So, what is all the fuss about?
Why has matcha been the growth tea over each of the last three years? 


 

With other leaf teas you drink the infusion that is created from brewing the teas, whatever is extracted by adding the hot water is what you will drink. These compounds include caffeine, theanine, catechins and other polyphenols and antioxidants. With matcha powder, you essentially dissolve the powder into the liquid and ingest the whole tea leaves. It is reported that the concentration of the above compounds is five times higher in matcha.
 

The high levels of theanine lead to an ambient alertness that is prized by those wishing to remain focused - traditionally this was used by Zen buddhists and students in Japan. In the West it has found a home amongst working professionals who prefer the effects versus coffee, as well as those who are designing their diets for fitness regimes. Catechins are producing convincing results on weight loss trials, and as such matcha is the tea that is at the forefront of these studies.
 

It is the tea used in the Japanese Tea Ceremony (see picture above). Here matcha is whisked up into a frothy brew using a chasen. The popularity of matcha in smoothies and juices prepared at home is nothing short of a phenomenon. Adding to alternative milks and drunk hot/cold is another big use for matcha. It's use in baking (cookies/cakes etc) is widespread, and although you would normally use a lower quality tea than the one we have at Waterloo, price wise our matcha is cheaper than the lower grade (often Chinese produced) matcha you can find elsewhere.
 

We love matcha, and are keen for more people to try the beauty that it is. As such, until the end of November 2019 we have a discount code which will take 20% off any purchase of matcha. Type in #matcha when checking out. Here's the link to the tea on our website.