I am always a fan of frozen matcha smoothies and it is something that powers my day every morning (and is often a pick me up in the afternoon). Matcha is a green tea that is incredibly rich in antioxidants, specifically over 130 times the EGCG levels that of regular steeped tea. Matcha is ground into a fine delicate powder and uses the whole leaf so you are consuming all of the richness of the tea and your body is benefiting greatly.
Organic Matcha Tea has been shown to help increase energy levels as well as reduce stress and improve mental alertness. It is a much healthier choice than your daily cup of java. It has even been suggested that it speeds metabolism and help with boosting weight loss. There are many other wonderful benefits to choosing matcha. Your immunity is built against viruses and your body can be cleansed of harmful elements. Personally I have found that on days that I skip my matcha tea I am not as alert or feeling as awake or energetic. Being a stay at home mommy to 2 very young littles, and a night owl blogger in the wee hours, I need all the assistance I can get. :)
There are 2 grades of matcha, ceremonial and culinary. I find that culinary grade, while gentler to the pocketbook, is a more bitter and earthy flavor. The color in my experience is a deeper dull green. Ceremonial grade is a brighter, cheerful green and sweeter, but is generally an upwards of $30 or more for 1 oz.
I was sent a 1 oz tin of ceremonial grade matcha from Midori Spring. It arrives in a food grade tin and sealed with a pull top and lid for the ultimate freshness. This matcha is "1st flush" (1st harvest) Matcha and is bright green in color, with a sweetness unmatched of culinary grade. I do not prepare my matcha hot often, but I do know the traditional method:
Materials Used for the Perfect Matcha:
Matcha Bowl, Matcha Whisk, Bamboo Scoop, Small Sifter
1. Warm up matcha bowl and bamboo whisk by placing whisk in bowl and filling with hot water. Let it sit for 1 minute, discard water. Dry bowl with clean cloth or paper towel.
2. With the bamboo scoop place 2 scoops of Ceremonial Matcha powder through a small sifter into bowl to avoid clumping. (I always skip this part as the matcha I use is always a nice quality)
3. Pour 2oz of hot water (I cheat a bit and use hot water from my Keurig brewer) into bowl and whisk briskly in a "W" motion until fine foam appears. The whisk should not scratch the bottom of the bowl. It is said that too many bubbles is considered to be of poor taste.
4. Sip and Enjoy.
I serve hot match to my husband as he drinks hot tea and hot coffee all year round. I prefer frozen drinks, even in winter. I add milk that was frothed in a immersion frother, vanilla and some sugar to his hot matcha.
For myself, I put about 8 ounces of cold milk into my large blender, add about 6-8 ice cubes, add 2 caps of real vanilla extract, about a tsp of matcha, 1-2 tsps of white sugar or xylitol crystals and blend on high. I top with frothy milk or real whipped cream. I generally skip the whipped cream and use milk as it is a bit healthier. Sometimes I use less ice for more of a flavored matcha milk (see last picture).
I like this matcha and find that it is as great as my other ceremonial grade matcha. This is certified USDA organic and top quality. I recommend the extra spent for ceremonial grade if you are a matcha lover. I do bake with the culinary grade and recommend that for its intended purpose, however, for drinking, ceremonial grade is a milder, sweeter, and more beautiful flavor and aroma. I love using it daily and recommend it.
This is available for purchase on Amazon: Midori Spring Organic Ceremonial Matcha
*I received 1 tin of ceremonial matcha from Midori Spring to facilitate this review, all opinions are my own.
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