Prerna Porwal
People these days are increasingly consuming traditional herbal products and healthier foodstuff. When talking about a healthy lifestyle, consuming organic green tea has gotten in trend these days. It is one of the healthiest teas available in the market. However, have you heard about matcha green tea powder? It is quite a popular option these days, originated from Japan.
For readers, unaware of this fabulous product, the Japanese word Matcha can be split into two “cha” means tea, whereas “ma” means powder. Matcha green tea is a finely ground organic green tea that originated and used in Japan for centuries and currently all over the world. There are numerous health benefits of this miracle tea and that is the main reason why most dieticians and nutritionists are recommending this tea. Let’s learn in detail about the best brands, benefits, types, etc. related to this tea so as to get a complete idea of this miracle product.
If you are looking to buy this amazing tea, then I have made your search easy. I have listed down the 10 best brands that provide matcha green tea. Do check them out below.
Vahdam Matcha Green Tea Powder is a natural product sourced from esteemed plantations in the Japanese cities of Honyama and Kawane, located in Shizuoka. Shizuoka has the perfect climate, the perfect terrain of spectacular mountains, clear streams, coastal beaches, hot springs, and extremely fertile soil, which are essentials of a good crop. Vahdam is a connector between the consumers and these Japanese matcha tea producers. Vahdam Matcha has a beautiful verdant green color, leafy aroma and rich taste.
Reasons to Buy:
- 100% Pure and Authentic Japanese Matcha
- 137 times more antioxidants
- No artificial colors
- Certified product
Heapwell Superfoods Japanese Matcha Green Tea powder is a good trustworthy option if you are looking for premium and international flavours. It is a naturally vegan and gluten-free powder; it is useful to prepare tea and several types of dishes and bakery recipes. The premium quality tea leaves are sourced from the farms of Kyoto and Nara to guarantee that genuine Japanese flavours are maintained. This matcha tea is loaded with antioxidants and useful for preparing iced tea for a refreshing sensation.
Reasons to Buy:
- 100% Natural, gluten-free and vegan
- Premium product sourced from Japan
- No colors and preservatives
OZiva Matcha Plus offers 100% organic Japanese matcha which is handpicked by dedicated farmers. It contains essential whole foods like Licorice, Pomegranate and Ginger content which are useful to clear dark spots, improve skin complexion and brighten your skin. Activated charcoal present in this pack helps in the removal of dead skin cells and impurities from the skin. Apart from this, this organic matcha helps to improve mental focus, boosts stamina and increases metabolism, weight loss, etc.
Reasons to Buy:
- Soy-free, gluten-free
- No added sugar, Non-GMO
- No artificial colors or preservatives
- Contains licorice, ginger, pomegranate and activated charcoal resulting in good taste and numerous health benefits
TeaTreasure Matcha Green Tea is a natural, minimally refined green tea offering consumers a Japanese experience. This is a healthy alternative to a daily cuppa. It consists of less amount of caffeine, and considered a superfood due to its high antioxidant content. This highest-grade matcha tea is rigorously tested and checked for quality in different processes to ensure the finest matcha reaches its consumers.
Reasons to Buy:
- Organic & gluten-free
- Free of artificial colors and sugar
- Potent detoxifying agent
- Rejuvenates skin
- High graded tea due to the good quality of processing and manufacturing
- USDA certified
The Tea Trove company is the first Indian tree planters after Britishers. The Kolkata based firm has spread across the entire country offering organic tea powders and products made from herbs and leaves from its own cultivation. They have dedicated tea gardens across the world. Tea Trove is a well known brand delivering fresh and aromatic tea to its consumers In India and abroad. The Japanese sourced green tea is free of artificial colors and harmful preservatives.
Friends, Tea Trove offer a 60 days product Guarantee, wherein you can claim 100% refund in case you aren’t satisfied with the product quality.
