Tag: matcha green tea

What’s The Difference Between Organic Matcha and Regular Matcha

organic matcha

Matcha green tea has become one of the most popular drinks in the world due to its many health benefits. However, not all matcha is created equal, and it all comes down to the way it is grown and produced. So, what’s the difference? This article will explore the differences between organic matcha and regular matcha and help you decide which type of matcha is right for you.

What is Matcha Green Tea?

First, let’s define what matcha tea is. Matcha is a type of powdered green tea that is rich in antioxidants and is traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies. Organic matcha and regular matcha are both made of the same ingredients, but the difference lies in how they are grown and processed.

Regular matcha tea is grown with pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers that contain harmful chemicals that can affect your health. It is grown quickly to maximise yield, but the quality of the tea is compromised, resulting in higher levels of toxins and a more bitter taste. Regular matcha also often contains additives and preservatives to enhance its flavour and appearance.

Is Organic Matcha Better than Regular Matcha?

Organic matcha tea is grown without pesticides, herbicides, or other harmful chemicals. This means that the leaves are grown naturally and only fertilized with natural compounds like compost and manure. It is also processed differently, going through a simpler and more traditional process that avoids any additives.

Owing to these slower, more traditional, processes it also has a superior taste compared to regular matcha, with a sweet and delicate flavour that is smooth and creamy. Regular matcha, on the other hand, can have a more bitter taste and a grainy texture due to inferior processing methods.

The health benefits of organic matcha are numerous. It is rich in antioxidants, and is also a natural detoxifier, helping to flush out toxins from the body and improve overall health. Regular matcha, on the other hand, may contain more toxins that can be harmful to the body over time

What is organic matcha green tea good for?

Organic matcha green tea is packed with antioxidants, specifically catechins, which are known for their disease-fighting properties and can help reduce free radicals in the body. The high concentration of the antioxidant EGCG has been linked to heart health, a healthy metabolism, and anti-ageing effects.

Furthermore, it also contains the amino acid L-Theanine, which promotes relaxation and stress relief without inducing drowsiness. This blend of energy and calmness makes it a superior choice for mental clarity and focus.

Find out more about the benefits of green tea in both matcha and kombucha

Is it OK to drink matcha every day?

Yes, it is perfectly fine to drink matcha every day. In fact, doing so can provide a host of health benefits. However, as with all things, moderation is key so it’s always a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.

How do you know if matcha is organic?

To ascertain if your matcha is organic, first, look for certification labels on the packaging. In the United States, the USDA Organic label signifies that the product meets stringent organic farming standards. For products outside of the U.S., look for similar organic certification labels applicable to that region, such as the EU Organic Farming symbol for European products, or the Australian Certified Organic label in Australia.

Additionally, check the ingredient list for any additives or artificial flavour enhancers. True organic matcha should only contain one ingredient: green tea.

Lastly, consider the colour and taste. Organic matcha tea tends to have a vibrant green colour and a sweet, mild flavour compared to the bitter taste and dull colour of non-organic varieties.

Is organic matcha worth it?

Yes, it is absolutely worth it. While it might come with a slightly higher price tag, the health benefits, superior flavour, and peace of mind of knowing you’re consuming a cleaner product make it a worthwhile investment.

As we have seen, the difference between organic matcha and regular matcha lies in the way they are grown and processed, which can have an impact on their flavour. Organic matcha is grown and processed naturally, free from pesticides, herbicides, and harmful chemicals. It also has a sweeter and more delicate taste than regular matcha. Regular matcha, on the other hand, is often grown with harmful chemicals, which can result in a more bitter and grainy taste.

Therefore, organic matcha powder is the sensible choice as it may provide more health benefits and a superior taste. So, the next time you’re looking for matcha, be sure to choose organic japanese matcha for your daily dose of antioxidants and superior taste.

Explore our range of organic matcha green tea powder


This article was reproduced on this site with permission from operafoods.com.au the “Organic Matcha Tea Importers”.
See original article:- What’s The Difference Between Organic Matcha and Regular Matcha

Is matcha different from Japanese green tea?

japanese green tea

Most of us are by now familiar with green tea powder but there is more to Japanese green tea than just matcha.

Like most things in Japan, tea growing is done with careful consideration. An art form that honours tradition and spares no attention to detail.

Types of Japanese green tea

Whilst there are many types of Japanese green tea, they can be sorted into two main categories. Tea that is grown in the shade and tea that is grown in full sun. Matcha may be a powder, but it begins life as all tea does; the green leaves of the tea plant.

Matcha and gyokuro green teas

Matcha belongs to the group of teas that are grown in the shade. As we saw in our article on the different grades of matcha, some green tea in Japan is grown in the shade for around the last month before the harvest. This reduces the rate of photosynthesis, concentrating chlorophyll and increasing levels of theanine. A process that results in sweet mellow flavours, with less bitter undertones, and deep green colour.

