What's the tea with matcha?
When skimming VALA's ingredients list, you might have noticed 'matcha tea'. This vibrant green powder is made from ground up young tea leaves. Most of us have brewed green tea bags at some point, where the tea leaves are steeped in water. However, matcha powder involves drinking the ground whole leaf and therefore has greater health benefits, as you're consuming the whole chlorophyll-packed leaf rather than just the water that it's boiled in. Matcha is full of antioxidants called catechins, which reduce inflammation. It also contains polyphenols, which is the most potent antioxidant and matcha has more of this than broccoli, blueberries and dark chocolate.
It's often said that matcha tea is an acquired taste, as it has an almost earthy or bitter plant-like taste, which I personally love. The world's best matcha comes from Japan, where it has been used in tea ceremonies for centuries and is traditionally only mixed with water. It was introduced to Japan from China by a Japanese Buddhist monk who noticed the energising yet meditative experience that drinking matcha gave the Chinese Zen monks (a brief history lesson for you there!).
Matcha is available in several qualities, known as 'grades', which vary from food to ceremonial grade, which has the best flavour and is the most expensive. A little matcha goes a long way and about a half of a teaspoon is enough powder to use in a regular cup, given the strong flavour. With its introduction to the western world, matcha is often mixed with milk - and sometimes honey or maple syrup to sweeten it - to create the ‘matcha latte'.
Although it contains caffeine, matcha is also said to give drinkers less of a 'caffeine crash' than coffee, which has led to a rise in its popularity over recent years. If you're a matcha newbie, always look for a 100% natural powder that hasn't been pre-mixed with sugars and try it with unsweetened coconut or rice milk to soften the taste a little and take the bitter edge off.
We use matcha in our gels as not only is it a nutrient powerhouse, but its bitterness helps to offset the sweetness from our date paste and maple syrup base to create a well-balanced and delicious gel!
It's often said that matcha tea is an acquired taste, as it has an almost earthy or bitter plant-like taste, which I personally love. The world's best matcha comes from Japan, where it has been used in tea ceremonies for centuries and is traditionally only mixed with water. It was introduced to Japan from China by a Japanese Buddhist monk who noticed the energising yet meditative experience that drinking matcha gave the Chinese Zen monks (a brief history lesson for you there!).
Matcha is available in several qualities, known as 'grades', which vary from food to ceremonial grade, which has the best flavour and is the most expensive. A little matcha goes a long way and about a half of a teaspoon is enough powder to use in a regular cup, given the strong flavour. With its introduction to the western world, matcha is often mixed with milk - and sometimes honey or maple syrup to sweeten it - to create the ‘matcha latte'.
Although it contains caffeine, matcha is also said to give drinkers less of a 'caffeine crash' than coffee, which has led to a rise in its popularity over recent years. If you're a matcha newbie, always look for a 100% natural powder that hasn't been pre-mixed with sugars and try it with unsweetened coconut or rice milk to soften the taste a little and take the bitter edge off.
We use matcha in our gels as not only is it a nutrient powerhouse, but its bitterness helps to offset the sweetness from our date paste and maple syrup base to create a well-balanced and delicious gel!