MY CHA… MATCHA!
The drink of the monks that’s making noise as the new healthier variant of green tea. Read on to know more.
My love for all gastronomical things of Far Eastern origin dragged me to a quaint hole in the wall Japanese outlet in Malaysia a few months back. I decided to be predictable and go the sushi way ofcourse. While looking for options to wash down all the wasabi fire, I was recommended to order a Matcha iced tea instead of the regular iced tea. It looked impressive, emerald green and frothy. The first sip gave way to a mouth puckering sensation and very green vegetable overall taste, quite like spinach meets amla and does a tango in your mouth! But then after notes were sweet and there was a very umami-ish feel to the whole drink. Since then, I am a convert, no more green tea; it’s the healthier version of it that I opt for.
Matcha, simply put is finely ground green tea, of course the Japanese would add many more adjectives to its definition, since it’s not just any green tea that is ground into Matcha, but the highest quality available, which is carefully cultivated in specific conditions. The wonder tea holds a special place in the Japanese society since it has been the highlight of the Japanese Tea Ceremonies for time immemorial. It’s actually quite simple to make, much like instant coffee- spoon the powder into a mug, pour hot water, whisk and drink. It is said that the health benefits of this magical tea outweigh that of simple green tea by 30 times, after all you are not just brewing the leaf and drinking the tea, you are consuming the whole leaf and that too in a much larger quantity! Matcha is an anti oxidant powerhouse. It is more potent than pomegranates and blueberries. It contains catechins which is a very powerful antioxidant and is not found in any other food. Catechins have strong anti carcinogenic benefits and counteract the damage created by free radicals, effectively.
It is also interesting to know that this drink is said to be the drink of the monks since it promotes calmness, soothes the nerves, dissolves stress and yet keeps one alert and boosts the memory, isn’t that amazing? The other thing that is most remarkable is that people in Japan apparently consume Matcha prior to a workout or a jog since it is an energy booster, and as with green tea, more so with this super powerful version of it, this drink is a calorie burner. Apparently consuming Matcha increases thermogenesis in the body, which is the body’s rate of burning calories, by more than 40%. Every time you drink a cup of Matcha you are detoxifying your system, so no more of those fad 3-7 day detox diets, it’s definitely much easier this way. Now, if all of that has not convinced you to convert then note that research has also linked consumption of this drink to anti-aging and longevity of life. If this isn’t the fabled Ambrosia then what is? Get with the program and grab a cup a day, your body will thank you for it! You can order it online from GOURMETCO
