For centuries, Asian cultures have been drinking matcha green tea traditionally by whisking 2 grams (1tsp) in warm water. For those of us who are matcha lovers and crave that green matcha taste, this simple traditional way of drinking Matcha is sufficient. However, after drinking Matcha for 27 years, while educating about and sharing Matcha with thousands of people, I have concluded that since every taste bud and palate is so unique, the experience of Matcha needed to adapt. Sometimes it is ok for traditions to evolve while we have new revelations and understanding about something so precious as Matcha.
What we have done at Got Matcha is spend the time and dedication to make sure that everyone and every taste bud can enjoy and partake in Ceremonial Matcha! Got Matcha has taken the sweetest and most vibrant Matcha on the planet, and developed the most high quality Ceremonial Matcha blends with other spices and ingredients from around the world. Thus the inspiration to create a flavor blend for every palate has driven us to develop very unique and exceptional spice and flavor combinations including profiles such as Chai, Mint, Cacao, Apple, Pumpkin, Lemon Ginger and many more….Every ingredient in each blend has a specific healing purpose, with the benefit of fresh and delicious flavor!
Does Matcha have to be mixed with warm/hot water only in order to receive the health benefits?
This is a question I am constantly asked! Do the benefits of Matcha stay the same when mixed with other ingredients, liquids or even temperatures. The answer is yes, about 95% of the time. The only time I would say “No” is if Matcha is combined with dairy such as cow’s milk or if the matcha is boiled for a long time; then the benefits are greatly depleted. The protein in Animal-based dairy binds to the polyphenols and literally the body flushes out the good antioxidants in the Matcha. All of the amazing EGCG antioxidants that Matcha is touted for, are no longer bioavailable (able to be absorbed). Boiling water is also not ideal for Matcha because as with most whole raw foods in nature, high heat for an extended period of time can destroy valuable nutrients in plants including matcha.
Matcha is a whole food which is completely different from every other tea.
Most teas need to be steeped in warm to boiling water in order to extract the nutrients or benefits from the tea leaves into the water. Then you drink the tea water and discard the tea leaves. Matcha is a whole food which you consume in its entirety. The leaves are picked from the Matcha bush, dried whole, leaves separated from the stems, aged, and then ground whole into a fine powder. You are consuming the entire plant. You are not steeping anything out of the Matcha leaf. One could literally pick a Matcha leaf off of the bush, chew it up and voila, you’ve had a dose of Matcha. I have had that experience before and it was incredible and energizing!
What I am trying convey to my fellow Matcha Lovers is that you can have fun with your Matcha! It is amazing whisked in water but you can still receive the amazing benefits of Matcha when it is ice blended with herbs and spice and raw sweeteners; frothed into a creamy almond milk Matcha Chai Latte; and even blended into a morning breakfast shake. Every day I have my Matcha a different way and I never get tired of enjoying my Matcha drinks! What I love is the experience of combining Matcha with other superfoods such as Cacao, Turmeric, Medicinal Mushrooms, Coconut Milk Powder and much more – they activate each other and reach potentials that are unreachable alone. Bottom line is get creative with your Matcha and after 25+ years of experimenting with it, we here at Got Matcha have not only created various blends but we are here to share our favorite Matcha recipes and ideas of how to incorporate them into your daily routine!
Here is a short list of some of the most favorite recipes that I served at our Matcha cafe years ago in Santa Barbara....
The Morning SuperStar Shake made with our Matcha Vanilla Chai
Morning Super Star Shake Extra Focused
Salted Caramel Apple Matcha Latte
THE Morning SUPERSTAR shake
made with Matcha Vanilla Chai ... a Santa Barbara Favorite!
8oz non-dairy milk
1 scoop Got Matcha’s Matcha Vanilla Protein Meal
1/2-1 Tbsp Vanilla Chai or Chai
1 Tbsp Got Matcha Coconut Creamer powder (optional, makes creamier)
Small Handful of ice
Handful of Frozen berries (about 1/3 cup)
Directions:
Blend on high until smooth and creamy or shake well in a shaker cup
Morning SUPERSTAR shake – Extra Focused, #1
8-10 oz water or non-dairy milk such as coconut or almond
1 scoop Got Matcha’s Matcha Vanilla Protein Meal
½ tsp Got Matcha’s Black Label or Ceremonial Matcha
1-2 tsp Chagit’s Chaga Mushroom Concentrate
Handful frozen berries/banana or ice for thickness
Directions:
Blend on high until smooth and creamy or shake well in a shaker cup
SUPERSTAR shake #2
8-10 oz water or non-dairy milk such as coconut or almond
1 scoop Got Matcha’s Chocolate Protein Meal
1 tsp Got Matcha’s Black Label Matcha
½-1 Tbsp Matcha Mint
Handful of frozen berries
Directions:
Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Got Matcha blended drink recipes…
Matcha chai pick-me-up
8 oz non-dairy milk such as coconut or almond
1½ Tbsp Got Matcha’s Vanilla Chai Matcha powder
1 Tbsp Got Matcha Coconut Creamer (add if blending with water instead of milk)
Directions:
Blend on high until smooth and creamy or shake well. Try blending with a couple ounces of ice to make thick and icy creamy or heat over stovetop for a cozy latte.
Raw Earth Cream Latte
8oz non-dairy milk such as oat, coconut or almond
1 Tbsp Got Matcha’s Raw Earth powder
½ Tbsp Got Matcha’s Matcha Caramel Apple Powder
1 Tbsp Got Matcha Coconut Creamer (add for a creamier latte)
Directions:
Blend on high until smooth and creamy or shake well. Try blending with a couple ounces of ice to make thick and icy creamy or heat over stovetop for a cozy latte.
Matcha Chaga Latte pick-me-up
8oz oz water or non-dairy milk such as oat, coconut or almond
2 tsp Got Matcha’s Matchaga
1 Tbsp Got Matcha’s Matcha Creamer
Directions:
Blend on high until smooth and creamy or shake well. Try blending with a couple ounces of ice to make thick and icy creamy or heat over stovetop for a cozy latte.
Salted Caramel Apple Matcha Latte
8oz oz non-dairy milk such as oat, coconut or almond
1½ Tbsp Got Matcha Caramel Apple matcha
½-1 tsp Ceremonial or Black Label Matcha, for an extra boost, optional
1-2 pinches Himalaya pink salt
2-3 dates or 1 Tbsp Matcha Creamer
Directions:
Blend on high until smooth and creamy or shake well. Try blending with a couple ounces of ice to make thick and icy creamy or heat over stovetop for a cozy latte.
Mint Chocolate Matcha Latte
8oz oz non-dairy milk such as oat, coconut or almond
¾ Tbsp Got Matcha Mint Matcha
1 Tbsp Got Matcha Cacao Matcha
1-2 dates or 1-2 oz dark chocolate chunks
1 Tbsp Matcha Creamer
Directions:
Blend on high until smooth and creamy or shake well. Try blending with a couple ounces of ice to make thick and icy creamy or heat over stovetop for a cozy latte.
Matcha hot chocolate
8oz oz non-dairy milk such as oat, coconut or almond
1 heaping Tbsp Got Matcha Cacao Matcha
1/2 Tbsp Got Matcha Caramel Apple Matcha
1 Tbsp Matcha Creamer, optional for a creamier and sweeter latte
Directions:
Blend on high until smooth and creamy or shake well. Try blending with a couple ounces of ice to make thick and icy creamy or heat over stovetop for a cozy latte.