Reasons to Buy:
- Natural and authentic product
- Vegan and non-GMO
- Detox warrior
- Energizing elixir
- 60 days money-back guarantee
Real Matcha Green Tea Powder is 100% natural and fresh green tea powder sourced from Kyoto and Shizuoka prefecture in Japan. The young high-quality leaves are handpicked and stone grounded to produce a fine vibrant green matcha powder of supreme grade. It is loaded with an EGCG compound which helps to improve focus and boost metabolism. This antioxidant-rich matcha helps to instantly recharge you and assist in weight loss.
Reasons to Buy:
- Product of Japan
- Farm fresh product
- Powerful, healthy and delicious
- Boosts metabolism
- Mood enhancer
Twinings Matcha Green Tea and cranberries create an amazing tasting blend. Cranberries give a fresh juicy and a bit of spicy taste to the green tea. This refreshing drink will surely get you in a positive mood. On the other hand, Lemon and Green tea provides a soothing concoction. Luckily, this product is a combination of both cranberry and lime with green tea, and let me tell you it’s an awesome combo. Also it’s packed in tea bags, so its quite easy to make the green tea!
Reasons to Buy:
- High manganese content
- Blended green tea with cranberry and lime
- Awesome unique taste
- Rich source of antioxidants
- Comes in the form of 20 tea bags
Golden Tips is one of India’s oldest and finest tea brands which started its journey in 1933. Their Japanese matcha is organic in nature and vibrant green in color. This is an ISO 22000:2005 certified brand offering premium quality matcha at very reasonable rates. The Matcha tea is prepared from fresh, young leaves having a natural aroma and earthy flavors. This powder is free of oils, artificial colors and aroma, preservatives, etc.
Reasons to Buy:
- Premium quality product, made in Japan
- Hygienically packed in a metallic can
- Oldest brand in the industry
- ISO certified
Friends, there are different types of matcha green tea. Its grade is determined based on the color of powder, texture, and product quality.
There are two main grades, ceremonial and culinary grade matcha.
- Ceremonial grade matcha is a better grade powder prepared from the young tea leaves. The process involves separating stems and veins of the plant from the leaves to provide a very smooth and fine texture.
2. Culinary grade matcha is prepared from young tea leaves that are slightly older than the ceremonial grade tea leaves. It is mostly used for baking and cooking purposes. Culinary grade matcha can be further classified into 5 types which are as below:
- Premium: Premium grade is an everyday use Matcha powder that combines well with blended drinks and juices.
- Cafe: Cafe grade has a robust flavor, making it perfect for baking and cooking purposes.
- Ingredient: Ingredient grade is mixed with older green tea leaves which have stronger flavors having a thicker consistency. It is ideal in recipes that contain dairy products.
- Kitchen: Kitchen grade is dark green matcha powder having a bitter taste. It is produced with less delicate leaves. This grade is suitable for large-scale brewing purposes.
- Classic: Classic grade is the most common matcha grade, and it has a strong flavor and aroma. It is useful in numerous food and beverage recipes.
Below are the key benefits of including matcha green tea powder in your diet:
- Helps to fight cancer
- Improves cholesterol control (reduces bad cholesterol)
- Helps to promote weight loss
- Provides a calming sensation to the body
- Boost endurance levels and provides instant energy
- Enhances your focus, memory and concentration
- Excellent body detoxifier
- Strengthens your immune system
- Helps to protect your Liver
- Protects against harmful heart disease
- Improves skin health
Friends, there are many brands selling Matcha Green tea in the market. As a consumer, you should be aware of various important aspects in selecting the best brand for yourself. Here is a simple buying guide for your Matcha Green Tea Powder!
1. Powder Color
Color is the most important factor in identifying the best organic matcha. Always select the vibrant green color. The more vibrant the shade is, the better quality it will be. The bright green color signifies the amazing health benefits of matcha green tea, as it is loaded with chlorophyll and amino acid content, which are essential to our body.
FYI, if matcha powder has a brownish hue tint, it is prepared from the lower part of the plant and isn’t protected from direct sunlight, so you may want to avoid buying that.
2. Product Origin
The next point to consider in buying a matcha green tea powder is checking the location or source of the product. Simply check the location wherein matcha tea is grown-up and processed before purchasing. There are two countries well known for the production of matcha, Japan and China.
