Green Tea Vs Matcha (Japanese powdered Green tea)

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Snip 13

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I've only recently heard of Matcha (Powdered green tea from Japan). I've been drinking Green Tea and Oolong for years for the health benefits and because I love it!
Does anyone know this product and if it has the same health benefits as regular green tea?

P.S If anyone knows about any other nice Asian teas for me to try please feel free to add them :) I absolutely love tea and enjoy trying different kinds.
 
One glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of nutritional value and antioxidant, chlorophyll, and fiber content because you're actually drinking the whole leaf instead of just brewed water. I've never tasted it but I've heard it has an astringent, vegetable, earthy taste
 
One glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of nutritional value and antioxidant, chlorophyll, and fiber content because you're actually drinking the whole leaf instead of just brewed water. I've never tasted it but I've heard it has an astringent, vegetable, earthy taste

Thank you :) I want to buy some today and try it. Hope I find some at our Asian supermarket. I'm sure I will like it since I love the taste of strong green tea. The powder will be more convenient for making iced tea.
 
I've had mat.cha before but they're traditionally reserved for use in tea ceremonies. They're generally not regarded as ordinary household tea for regular consumption though.
My step-mother regularly participates in tea ceremonies here in L.A. but doesn't keep any of that in her home, just ordinary green tea.
 
Definitely worth it, I'd say. Generally speaking the quality of the leaves used for matcha is different to that of more run-of-the-mill green tea. They're grown under shade and picked young.

We don't drink a lot of matcha but we have our fair share of green tea, lately we've been brewing the leaves in the cup and eating them afterwards, for that extra bit of goodness :yum:

We also like soba-cha, hatomugi-cha (good for your skin) and kombu-cha. If they're not available locally you'll probably find them with a quick search on Rakuten. You might be interested to know that rooibos is very popular here.

Last week a friend was upset at the loss of her tea ceremony teacher, who passed away at the ripe old age of 105. Sharp as a tack to the end apparently. Got me thinking, maybe I should start drinking matcha every day too...

Michael in Hiroshima (first post!)
 
Welcome to DC Hiroshimaikeru, and thank you for the info about Japanese teas. 105 you say. Hmmm, maybe I should start drinking matcha too. :)
 
Very interesting post, Michael! Thanks, and welcome to DC!
 
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Thanks for the warm welcome :) DC seems like a very friendly place!

Drinking matcha is one of those healthy 'I should do that' things that keeps getting forgotten about, so I'm grateful to have stumbled across Snip 13's post.

I think you're right roadfix, it's not thought of as your everyday household tea. I think I'll pick some up though and see if it makes a good replacement for my morning coffee ceremony :rolleyes:

Michael
 
Definitely worth it, I'd say. Generally speaking the quality of the leaves used for matcha is different to that of more run-of-the-mill green tea. They're grown under shade and picked young.

We don't drink a lot of matcha but we have our fair share of green tea, lately we've been brewing the leaves in the cup and eating them afterwards, for that extra bit of goodness :yum:

We also like soba-cha, hatomugi-cha (good for your skin) and kombu-cha. If they're not available locally you'll probably find them with a quick search on Rakuten. You might be interested to know that rooibos is very popular here.

Last week a friend was upset at the loss of her tea ceremony teacher, who passed away at the ripe old age of 105. Sharp as a tack to the end apparently. Got me thinking, maybe I should start drinking matcha every day too...

Michael in Hiroshima (first post!)

Thank you so much for your reply :)
I knew someone would have an answer for me. Matcha will be replacing my regular green tea from now on. Might as well get the best benefits. I love the flavour!
I used to drink loads of rooibos tea but since it's all I drank while pregnant with my children I've stopped. Think I over did it :LOL: I'm not that fond of it anymore but I do use it for iced tea.
Very big welcome to DC by the way :)
 
I Found Matcha De Mark on Amazon

If you want a great good quality Matcha Green Tea Powder try "Matcha De Mark" on Amazon. They have a new customer discount coupon on their website. Get it here: Matcha De Mark

They offer a 100 recipe eBook with latte, smoothie and baking recipes. A recipe of the month club FREE to join. A 100% Certified USDA Organic Matcha.