Both matcha and gyokuro green teas are grown in this way. After processing, matcha ends up as a fine green powder whereas gyokuro is a leaf tea. The leaves are steamed and dried, then kneaded before sorting. Kneading breaks down the fibres so that flavour and nutrients are more readily extracted during brewing. Gyokuro karigane is a less expensive version of the tea made from the stems rather than the leaves.

Sencha green tea

Other teas are grown in full sunlight right up until harvest. This results in a concentration of catechins rather than theanine and these give tea its characteristic bitter flavour. With less chlorophyll than shade grown tea, the leaves are a golden green colour.

Sencha and genmaicha teas are both grown in full sunlight. The most popular green leaf tea in Japan, sencha is a bright energising everyday tea. It has a mellow and refreshing flavour with a balanced bitterness. There are many different types of sencha available.

Genmaicha is a blend of Japanese green tea made from sencha leaves mixed with toasted brown rice. Originally a cost effective way of making expensive green tea leaves go further, genmaicha is prized for its rich roasted flavour reminiscent of coffee that makes it ideal at breakfast time.

Hojicha is sencha that has been roasted. It is more similar to black tea but has a fresher flavour profile.

The difference between black and green tea

Tea all looks the same when it is harvested. It is the processing that makes the difference between green and black tea.

Once harvested, tea leaves destined to be black tea are left to wither and ferment. The process of fermentation allows the leaves to oxidise, changing the colour from green to brown then black. But it is not just the colour that changes. The deep earthy flavour of black tea is all down to careful control of this oxidation process.

On the other hand, leaves for green tea are exposed to heat as soon as they are picked. Usually steaming, this process halts oxidation and results in not only the green colour but the fresh grassy herbal tones of green tea.

Is matcha different from green tea?

Matcha is just one of many varieties of Japanese green tea, yet it is unique in that it takes the form of a powder. The entire leaf is processed and ground, with the resulting powder brewed and drunk. This is different from most teas, where the leaf is brewed and then thrown away.

Does Japanese green tea contain caffeine?

Japanese green teas are often higher in caffeine due to the gentle steaming process. The caffeine in tea is bound to antioxidants which slow the rate of absorption. This makes for a more gradual caffeine hit with none of the jitters associated with coffee. Gyokuro and matcha, the shade grown teas, have the most caffeine. Hojicha has very little caffeine, whilst sencha comes somewhere in between.

Making Japanese green tea

The subtle nuances of Japanese green tea can be lost if not brewed with consideration. Temperature and brew time are both of importance.

To brew sencha tea, boil water and let it stand for a few minutes to come down to 80C. Brew for 1 minute before lifting out the leaves.

Matcha tea is whisked into water of between 70 and 85C.

Genmaicha tea is brewed in freshly boiled water for 1 minute.

Hojicha tea is brewed in freshly boiled water for 30 seconds.

Health benefits matcha vs green tea

Matcha and other varieties of green tea share potent antioxidant benefits but it is thought that matcha is more beneficial to health as the whole leaf is ingested.

 

Why not explore our range of matcha green tea or buy online from our gourmet grocery store?

The different grades of matcha green tea powder explained

different grades of matcha

All tea begins with the plant Camellia Sinensis, whether it is green, white or black. Green when harvested, if not steamed within hours the leaves will oxidise and turn black. This is the black tea we are all used to in our daily cuppa.

But matcha goes beyond simple green tea. An art form perfected by the Japanese over thousands of years, it has a unique method of growing, harvesting, and production.

There are many different grades of matcha powder, which we will explain in this article.

What is matcha powder?

Matcha powder is a traditional green tea powder from Japan. Like fine wine or a good cheese, matcha is a product of its terroir. This is the environment in which it is produced and each element such as the soil and the climate will make a difference to the final flavour. There are various regions in Japan that are renowned for the quality of their matcha, just as there are areas of France renowned for producing excellent wine.

How is matcha powder made?

Tea for high grade matcha is grown in the shade, on specialist plantations. April is the beginning of the growing season, and there may be up to four harvests in a season. The first harvest, known also as a flush, is considered to produce the highest grade tea. Once the first green shoots appear, the tea plants are kept under gradually increasing shade in order to reduce the rate of photosynthesis. This concentrates the green pigment chlorophyll and increases theamine, the amino acid that gives matcha tea its soft sweet flavour.

The first flush begins in May. The young leaves are chosen and picked by hand. In any type of tea growing, this first harvest will have more nuance of flavour as it grows more slowly in the cooler weather. As the weather gets warmer over the season, the rate of growth speeds up and flavour changes. The green leaves are steamed as soon after harvest as possible to retain the vibrant green of the chlorophyll. At this stage, green tea would be rolled and left to dry but the delicate leaves for matcha are air-dried in a machine.

