"GOTCHA on the MATCHA"

Matcha is powdered green tea grown in the shade like gyokuro and which is traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony. Matcha is made by whisking powdered green tea with a chasen, or bamboo whisk, into a frothy warm beverage. Matcha is made from new tea leaves that have been carefully grown under diffused sunlight for 20-30 days before they are harvested, steamed and dried.

Green tea is loaded with the compound epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), a powerful anti-oxidant which offers many health benefits. Green tea is a drink made from the steamed and dried leaves of the Camellia sinesis plant, a shrub native to Asia. In China and Japan, green tea is a hot drink usually served in a small ceramic cup. Two studies in China, where green tea is a common part of their diet, resulted in promising findings.

Green tea is steamed, baked, or pan heated to prevent oxidation and thus the leaves remain green. Green tea is a beverage which is slowly becoming popular in the Western world because of its medical and weight loss properties. Research into the health-promoting properties of green tea is also yielding information that may lead to new treatments for skin diseases and wounds.

When you drink matcha you consume the leaves, unlike other green teas. For this reason matcha contains, by volume, higher concentrations of catechins and vitamins.
There are 2 types of matcha- koicha and usucha. These are chanoyu (Japanese Tea Ceremony) terms and literally translate as "thick" and "thin" tea.
Usucha comes from the leaves of tea plants that are less than 30 years old. Koicha comes from the first harvest of plants that are a minimum of 30 years old.
In tea ceremony koicha is brewed with less water than usucha. Koicha has a naturally mellower and sweeter taste and the tea is made thicker for that reason..

In my opinion, there is nothing like starting your day off with a warm wisked serving of Matcha. Matcha will give you energy and also increase your metabolism. In the least Matcha is supplying you with many of the Antioxidants you need each day.