Everyone has seen the fancy, venti green iced drink every high school girl posts on Snapchat. You’re thinking “Why are they on a juice cleanse” or “Green drinks? Really?”. But really, what is this mysterious green drink that ends up in half of the female population’s hands?
It’s a type of green tea: matcha. This type of tea, unlike most other teas, comes in a powder form. Matcha is also made from shade-grown trees. By controlling the amount of sun the tea leaves get, tea producers are able to control the flavor and other chemical aspects that give matcha its unique flavor. Matcha is also a seasonal tea. It’s only hand-plucked in the spring and the newest spring buds and leaves are only used for tea production. To prepare the powder, the tea leaves are laid out on stone to dry and turn into tencha (tencha is the dried form of the leaf). Finally, there are slow turning stone mills that get the tea to its final form of powder.
Since matcha comes in a powder, there are many ways to incorporate it into your diet. The most common is obviously, tea. You can also make ice cream, cake, or muffins with it. Now if it’s so versatile, what does it taste like? It has an earthy, nutty flavor with a unique hint of sweetness. Honestly, you just need to try it. You know what they say: “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”
But don’t try it at Starbucks. Don’t get me wrong, Starbucks is really good at what they’re known for: coffee. They have their unique matcha mix with a lot more sugar than naturally, and citric acid. This makes the drink taste very sugary and more processed than it naturally would. Being a matcha influencer, I have noticed artisanal coffee shops have natural-tasting matcha. Shoutout to Foxtail in Orlando to having some of the best matcha I have ever had! But being a broke college student, my favorite matcha is Aiya Zen Cafe Blend Publix. Traditionally, matcha is whisked and made perfect with a whole process, but I opt for a cup, ice and a lid and shake till its mixed which gets the job done.
Matcha definitely has one of the most unique flavors I’ve tasted but give it a chance. A lot of people say it tastes like milky dirt or grass or like my sister says, “It tastes green.” But we all have different taste buds, but you should try it.
Now, why should you give matcha a try (besides a Her Campus writer telling you to)? Well, there are numerous health benefits. It’s very rich in antioxidants which helps prevent chronic diseases, like cancer because it neutralizes the harmful effects of these cells. Also, this tea is caffeinated like most teas, however, it’s combined with l-theanine that makes a smoother caffeine experience. With matcha, you won’t experience a caffeine crash, the caffeine boosts your metabolism which helps one lose weight and this caffeine also helps you be more focused. And yes, I did drink a cup of matcha while writing this article.
Even if you still don’t think matcha is the right fit for you, I hope you still choose to try it because even small, new experiences, like trying matcha can be life-changing.
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