Kermie the Frog always told us "it's not easy being green," but that's not exactly the case for the latest superfood craze! Matcha (pronounced Mah-cha) is gettin' all sorts of play in the food and beverage world and with good reason. The finely ground powder, which is made from specially grown and processed green tea leaves is known to increase mental focus, boost energy (without the crash of caffeine), and help you burn fat. The tea leaves used to make Matcha powder are grown in the shade so they have a higher concentration of the great stuff in green tea (chlorophyll, EGCG, and theanine) that boosts your immunity, revs your metabolism, fights cancer, and gets you over that 3pm hump. Also, because the powder completely dissolves in water you get the benefit of ingesting the content of the whole leaf, unlike normal green tea from which you would ordinarily remove the leaves after you've steeped.
Historically, matcha played a prominent role at the center of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, but today we are seeing it everywhere from smoothies and lattes, to ice cream and muffins. You can buy Matcha of varying grades (based on the location of the tea bush, the treatment before processing, grinding method, and oxidation), but unless you are hosting your own Tea Ceremony you don't have to go for the highest grade to get all of the great benefits that matcha offers...just make sure the ingredients contain 100% organic matcha powder with no additives. NOTE: Starbucks matcha powder is sweetened!!
Want to give it a whirl? You can pick up a matcha latte at Fika coffee shops, you can brew a cup of matcha tea on your own, or why not get your morning started right with this killer GREEN smoothie??
It's Not Easy Being GREEN Smoothie
1 Tsp Organic Matcha Powder
1 1/2 cup coconut milk or your other favorite nut milk
1 Tbsp organic almond butter
1 serving plain plant protein powder (hemp, brown rice, pea etc.)
1 banana (frozen if you have it!)
1 handful frozen or fresh organic blueberries
1 Tsp of Organic Raw Cacao
Ice/water to taste