I recently conducted an experiment where I swapped matcha for coffee for a week to see if I felt a difference. I’m always trying new things when it comes to my health and one thing I try to mitigate as much as possible is anxiety.

Drinking coffee can be like adding lighter fluid to anxiety — I hadn’t gone a day without drinking it in over 5 years because I had myself convinced I needed it to function. Well, here we are weeks later without coffee and I feel amazing drinking a daily matcha lattte instead.

I talk more about this experiment in this podcast episode if you want to hear more!

what is matcha?

baby green tea leaves ground up to make a tea powder (the word matcha translates to ground tea). since the entire leaves are ground up, the tea contains all of the nutrients. I read somewhere that the number of certain catechins in matcha is up to 137 times more than in other types of green tea. woah.

benefits

• high in antioxidants
• protects liver function
• cancer fighting properties
• includes l-theanine – known for promoting calm and balance
• easy to make
• boost brain function
• has caffeine!
  • I’ve found that the ‘high’ is a lot more steady and calm than the jolt of coffee

where to buy it

At this point you can get matcha at starbucks which means it’s becoming more and more accessible. Like with anything else you drink/put in your body, make sure to read the ingredients! For example, starbucks matcha powder is presweetened and has sugar added.

When shopping for matcha powder the key is to look for ceremonial grade. You might run into culinary grade which is for cooking, but ceremonial grade very good quality matcha is bright bright green. You can tell by the color of the powder itself!

My personal favorite is this one from Third Culture Bakery. My friend Sam who owns the bakery knows his tea, is the one who got me into matcha in the first place, and I love supporting his small business. This NY Magazine article is helpful in choosing one to buy, too!

Another personal favorite is Pique Sun Goddess Matcha (use this link for a discount!) because it comes in packets making it easy for on the go. If I had to pick, it’s TCB Matcha hands down.

how to make a latte at home

I’ve gotten lots of questions on how to make it. Let me preface this with how I personally make matcha for myself at home is not the authentic way but I’m the type of girl who uses what she’s got. Matcha is not new – it has been healing people in Japan and around asia for thousands of years. I personally love and want to share an amazing health promoting alternative to coffee – I get how it can be confusing with the powder though as a first timer, so here are the steps:

what you need:

• Cup of Ice or Mug for the drink itself
• Small bowl
• Matcha whisk or a frother
  • I have this one in my amazon cart
• Sweetener of choice
  • I like maple syrup and/or vanilla
• Milk of choice
  • I like whole milk
• Hot, not boiling, water
• Ceremonial grade matcha powder

the steps:

1. Measure out NO MORE than 1 teaspoon of matcha powder into the small bowl – you’re going to add a few tablespoons of hot water to that bowl to make a tea concentrate that you’ll pour over top of your milk of choice.
2. Use your frother or matcha whisk to combine and break up any clumps. Once you start to see bubbles on the top of your matcha, it’s ready!
3. Add about 1/2 cup of milk of choice to a cup of ice and add your sweetener. I like to drizzle maple syrup over the ice as mine.
4. Pour matcha mixture over ice/milk/maple, stir, and enjoy. It’s really that simple!

Matcha lattes can be made hot or iced – I prefer them iced in the summer but know that it’s pretty much the same for a hot latte come those fall months!!!! Froth your milk, add sweetener, and pour in the matcha concentrate like a shot of espresso into a latte.

***Instead of hot water like its traditionally made, I have been mixing the powder with coconut water instead for a boost of hydration and flavor in my iced latte