If you are purchasing your matcha green tea in India, make sure that the brand you are selecting is being supplied by the Japanese cultivators to ensure the best product quality. Do note that the farmers in China are less experienced and skilled in cultivation as compared to their Japanese counterparts. Their matcha tea shade is also slightly dull as its leaves contain less chlorophyll.
3. Smooth Creamy Taste
If you are a new user of matcha, you might not know how it will taste, thus, many people are easily misled by low grade matcha teas. In general practice, the best matcha tea tastes the best. This is indicated by the taste of natural sweetness of matcha, which comes from its leaves L-theanine. This essential amino acid is beneficial in several ways like improving sleep, reducing stress levels, promoting weight loss, etc.
4. Rich Green Aroma
A good quality matcha has a pleasant aroma. You will experience this when you open the pack of fresh matcha powder, the floral sweet twinge aroma having a tint of earthy smell. Heaven! On the other hand, low-grade products smell grassy and not sweet earthy.
5. Soft Texture
The leaves play a pivotal role in preparing the matcha powder. A superior-quality matcha powder is prepared using the young, fresh and soft green tea leaves that generates a smooth texture when grounded. On the other hand, if the leaves are older and coarse, the final product will have grassy texture and dull shade.
6. Affordable Cost
Last but not the least; the affordability factor is an important aspect in buying decisions. There are many low-quality products that are a complete waste of money, whereas some exceptionally high range brands provide the finest grade but have a high price tag. Do not get confused my friends, simply check out my top 8 picks for the best matcha green tea powder given above and select anyone without worrying about quality issues.
To find out about the best way of making the traditional matcha green tea, click here.
1. Does Matcha make you poop?
There is no specific observation that Matcha intake makes you poop. However, a notable fact is that Matcha consumption makes the movement in the bowel easier. The caffeine and high levels of antioxidants in it assist you to poop at times.
2. Is it safe to drink Matcha every day?
Yes, of course. You can easily have 2-3 cups of Matcha tea daily without worrying about any side effects. Matcha helps to burn the body fat faster and makes you lose extra kilos. So why bother about reasons. Just have it!
3. Can I drink Matcha on an empty stomach?
You can, but you shouldn’t. Doing this dare will upset your stomach. Also, avoid consuming matcha along with lunch and dinner as well. It may reduce the absorption of vitamin B1 from your body.
4. Is Matcha healthier than coffee?
Both Coffee and Matcha have caffeine content, taste bitter and have minimum calories. However, if you consider oral hygiene and better breath, better skin and high content of antioxidants, Matcha is definitely healthier than regular coffee.
5. What is the best time to drink Matcha tea?
If you love Matcha tea, don’t wait for the right time, just enjoy it whenever you like. However, avoid consuming it just before going to bed, on an empty stomach, or with lunch or dinner.
6. Does Matcha help you sleep?
Yes, it makes you sleep well, all thanks to L-theanine. For your information, Matcha has more L-theanine content as compared to Green and Black tea.
7. Is Matcha bad for your teeth?
Definitely Not! It’s vice versa actually. According to studies, Matcha green tea is beneficial for your oral health and it also prevents the issue of tooth decay. Also, researchers have observed it to be beneficial in reducing the occurrence of oral cancer.
8. Does Matcha help with anxiety?
Matcha Tea can reduce anxiety. There is no full-proof clarification on it as of now. However, Matcha is found to activate dopamine D1 receptors and serotonin receptors and reduce anxiety, in the mice test.
9. Is it better to drink Matcha hot or cold?
Both are fine. Matcha can be consumed both hot and cold, enjoy the drink friends. I personally would prefer having it with hot or lukewarm water.
10. Which is better green tea or matcha?
Both are beneficial to our body considering the range of advantages it offers. To select one of them, I would consider Matcha over green tea, as it has more antioxidants, especially the catechins. (EGCG) – Epigallocatechin gallate is the most powerful catechin available in Matcha.