MATCHA
Matcha is the oldest variety of shade grown Japanese green tea made from the tips of the youngest tea plants, ground into a fine, bright green powder. It is a ceremonial drink that's been consumed in Japan for nearly 1000 years, and has also been an important part of Zen Buddhist culture.

The best matcha tea comes from Kyoto, Japan, where a typical tea plant takes 10-15 years to mature. Leaves are then shaded 4 weeks prior to harvesting, which causes a surge in chlorophyll production and the resulting bright green color.

Matcha is different from other green teas in several, very important ways. First, there is no steeping involved. The fine powder is simply whisked with water into a frothy liquor using a special bamboo whisk called a chasen. When you drink matcha, you are actually consuming the entire leaf. This explains why matcha is at least 10 times stronger than a regular cup of brewed green tea. And since only the youngest, freshest and finest leaves are used, matcha boasts the most nutritional value of all green teas:

• 137 times the anti-cancer substance EGCG than regular green tea
• 70 times the anti-oxidant capacity of orange juice
• 9 times the beta carotene of spinach

A few additional health benefits attributed to matcha consumption:

• improves mental clarity and alertness (Buddhist monks have a long tradition of drinking matcha while meditating!)
• helps boost metabolism
• helps stabalize blood sugar levels
• boosts energy & calms nerves
• helps maintain healthy cholesterol
• supports strong immunity

Simply put, matcha is good stuff! At ma-cha teahouse, we offer it in a few different forms:

• traditional, or ceremonial matcha (served with wagashi, when available)
• matcha latte - a sweet matcha beverage blended with milk
• ma-cha "ninja" chocolates - dark chocolate surrounding a smooth, matcha ganache. A healthy indulgence that kicks ass!