You’ll Love This Superfood So Matcha!
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With its vibrant color and beautiful texture, Matcha has garnered millions of likes and loves all over social media in the recent years. Just a light dusting of this fine powder can elevate a humble crepe to a gourmet dish. Apart from aesthetic lovers, Matcha is also revered by fitness enthusiasts across the world as a superfood. So, what’s the secret behind this fine, aromatic powder that has the world in a tizzy? Let’s find out!
Back to the Beginning
We’re kicking off the matcha mania with a little historical context. Social media’s favorite ingredient originally emerged in China in 1191. A Japanese monk named Eisai, who was learning Zen Buddhism in China returned to his country carrying tea seeds and traditional methods of preparation. Eisai then planted these seeds on temple grounds and produced very limited quantities, making Matcha a luxurious commodity.
As time went on, tea became widely available to every class of the society and each Asian community crafted its own set of customs around it. From featuring in tea ceremonies to being sipped before a Samurai match, Matcha made its own unique place among beverages.
Behind the Scenes
There’s a lot that goes into producing Matcha before it reaches your supermarket aisle. The process is more labor and time intensive compared to that of other types of teas. A plant named ‘Tencha’ is carefully grown in a shaded area, resulting in deeply dark leaves with an herbal aroma. Next, Tencha leaves are picked, dried and ground into a bright green and fine powder called Matcha.
What’s the Big Deal About Matcha?
Apart from being insta-worthy, Matcha packs a great nutritional punch. In fact, it’s widely popular as a superfood. Here’s why:
Packed with Antioxidants: Matcha overtakes most antioxidant-filled foods like dark chocolate, blueberries or pomegranates. Thanks to this, Matcha helps reduce cell damage, prevents ageing and keeps your heart functioning at its best.
Boosts energy & focus: Still drinking coffee for a short-lived energy boost? Switch to a cup of matcha tea instead. Matcha contains L-Theanine, an amino acid that lowers blood pressure and elevates your mood, while increasing dopamine in your system. Instead of giving you a caffeine crash, matcha creates a calming sense of energy and focus all day long.
Detoxifies & cleanses: Owing to its super high chlorophyll content, Matcha is unmatched in its detoxifying abilities. Chlorophyll offers several benefits like cleansing blood, purifying skin as well as preventing inflammation. So, say goodbye to infections, pimples and every other toxin with a healthy dose of Matcha in your diet.
Reading all about these great benefits, I’m sold on Matcha and I hope you are, too! But, how do we go about including Matcha in our everyday life?
Here are a few delicious and fun ways to do it:
Matcha Coconut Pancakes
Yep, you read that right! Matcha is a super versatile ingredient and only limiting it to shakes and lattes isn’t doing it any justice. This Matcha Coconut Pancakes recipe is great for those family breakfasts that need just a bit of color and excitement.
Ingredients
1/3 cup of coconut flour (how long does flour last?)
1 tbsp of Matcha powder (how long does matcha powder last?)
¼ tsp of baking powder
6 egg whites
½ cup buttermilk
1 tbsp honey (how long does honey last?)
For Topping
2 tbsp of Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp of roughly chopped pistachios or nuts of choice
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup (how long does maple syrup last?)
Method
Mix all dry ingredients in a food processor and blend well. Add the egg whites and give in a good whisk.
Prepare a non-stick pan with a coat of cooking spray on medium heat.
Once your pan heats up, pour in the batter. Wait until the top is bubbling and the edges feel cooked.
Flip the pancake over and cook the other side until it’s golden. Transfer to a low heat oven to keep it warm while you cook the rest of the batter.
Serve with a scoop of yogurt, nuts or pistachios and a drizzle of honey.
No Bake Matcha Protein Bars
Make snack time healthy, nutritious and yummy with these vegan matcha protein bars (how long do protein bars last?) that are super simple and easy.
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews
½ cup vanilla protein powder (how long does protein powder last?)
3 tbsp solid coconut oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp coconut flour
1/3 cup melted coconut butter
2 tsp matcha powder
Method
In a food processor, blend cashews, protein powder, honey, coconut flour and oil along with a pinch of salt into a smooth dough.
Smooth the dough into a loaf pan lined with baking paper.
In a bowl, whisk the melted coconut butter and matcha powder and pour it over the dough.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top evenly and refrigerate the dough for half an hour.
Once set into a bar, remove it from the pan and make your sections.
Refrigerate in an air-tight container and grab one bar, on the go.
These simple and convenient recipes take barely any time and can be whipped up using your kitchen staples. However, whether you use it as a drink or as an ingredient in a recipe, it’s important to select good-quality Matcha. Choose a brand that has a jade-green color, super fine texture and a leafy, mildly sweet flavour.
Go ahead, embrace the goodness of Matcha and have a wonderful day!