Finally the leaves are picked clean of stem and veins before grinding. Matcha tea is ground in a granite stone mill. It turns with a considered slowness designed to create as little friction as possible so as to retain all the delicate flavour notes of the final matcha powder.

There may be up to four harvests in a season, which ends in late autumn.

What does matcha taste like?

Matcha tea should be rich, aromatic and sweet with a grassy, vegetal taste from the chlorophyll. Higher grade tea will be less astringent than the lower grades, with minimal bitterness.

How to tell if matcha is good quality

There is a difference between high quality matcha powder and high grade matcha powder. The different grades of matcha are blended for different purposes, so culinary grade matcha powder from a reputable source is still a high quality product. Matcha, by definition is an artisan product of time and tradition. Yet, some will be of a higher quality than others.

A good quality ceremonial grade matcha powder will be…

Soluble, with a texture like fine baby powder.

Smooth and sweet with no astringency.

Grown and produced in Japan.

A vibrant green colour, yet this is not always a reliable benchmark.

How to choose matcha

Firstly make sure that your matcha is grown and produced in Japan. There is no labelling convention as such, and you could well be buying green tea powder which is not the same thing.

Buy according to your budget and what you need it for. First flush ceremonial grade matcha powder is best used for whisking in water. Slightly less expensive second flush ceremonial grade matcha powder can be whisked in water but will be slightly more bitter. You could use this in lattes and smoothies too as the more robust flavours blend well with milk. Keep the culinary grade matcha powder for cooking; the flavours are designed well to go with other ingredients.

Ceremonial grade matcha powder should be silky soft. Like baby powder. Lower grades will be less finely ground.

Different grades of matcha will have different levels of nutrients. The first flush matcha powder will have the most nutritional benefit, yet the lower grades are still all powerful superfoods.

What is ceremonial grade matcha?

Matcha powder

Ceremonial grade matcha powder is the highest grade of  matcha, blended purely for whisking in water and drinking as is. Used for centuries by monks and emperors to aid meditation, this is the stuff of the tea ceremony. The flavours are subtle and complex, delicate notes to be savoured.

Not all ceremonial grade matcha powder is first flush, but if it is it will be labelled as such. Our supreme matcha powder is first flush organic matcha powder.

Our imperial grade matcha is ceremonial grade second harvest. Slightly less delicate, it can be used for whisking or in your morning matcha latte.

Culinary grade matcha powder

Culinary grade matcha powder is blended to stand up to other ingredients. So that the flavours can come through ingredients such as fats, or cacao, and not be lost. Often used in lattes and smoothies too, this grade of matcha powder is less smooth and has more bitter and astringent tones. If you had a matcha latte or tea that you did not like, it may have been made with a lower grade of culinary grade matcha powder.

This is made from the the third or fourth flush (the later harvests) or a mix of both. The leaves are often picked mechanically and the grind can be coarser so it requires more whisking to dissolve.

There are several categories of culinary grade matcha powder.

Premium grade matcha powder is very fine and blends well. It is perfect for milky drinks as well as baking and cooking.

Cafe grade is less delicate with a strong flavour.

Ingredient grade is produced to match well with milk and dairy. It is stronger and thicker.

Kitchen grade is the economy blend of matcha powder. It is less delicate than the rest, and more astringent.

Culinary grade matcha powder is not an inferior product. It is simply a question of using it for the right purpose. This is what you will use to make your matcha brownies or matcha ice cream. It is the perfect matcha powder for baking.

 

We hope that has helped begin to explain a little about the different grades of matcha powder. Take a look at all of our organic matcha powder, or head over to the online store for more wholesale organic food.

How to Create Your Matcha Green Tea Latte Recipe At Home?

Matcha Tea Latte a popular tea beverage was unheard in Australia before a decade ago but now almost every coffee shop provides with this delicious Matcha powder drink. It has been given various names by most of the famous cafes in Australia while some boasts of its meditative qualities others call it as the “perfect Zen” or “the healthy superfood”. The best thing about Matcha Latte is that it can easily be made at home.

Buy the Imperial Matcha Tea powder from Peptea and take it in a mug or cup. Then add warm water and mix it with a spoon until it turns into a dark green paste. Warm the milk in a saucepan and pour it into the mug and stir well till it turns light green in color. Then add a few sprinkles of Matcha Powder on top for decorations. If you are looking for an ice-cold Matcha Latte then use cold milk instead of hot milk and add some ice cubes for the chill.

Order your Imperial Matcha Powder wholesale right now from Peptea.

 

Why Matcha Tea Powder Is A “Powerhouse Of Antioxidants”

Matcha Tea powder contains a powerhouse of antioxidants. In recent years people have become more aware of the different health benefits which can be gained by drinking just a cup of Green Tea. But still, it is just unthinkable that every day unknowingly we throw away such huge quantities of antioxidants and minerals which are present in tea leaves.
A cup of green tea is only able to extract a limited amount of minerals and antioxidants but that does not mean you have to start eating tea leaves.

