The Health Benefits of Matcha

The health benefits of green tea (matcha is 100% finely ground green tea) are well documented, and include:

• improved focus and attention
• stress reduction
• improved long term cognitive health
• protection against cellular damage due its high antioxidant levels.

Matcha is also a great source of sustained clean energy thanks to its L-theanine content, and makes an ideal fitness partner. Consuming matcha is the best way to maximize the health benefits of green tea.

When we consume matcha, it is the only time we are ingesting the entire tea leaf (as opposed to removing leaves after steeping). It is therefore important to choose a high quality, organic matcha. Tea leaves in Japan are harvested several times a year, from spring to early fall. Ceremonial grade matcha is generally made from first flush (first spring harvest) tea leaves, and these beauties deliver a full, umami-rich flavour with minimal astringency and great colour. Second flush tea leaves are also used in top quality matcha. 

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However, as tea leaves are harvested beyond the second flush in the hotter late summer months, they tend to be more prone to higher levels of astringency. At the end of the season, culinary grade matcha is produced from late harvest tea leaves, which has a bold green tea flavour, a yellowish colour tone, and quite a high level of bitterness (which is generally corrected with high amounts of sugar and food colouring for popular desserts such as green tea ice cream.

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Check out our Matcha Cone Dip recipe here!

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All matcha is not created equal. We are proud to offer Organic and Rainforest Alliance Certified ceremonial matcha direct from our farm partners in Kagoshima Japan. This tea is grown in a remote area at the southern tip of Japan in volcanic soil. In fact, you can often see plumes of ash rising from Sakurajima when driving around the tea fields!