Matcha is one of the most expensive teas on the market, because the plants are grown in the shade, then hand-picked and stone-ground. Fortunately, if you start a search online, you can discover many tasty ways to enjoy Matcha.
Matcha is divided into tea-grade and culinary-grade powders. Anything categorized as tea-grade is used only for drinking in Japanese tea ceremony, known as chanoyu or sado. Let’s explore this Japanese tradition further!
Matcha Tea
The matcha tea ceremony in Japan is also known as The Way of Tea. A formal tea ceremony can last up to four hours, and involves guests observing a master tea practitioner turn the powdery matcha into either a thick or thin tea following a strictly prescribed set of movements. The tea is then served along with sweets.
The tea ceremony is usually quite formal, and ends with the guests carefully inspecting the tea utensils that belong to the practitioner, as they’re often priceless antiques. However, regular matcha tea can also be made with similar (but much less valuable) utensils at home.
Energy drinks and shakes
If you want to drink matcha, don’t be put off by the elaborate preparation methods that tea practitioners use. Making matcha tea can be tough, but you can also throw the powder into cold water and shake it up for a quick pick-me-up. It also tastes amazing mixed into a milkshake, or for a healthier option, throw a few teaspoons into your morning smoothie. You don’t need to add much for a strong green tea taste.
Many recipes include both matcha and coconut milk, as the flavors really complement each other, and help ensure that the smoothie is both smooth and drinkable.
Cookies
A popular recipe in both Japan and North America is green tea shortbread. The matcha powder adds a really delicious and delicate flavor to traditional shortbread, which makes these little cookies the perfect afternoon snack to pair with a cup of tea or coffee.
The fact that shortbread cookies only contain a few ingredients is the perfect reason to choose only the best quality matcha to add to your batter. You only need a few tablespoons to flavor the whole batch, and the powder turns the cookies a beautiful light jade color.
Matcha has also become a popular flavor for French macarons in the last few years. These delicate cookies are really hard to make at home, so scope them out at your local pastry shop.
Cakes
There are tons of different options if you want to add matcha into a cake. Stir up a paste of matcha to swirl into a plain cheesecake, or make a more traditional cake roll with matcha-flavored cake and whipped cream.
Cake rolls are super popular in both Hong Kong and Japan, and can be found in different flavors in Japanese-style bakeries all over North America. Green tea has always been a popular flavor for cake rolls, and they can either filled with green tea or vanilla flavored whipped cream. The options are endless!
Ice Cream
Green tea ice cream is a delicious confection that was invented in the 1800s in Japan. Records show that matcha ice cream in the shape of Mt. Fuji was served during a royal dinner as early as 1868.
Chefs back then made it in their homes, it wasn’t mass-produced by Japanese ice cream companies until the 1990s because they were primarily focused on vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate as their primary flavors. Although now it’s easy to find in most supermarkets, it’s also a decadent treat to make at home.
Energy Bars
For a really delicious energy bar, mix matcha powder with other superfood ingredients like dates, cashews, chia seeds, and coconut.
Since matcha powder is consumed in its entirety- unlike other tea leaves that are just steeped in water- it contains more flavonoids and dietary minerals than other types of tea.
Green tea is also high in polyphenols, and has been associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
Truffles
Mix matcha powder with mouth-watering chocolate and smooth whipping cream to create unique and tasty truffles!
They’re actually much easier to make at home than people think – there are only three steps!
First, you boil the cream, then take it off the heat and whisk in the chocolate and matcha powder. Finally, cool the chocolate ganache before rolling it into balls. Dusting the balls with a fine sifting of matcha powder completes the elegant look.
Candy
Add matcha powder to all your favorite types of confections, like marshmallows or caramels, to take them up to that next level.
Pinterest has tons of recipes for different matcha candies, but you can also experiment by adding a few teaspoons to your favorite tried-and-true recipe. Matcha is easy to use because it’s powdered, and the light, delicate flavor really complements all sorts of different types of homemade candies without overpowering them.
Chia pudding
Chia seeds are an amazing food. They absorb about 12 times their weight in water when soaked, and give off a gel-like texture once moistened. Chia seeds have become popular lately because of their high amounts of Vitamin B and various dietary minerals.
Chia seeds can be easily drunk, but when mixed with a smaller amount of liquid, they form a more solid mass that can be eaten as a pudding or smoothie. Make a delicious matcha chia pudding with chia seeds, matcha, and milk for a quick and healthy treat. You can even make it vegan by using coconut, soy, or almond milk. It’s so healthy you can eat it for breakfast!