We suggest you switch your taste to matcha tea which provides a simple solution as it uses the whole of the tea leaf. It provides numerable minerals and antioxidants and proven health benefits. It has even been proven that 1 cup of Matcha tea is equal to drinking 10 cups of green tea.

Pep Tea is an Australian brand which specializes in organic Matcha wholesale. We have different varieties of Matcha Tea powder available in our store. All our products are organic and of high quality which are grown in the famous southern tea plantations of Japan.

Pep Tea brand matcha products are certified by the Japanese agriculture ministry before packing. We have the Supreme, Imperial and Premium Matcha tea powder which are available in packs of 30gm, 100gm, and 1kg. All these products can be ordered from wholesale matcha distributor Opera Foods.

How Many Cups of Matcha Tea Powder are Safe Per Day?

Matcha is a type of green tea which is grown in the famous tea plantations of Japan and also in China. The drinking of powdered green tea leaves for heath reasons became a ceremonial tradition which was practiced in Japan. Over the centuries the tradition is still being continued in Japan whereas in China it had slowly lost some its importance until recent years. Where ceremonies were held the High grade matcha tea is made and served according to the auspicious rituals of the Japanese tea ceremony.

Pep Tea a leading brand of Kombucha and Matcha was established with the vision to bring the old tradition of Matcha tea to Australia. Besides the authentic traditional facts they also provide amazing benefits to our body.

Caffeine in Matcha

Like coffee, matcha contains caffeine, but instead of the jitters it gives you a clean high. A matcha tea provides more caffeine than black tea around the same as a cup of brewed coffee but less than the amount of an espresso, however, the tea’s buzz is much more energising and longer-lasting

It depends on how strong you drink it of course but on average Matcha tea contains on average around 70mg of caffeine for an 8 ounce cup. Whereas black tea contains, on average, around 55 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces, and coffee contains around 100 mg. Interestingly, green tea also contains the amino acid L-theanine.

Caffeine is usually thought to be safe in moderate amounts. Experts consider 200–300 mg of caffeine a day to be a moderate amount for adults. So a moderate dose of caffeine through drinking Matcha tea is about 3 cups per day.

Consuming Matcha tea on a daily basis increases the antioxidant compounds in our body which can protect us from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and dementia. Whereas you should also be careful about the amount of Matcha consumption you take as overdose of caffeine can leads to side effect. To make one cup of Matcha Tea you should use 1/2 teaspoon of Matcha Powder as one cup of Matcha green tea is equivalent to 10 cups of ordinary Green Tea.  So Generally it is though that if you consume Matcha Tea on a daily basis you should probably not have more than 5 cups a day. If you keep these things in check then the Matcha Tea is capable to keep you energized throughout the day and give you great health benefits.

Order high-grade Matcha powder wholesale from our online store. Pep Tea is a trademarked brand of Opera Foods who deliver products overnight to most postcodes in Australia.

A Brief History of Matcha Tea

The word Matcha has its origin from Japan. In Japanese “Cha” means tea, and “Ma” means powder. Hence the unique traditional style of making tea in Japan was called Matcha. In this technique, the tea leaves are ground into a fine powder.  Over the years the Japanese perfected the art of ceremonial Matcha tea making.

All our Matcha powder products are authentic Japanese certified and organic in nature. The Matcha Powder of Peptea is grown by the ministry of agriculture, Japan in the southern regions of Japan like Kyoto Mie and Aichi.

Our Matcha products are one of the most powerful natural superfoods available in Australia. After the Matcha leaves are grounded into fine powder they are stored away from sunlight and oxygen to preserve its bright green color and antioxidant properties.

Matcha Tea is a powerhouse of antioxidant, order Peptea’s Matcha from matcha powder wholesale distributor Opera Foods, and enjoy the amazing benefits by drinking a cup every day.

How to Distinguish Between Ordinary and Ultimate Matcha Tea Powder?

Though Matcha has originated in Japan and China it has recently gained popularity in Australia. Organic Matcha Tea has become the most loved tea among various other Green Tea because of its amazing health benefits.

High Grade Matchan ot only tastes a little sweeter but it also makes you feel better before you start your day. But you have to be cautious when you are buying the Matcha green tea powder; you have to notice several factors like it’s Colour, Price, and Benefits. If it has a vibrant green colour it means the leaves have been the first crop of the season grown in shade to have maximum chlorophyll content. On the other hand, if it has a browner colour it means they are from a later season harvest and contains less chlorophyll.

Buy the best Matcha Tea powder from Peptea and if you want Organic Matcha wholesale you can order from our wholesale supplier Opera Foods.