Now I know that there is huge matcha trend right now and no one wants to be basic, but for matcha… I will be basic af’. I don’t know what it is about matcha, but I guess I just love the taste of dirt. Haha, but no seriously, I personally think matcha tastes very smooth with a sweet grass taste. And did you know that you can use matcha to make desserts and smoothies? Unfortunately, green tea has been revered as one of the hardest teas to cook with. But once you’ve mastered it, there are endless combinations and creations waiting for you to explore, and I am here to give you a couple of interesting and yummy recipes. Like seriously, people use matcha on everything: pouring hot matcha over desserts, making matcha into cakes,donuts, and hot oozing fudges, and especially to drinking it in a variety of both hot and cold beverages. Now before we get into those wacky yet tasty ideas, we need to know two things about matcha: exactly what is matcha and where can we get it from.
Put Your Matcha Where Your Mouth Is?
Matcha is commonly produced as a green tea powder form from high quality shade-grown leaves. The shading boosts the chlorophyll gives it a more intense green color than most other green teas. Another funky fact about its growing process is the extra shading causes an amino acid called theanine that causes relaxation without feeling sleepy. Since its a green tea, it does have antioxidants and nutrients that stimulate your metabolism and fat burning, as well as reduce skin inflammation. Matcha and green teas are also used to treat migraines. I personally consume matcha tea weekly to treat my migraines. Another positive point is that it’s better for the environment if you consume matcha rather than coffee, especially because green teas have less caffeine in them than coffee. But I will say this: matcha has more caffeine in it than green tea; one serving of matcha is equivalent to 10 cups of green tea.
Over the years, and also since I’ve been having some digestional issues, I’ve gotten more conscious about exactly what I am putting in my body. As a part of growing up and taking care of myself, I have had to rely on my own skills at researching further into foods. In my journey towards getting to know more about matcha, I found that when buying matcha you must pay attention to where it comes from. If it’s originated from China then the matcha can have very high levels of lead or metals due to China’s high polluted areas. But don’t fret: the good news is that matcha from Japan is the best option because they took their strict agricultural laws and applied them behind harvesting the delicious matcha leaves. This popularized the harvest therefore honing it creating THE BEST grade of matcha the world has ever seen.
Where To Get it That Green Queen From
Hopefully now that you know some of its benefits and facts about matcha, the next thing you’ll want to do is to get your hands on some. Most of the time the easiest place you can buy matcha is from online stores like Amazon and Material Matcha Uji . But most of the matcha powder you find on Amazon won’t be the best grade of powder and frankly won’t be as great as if you were to go to an actual tea or healthy food store. You can even find matcha at some of your local grocery stores on the tea aisle. There are 3 grades of matcha powder you can get: ceremonial, latte, and culinary. You would want to use culinary grade for smoothies and baked goods. It’s the most common to find online and in stores. Latte grade is the least common and it’s best for everyday matcha drinkers while ceremonial grade is the highest quality grade made from the finest leaves of the first harvest. Ceremonial grade is best used for special occasions because it’s the most expensive.
Going To Need Matcha More Of This
Once you‘ve gotten your own personal stash of the smooth and vibrant colored powder, you can start making your matcha creations or simply sticking to that classic two- ingredient tea set-up: water and tea. But of course if you are more daring, without further ado, here are some of those eccentric yet also succulent creations. I’ve broken them down into categories so it’s easier for you matcha enthusiastics to navigate.
Photo by Brenda Godinez on Unsplash
Drinks:
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Vanilla Chai Matcha Latte ~ good for a chilly evening!
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Layered Iced Watermelon Matcha ~ good for a summer brunch!
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Vanilla Almond Matcha and Chocolate Lava Shake ~ oooooOOO this sounds so delectable!
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Matcha Lemonade ~ now this would be perfect for a really hot summer day!
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Wild Blueberry Vanilla Matcha Smoothie ~ this recipe has only one step!
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Matcha Bubble Tea ~ personally, I love bubble tea so this is like a match made in heaven!
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Ginger Orange Matcha Green Tea Smoothie ~ a very refreshing pick me up.
Photo by Allie Smith on Unsplash
Snacks:
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Matcha Popcorn ~ yes as crazy as that sounds, it’s very heavenly and crunchy.
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Matcha Peanut Butter Balls ~ this balls will give you the smooth burst of energy that you will need to conquer.
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Salmon Spring Rolls with Matcha Dip ~ seriously, fish with matcha? (don’t knock it ‘til you try it!
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Gluten Free Matcha Green Tea Banana Bread ~ matcha+banana+bread=divine
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Matcha Green Tea Guacamole ~ a perfect pairing for a light toast snack.
Entrees:
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Matcha Pesto Pasta~ green on green!
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Miso Eggplant with Green Tea Rice ~ this also goes great with some chicken or salmon.
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Matcha Gnocchi with Ginger Orange Butter and Butternut Squash ~ by far the most thirst quenching entree on the list.
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Matcha Soba Noodles ~ perfect for a wine night!
Desserts:
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Green Tea Fudge ~ this recipe is dairy free!
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Matcha Coconut Fat Bombs ~ if you want to get a bit tropical, these are the perfect treats.
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Matcha Flan ~ a sweet merger of latinx and asian culture.
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Banana Matcha Ice Cream ~ perfect for those hot summer days.
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Mint Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding ~ finally something involving chia seeds!
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Matcha Macarons ~ you can get macarons is just about any flavor, so why not in matcha?
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Green Tea Sprinkles ~ with these you can top just about anything with these matcha sprinkles!
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Mango Green Tea Pops ~ I’m allergic to mangoes but hopefully you aren’t!
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Green Tea Cheesecake ~ these can be made as mini’s! (easier to pop into your mouth)
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Green Tea Matcha Cookies ~ super easy to make on a late friday night!
Breakfast:
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Matcha Crepes ~ these perfectly light and fluffy crepes compliment the nutty smooth taste matcha brings to the game.
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Matcha Yogurt Breakfast Bowl ~ sprinkle some berries and granola on top for a variety of textures.
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Matcha Croissants ~ perfect with some cinnamon butter.
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Vegan Green Tea Pancakes ~ healthy and light breakfast option perfect for Sunday brunches!
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Matcha Green Tea Energy Bites ~ this no bake recipe makes great little tasty burst of energy perfect for on the go mornings!
These are just a few of the amazing recipes you can do with matcha. I got most of these recipes and facts from Pinterest, Let’s Drink Tea, and Snixy Kitchen. I’m convinced there’s still so many more combinations to be made, by you, by me, and by anyone who loves matcha. I’ve only tried a few of these recipes (and they don’t always come out quite like they should) but I can’t wait to try many more with my family and close friends!