than the amount of EGCG available from China Green Tips green tea, and at least 3 times higher than the largest literature value for other green teas.
The reason matcha provides such a concentrated dose of EGCG is that when you drink matcha, you are consuming the entire tea leaf.
Matcha is made from only the very youngest, greenest, and finest leaves at the tip of the tea plant. These leaves are then dried and pulverized using stone grinders until the powder is extremely fine (approximately 9 microns).
The Tea of Choice Among Japan's Royalty and Zen Buddhist Monks
Historically, brilliant green matcha has been valued almost as highly as if it were, quite literally, ground from emeralds. For centuries, matcha was reserved exclusively for Japan's royalty and religious elite.
Matcha has the unique ability to sustain mental alertness, increase alpha wave generation in the brain, and calm the central nervous system—all at the same time. This makes matcha an ideal drink to facilitate meditation. For that reason, matcha has been used by Zen Buddhist monks for almost 1,000 years.
Matcha's lofty lineage kept prices prohibitively expensive for the North American market until only recently. Thanks to improvements in manufacturing efficiency, the cost has dropped enough to make matcha affordable for most people.
Make Your Own Matcha
As noted, matcha is remarkably potent, and every person's unique biochemistry will respond to it differently. In Japan, the average rate of consumption is 1-2 cups a day. Many prefer to drink a cup in the morning to prepare for the day, and a cup in the afternoon as a pick-me-up. Experts say there's no level at which matcha becomes toxic or dangerous.
While it is possible for you to make your own matcha tea powder, it could prove to be labor intensive because you would need a considerable amount of hand-picked tea leaves and have to stone-grind them into a fine powder. It's more convenient to purchase the matcha green powder from tea vendors and online retailers. Teavana carries premium, ceremonial grade matcha tea powder, which is traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies. Ceremonial grade matcha reportedly has a creamy, sweet taste compared to the food grade matcha, which has a bitter taste. To prepare a cup of matcha, simply combine 2 ounces of matcha green tea powder with 6 ounces of hot water, and stir until dissolved.
Special Precautions of Matcha
- Although matcha is generally considered safe, the National Institutes of Health warn that green tea may cause stomach upset and constipation in some cases.
- Additionally, the NIH cautions against consuming more than five cups of green tea daily. Due to the caffeine content, excessive consumption of matcha or other forms of green may trigger certain side effects (such as headache, insomnia, irritability, diarrhea, and heartburn).
The benefits of Matcha are
A green tea known as matcha—a finely milled, emerald green variety from Japan—has long been claimed to have greater health benefits than other green teas. Finally, a study from the University of Colorado validates these claims and explains them as being due to matcha's exceptionally high concentration of EGCG. The study's authors wrote:
Results indicate that the concentration of [EGCG] available from drinking matcha is 137 times greater than the amount of EGCG available from China Green Tips green tea, and at least 3 times higher than the largest literature value for other green teas.
The reason matcha provides such a concentrated dose of EGCG is that when you drink matcha, you are consuming the entire tea leaf.
Matcha is made from only the very youngest, greenest, and finest leaves at the tip of the tea plant. These leaves are then dried and pulverized using stone grinders until the powder is extremely fine (approximately 9 microns).
The Tea of Choice Among Japan's Royalty and Zen Buddhist Monks
Historically, brilliant green matcha has been valued almost as highly as if it were, quite literally, ground from emeralds. For centuries, matcha was reserved exclusively for Japan's royalty and religious elite.
Matcha has the unique ability to sustain mental alertness, increase alpha wave generation in the brain, and calm the central nervous system—all at the same time. This makes matcha an ideal drink to facilitate meditation. For that reason, matcha has been used by Zen Buddhist monks for almost 1,000 years.
Matcha's lofty lineage kept prices prohibitively expensive for the North American market until only recently. Thanks to improvements in manufacturing efficiency, the cost has dropped enough to make matcha affordable for most people.
Make Your Own Matcha
As noted, matcha is remarkably potent, and every person's unique biochemistry will respond to it differently. In Japan, the average rate of consumption is 1-2 cups a day. Many prefer to drink a cup in the morning to prepare for the day, and a cup in the afternoon as a pick-me-up. Experts say there's no level at which matcha becomes toxic or dangerous.
While it is possible for you to make your own matcha tea powder, it could prove to be labor intensive because you would need a considerable amount of hand-picked tea leaves and have to stone-grind them into a fine powder. It's more convenient to purchase the matcha green powder from tea vendors and online retailers. Teavana carries premium, ceremonial grade matcha tea powder, which is traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies. Ceremonial grade matcha reportedly has a creamy, sweet taste compared to the food grade matcha, which has a bitter taste. To prepare a cup of matcha, simply combine 2 ounces of matcha green tea powder with 6 ounces of hot water, and stir until dissolved.
