Well, for starters, its expensive, but with good reason. Matcha is made from gyokuro, a green tea that has been grown under 90% shade 21 days prior to harvest. Gyokuro is Japan’s highest grade of tea, partly due to the care and attention required in both its growing and harvesting in the tea gardens.

Once gyokuro is harvested, the leaves are processed so that the veins of the leaves are removed. The next step is to grind what remains - traditionally on a stone mill – into a fine powder. The end product is known as matcha.

• Add 1/4-1/3 tsp to 3/4-1 cup of hot water, not boiling, please!!!
• The water should be 70-75 degrees Celsius or 1/3 below the boiling point. If the water is too hot, it brings out the bitterness of the tea, as well as destroying some of its medicinal properties.
• Once water has been added, whisk into a froth until the powder has been integrated with the water. Enjoy!

Green tea contains antioxidants, polyphenols, theanine, as well as a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

Polyphenols

Polyphenols are a class of phytochemicals found in high concentrations in green tea, and have been associated with heart disease and cancer prevention.

 

Catechins

Catechins are a category of polyphenols. In green tea, catechins are present in significant quantities, more specifically; epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG makes up about 10-50% of the total catechin content and appears to be the most powerful of the catechins – with antioxidant activity about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E. A cup of green tea may provide 10-40mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries.

 

Theanine

An amino acid that produces tranquilizing effects in the brain, theanine is a unique amino acid found in the leaves of green tea. Theanine is quite different from the polyphenol and catechin antioxidants for which green tea is typically consumed. Through the natural production of polyphenols, the tea plant converts theanine into catechins. This means that tea leaves harvested during one part of the growing season may be high in catechins (good for antioxidant benefits), while leaves harvested during another time of year may be higher in theanine (good for anti-stress and cortisol-controlling effects). Three to four cups of green tea are expected to contain 100-200 mg of theanine.

 

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are part of a large class of chemicals that occur naturally in plants. A simple definition describes flavonoids as "any group of substances found in fruits and vegetables essential for processing vitamin C and needed to maintain capillary walls. They may aid in protecting against infection. Deficiency can result in a tendency to bruise easily.