My friends, I have been drinking green tea for some time now and I like it a lot. When I was told by my friend, Jane Fonda, (not her real name, you know I have pet names for my friends) that there was a way I could enjoy the benefits of green tea, the antioxidants etc;… in something besides my hot water…my interest perked.
It is called Matcha!
Whatcha? you may ask if you are not familiar with this pretty little green powder.
Matcha! It is a Japanese green tea in powder form and is being used in a lot of those green drinks from famous coffee houses as well as finding its way into home blenders with fruits and veggies. You know, for those power green drinks.
Instantly, intrigue set in and I decided to seek out this current, popular powder. So I went to my local health store. I have to confess that I really don’t know the clerks there…but I imagined they were a bit shocked to see me darken the doors of their health establishment.
I didn’t arrive in my running shoes, spandex, and head band with my FitBit strapped to my arm. (I do have a FitBit…I believe it is laying, uncharged in a drawer somewhere….remind me to dig it out one day.) But I did arrive with a question, “Do you carry Matcha?” at which point I thought the clerk would say “huh”?…instead, the nice young man took me to the aisle where there were several brands of Matcha.
“Good choice”….he announced when I picked up the organic Green Foods container. “Matcha tea powder is an easy and simple way to add powerful health benefits to your everyday diet”. Was he suggesting I might need a health benefit supplement?
“How so?” I asked, even though my friend, Jane Fonda (no, not her real name) had been touting the benefits of Matcha to me since the first of January. You see, I just needed him to re-affirm what Jane Fonda (not her real name) had said.
The clerk whose upper arms looked like they could hold the weight of the world, picked up a laminated card hanging on the shelf and started reading:
- “Matcha is packed with antioxidants including the powerful EGCg” (was that anything like EKG?)
- “It Boosts your metabolism and burns calories” (well, he certainly had my attention there.)
- “Matcha detoxifies effectively and naturally” (I most likely have a few toxins in my body, I’m breathing the air!)
- “Matcha also calms the mind and relaxes the body” (Oh, now he had my attention….I could have used some of that green stuff last night while watching the Kansas Jayhawks play Texas!)
- “Matcha is rich in fiber, chlorophyll and vitamins” (as we get older, don’t we all need more fiber?)
- “It also enhances mood and aids in concentration” (I think the Captain would say put the whole container in your tea and drink up)
- “Matcha provides vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium” (Ok, could I please not take my multi-vitamin now?)
- “Matcha also prevents disease” (Yep, Yes and Great!)
- “Matcha lowers cholesterol and blood sugar” (OK….I will take a case of the stuff)
Not only is Matcha healthy, it is green in color….and any green food is good for you right? Plus, St. Patrick’s Day is just 17 days away which means all kinds of green food. Matcha however, is usually more like an army green when baked, rather than a nice bright St. Patrick’s Day green. But that is ok…it is green!
Jane Fonda (not her real name) made these Chocolate Matcha Butter Cups and brought them over to me and they are really good. I mean, anything made with chocolate has to be good right? Apparently, you can add a little of the green tea powder to almost anything you make, like pancakes, rice and pasta… or you can add it to your hot water for tea.
Matcha is a bit sweet, so you might want to cut back on the sugar in say, muffins or cake! You will be happy to hear that Matcha mixed with chocolate….is fantastic!
Jane Fonda’s (not her real name) provided the printable recipe below.
Do you my dear readers know about Matcha? If so, do you have a preferred way of getting it into your diet?
Have a wonderful day!
Hugs!
- 1/2 cup coconut butter, softened but not melted
- 5 tablespoons almond flour
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Matcha powder (Jane Fonda, not her real name... recommends Organic Green Foods)
- 1 cup chopped dark chocolate
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- In a small bowl, mix together the coconut butter, almond flour, powdered sugar, and Matcha green tea powder. Place mixture in fridge for at least 10 minutes
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil, either in the microwave or double boiler. Stir frequently to get the mixture to a nice smooth texture
- Remove from the heat and place about 2 teaspoons of the melted chocolate into a muffin tin lined with cupcake wrappers (you could also place in a wax paper lined 8X8 square pan)
- Spread the chocolate to the edges of the liner
- Next, divide the cooled Matcha mixture into 8 balls (about 1 tablespoon each) and pat gently on top of the cooled chocolate in each muffin cup using your fingers
- Add about 1 tablespoon of the melted chocolate over the top of each cup making sure to allow the chocolate to meet the edges
- Use all the melted chocolate, smoothing to allow for a smooth top to your cup
- Place the muffin tin in the refrigerator and chill the cups until they are solid.
- These are better if kept in the fridge, but I suggest letting them soften a bit before eating by letting them sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
Ross says
Well honey your blog made me reach for a green tea bag for this afternoon’s break… and I’m glad you’ll be undertaking this experiment for us all.
Hugs xx
Kari says
I think I have actually lost 2 pounds….but perhaps that is attributed to the fact that I have a horrible chest cold and cough, but wait! Shouldn’t this help with sickness? hahaha
thanks for stopping by…..
Ross says
I was interested enough to check it out… as I’m always looking at prolonging my health (and life).
Ever cynical though… I used Google… and one brand of Matcha (powdered green tea) the nutritional pack statement shows no fat, good; no salt, good, only 5 calories, OK… but then it only shows… 20% vitamin A and 8% vitamin C (daily intake). Reported to have more caffeine than a double espresso… It did have a couple of other things but they didn’t appear in the nutritional statement… does that mean they can’t prove that they provide any benefit?
So for now I’d go with adding a carrot and an orange would provide more vitamins and cheaper? Save your money, stick to your all natural green tea (Fair Trade if possible) and I’m sorry Jane Fonda.
Me… well as much I try green tea I find that I don’t reach for it automatically. Daughter 2 did ask me, only last month, to try a Herbalife green tea (which also has double caffeine)… which looks very much like your Matcha, but I found I’m a little “feisty/angry” in the morning (as I’m still taking it with my coffee quota) and it hasn’t aided any miracle weight loss!
so my preferred method (for the time being) is my inventive fruit bowl to snack on (today it had, pomelo, mango, blueberries, pear and banana) or my green smoothie with spinach, kale, pineapple, tumeric, cinnamon, chia seeds, dash lemon juice and almond milk.
Had a lottery win today…. thought I’d get one of those personal trainers and personal chefs… but my $5 win isn’t going to stretch.. is it?
Hugs and stay young at heart xx
Kari says
Thanks so much for your inputs my friend….I will call Jane Fonda (not her real name) and ask for her rebuttal if any. I have to admit that I have not made any baked goods etc, but I have added it to my already green tea. I have not noticed any differences just yet….but I have only been adding it for a few days. We shall see what we shall see.
Hugs always….