I love this product...
 
Thanks for the warm welcome :) DC seems like a very friendly place!

Drinking matcha is one of those healthy 'I should do that' things that keeps getting forgotten about, so I'm grateful to have stumbled across Snip 13's post.

I think you're right roadfix, it's not thought of as your everyday household tea. I think I'll pick some up though and see if it makes a good replacement for my morning coffee ceremony :rolleyes:

Michael

Much welcome Michael. I'm still newish myself, and I have found that this is a friendly place.

I'm gonna chime in here, just because I am kind of serious about tea, and I am kind of envious about your experience with matcha in Hiroshima. You got a chance to do a tea ceremony with a master of it? You can color me green with envy, I guess that is why it is green tea :).

So matcha is a very fine grade of Japan green tea, powdered and generally used for tea ceremonies. As Michael knows, preparation of tea with this is highly ritualistic, and structured.

I will say this, and I hope nobody takes umbrage and offense, but due to demand Japanese green teas are often far too expensive to buy. Most of the production is consumed in domestic demand, and you are paying an import premium.

And I know we were talking about health benefits, right? So I like Upton Teas in Massachusetts. I don't work for them or anything, but they have been my go-to tea people for like forever, and they somehow get the first and second flush Darjeeling before anyone else (that might be a different tea post).

I would suggest, if you are looking for a Japanese style green tea in the states, not spending an enormous amount of money for imported matcha, but looking in to a higher quality gunpowder green tea (called such as the tightly rolled leaves looked like gunpowder)

http://www.uptontea.com/store/

I tried to make a link to a particular page, but the link looked like a mess. If you go to Upton, and search 'gunpowder green' you will get a lovely range of teas, which at about ten bucks for 125 oz, are much more achievable than matcha powder.

We drink green tea all the time, and some of the cheaper, when we get it, even gets made into green iced tea. (which is really awesome, with a little bit of lime, and I should post the recipe).

My feeling is that matcha powder is designed for tea ceremony. And it tends to be rather pricey. If I'm gonna make a cup, I throw some gunpowder greens in the pot.

Anyway, as a two thermos (at work) or two 12 cup chatsford pot (at home) tea drinker, that is my thought.

Best,

TBS
 
Michael hasn't been here since December 2012.;)

Sounds like he is in Hiroshima, Japan. Craig I kind of come here for new cooking ideas, the chance of exchanging cooking tips with someone in Japan? He knows his tea, and maybe, just maybe he might give us delicious Japanese recipes. I hear they are doing some very interesting things with seaweed over there.

I'm kind of on board, regardless, I know I am pretty new myself here, but yeah, guy moved to japan, posting again, is there a problem? Why the wink? ;)

Michael, there are actually a couple of Japanese teas I am interested about, I had a pen pal in Okinawa that sent me some twig tea. I guess it is a thing there? Have you heard of it? It was interesting.
 
If you want to continue responding to someone that hasn't been active since 12-10-12 at 6:31 PM, enjoy.;)
 
Sounds like he is in Hiroshima, Japan. Craig I kind of come here for new cooking ideas, the chance of exchanging cooking tips with someone in Japan? He knows his tea, and maybe, just maybe he might give us delicious Japanese recipes. I hear they are doing some very interesting things with seaweed over there.

I'm kind of on board, regardless, I know I am pretty new myself here, but yeah, guy moved to japan, posting again, is there a problem? Why the wink? ;)

Michael, there are actually a couple of Japanese teas I am interested about, I had a pen pal in Okinawa that sent me some twig tea. I guess it is a thing there? Have you heard of it? It was interesting.

Michael has only posted twice here *ever*, both times in December 2012. He is unlikely to see your posts or to respond. That's what Craig is trying to tell you.
 
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